MADreads

Artful dodging

November 13th, 2009 Terry - Central

When I first picked up The Art of Making Money I thought, “Great.  Probably one of those Suze Orman books and I’ll be chastised for buying another latte.” (According to Suze Buzzkill, my coffee purchases may be impeding my retirement plans).  But, reading further, I note the second part of the title–The Story of a Master Counterfeiter.   Hmmm.  Now they got my attention.

Part memoir, part true crime and written by Jason Kersten, it’s about Art Williams, a maverick counterfeiter from Chicago.  The story begins with Art’s childhood in a dysfunctional (natch) family.  Art’s father, a small-time crook, abandoned the family when Williams was 11.  His mother, diagnosed with bipolar schizophrenia, is unable to look after their three kids.  The family ends up on welfare in Bridgeport, on Chicago’s south side, amidst guns, drugs and gangs.  Williams begins breaking into parking meters and is soon supporting the family by stealing cars.  He then graduates to robbing local drug dealers.  At this point, the fun has really just begun and Williams is 13 and we’re only on chapter 3.

Art’s mother’s boyfriend (a.k.a. Da Vinci) takes Art under his wing, introducing him to a future in counterfeiting.  After Da Vinci disappears (presumably at the hands of a disgruntled client) Art is left to fine tune his talent on his own.  He does so, taking his career onto a new level by using the newest technology available, coming up with a c-note, (I like to throw the lingo around) a hundred dollar bill so perfect, even law enforcement have trouble telling it from the real thing.

Art’s inevitable downfall stems from his inability to follow Da Vinci’s simple instructions–first, do not spend the notes yourself, and secondly, never spend them close to home.  Art’s final undoing, however, is a result of visiting his father in Alaska.  In a moment of weakness and, one can only think, an effort to finally win dear old dad’s approval, Art lets his dad in on the business.  Art Senior wants a piece of the free money action but can’t follow the rules either.

If I was casting the movie, which is currently in the works, I’d put Johnny Depp in the lead role and Ray Liotta as the deadbeat dad.  While you wait for the film, however, slap down some legal tender, get yourself a big old latte and enjoy this page turner.  Sure, it may not expedite your retirement or improve your investment portfolio, but take solace in the fact that the feds aren’t chasing you.  And then there’s all that money you’re saving by getting your stuff from the library.

Entry Filed under: Memoir & Biography, Nonfiction