SKU: 28754518122

Fool Proof: How Fear of Playing the Sucker Shapes Our Selves and the Social Order―and What We Can Do About It (Hardcover)

Sale price$18.00 Regular price$20.00
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $5.00 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Jul 26 - Jul 31

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

Fool Proof: How Fear of Playing the Sucker Shapes Our Selves and the Social Order―and What We Can Do About It (Hardcover)The fear of playing the fool is a universal psychological phenomenon and an underappreciated driver of human behavior; in the spirit of Malcolm Gladwells Blink, Dan Arielys Predictably Irrational, and Susan Cains Quiet, Fool Proof tracks the implications of the sucker construct from personal choices to cultural conflict, ultimately charting an unexpected and empowering path forward. In the American moral vernacular, we have a whole thesaurus for

The fear of playing the fool is a universal psychological phenomenon and an underappreciated driver of human behavior; in the spirit of Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational, and Susan Cain’s Quiet, Fool Proof tracks the implications of the sucker construct from personal choices to cultural conflict, ultimately charting an unexpected and empowering path forward.

In the American moral vernacular, we have a whole thesaurus for victims of exploitation. They are suckers (born every minute), fools (not suffered gladly), dupes, marks, chumps, pawns, and losers. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Cultural stories about suckers abound too: the Trojan Horse, the Boy Who Cried Wolf, the Emperor’s New Clothes, even Hansel and Gretel. If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you. Don’t go out with him; he only wants one thing. The fear of playing the fool is not just a descriptive fact; it is a prescriptive theme: Don’t let that be you.

Most of us are constantly navigating two sets of imperatives: how to be successful and how to be good. The fear of being suckered whispers that you can’t do both, operating as a quiet caution against leaps of faith and acts of altruism. University of Pennsylvania law professor and moral psychologist Tess Wilkinson-Ryan brings evidence from studies in psychology, sociology, and economics to show how the sucker construct shapes, and distorts, human decision-making.

Fool Proof offers the first in-depth analysis of the sucker’s game as implicit worldview, drawing evidence everywhere from grocery shopping to international trade deals, from road rage to #MeToo. Offering real-world puzzles and stories, Wilkinson-Ryan explores what kinds of hustles feel like scams and which ones feel like business as usual, who gets pegged as suckers and who gets lauded as saints. She takes deep dives into areas like the psychology of stereotyping, the history of ethnic slurs, and the economics of the family—and shows how the threat of being suckered is deployed to perpetuate social and economic hierarchies.

Ultimately, Fool Proof argues that the goal is not so much to spot the con as to renegotiate its meaning. The fear of being suckered can be weaponized to disrupt cooperation and trust, but it can also be defused and reframed to make space for moral agency and social progress. Facing the fear of being suckered head-on means deciding for ourselves what risks to take, what relationships to invest in, when to share, and when to protest—drafting a new template for how to live with integrity in a sucker’s world.

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 28754518122

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.5 ★★★★★
Based on 22 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
M
Verified Purchase
MIke L
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 5
All time favorite watch
This watch is amazing for the price. I have had mine for 5 years or so and I wear it regularly. It's very comfortable resin strap. The design of the face is I think stunningly beautiful. Yes that is a bit strong for a $25 watch but the way the globe pops out, the legibility on par with a high priced dive watch and the funcationality of a timer, stop watch, world time and a data bank you will never use, but still.. cool watch!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2020
P
Verified Purchase
Paul
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Handy
Very easy for old eyes to read, can even see the date if light is good. Light weight for a largish watch. Seems rugged enough for me and the price is right for a beater watch.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2025
D
Verified Purchase
Derek
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 4
Watch
Tells time
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2026
S
Verified Purchase
Steph W
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
Great watch!
I Iove this watch! It looks so good!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2021
L
Verified Purchase
Leguis Jesús
Whiting, US
★★★★★ 5
Bueno
Excelente
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2025

recommand products