In Pursuit of Truth in Art, Antiques and Antiquities

Grounded in riveting real-life stories, In Pursuit of Truth pulls back the curtain on the hidden world of art, antiques and antiquities. With candor, wit and decades of first-hand experience, the author exposes the deceit, dishonesty and fabrications that have shaped the market for centuries. From Manhattan's glittering auction houses to the shadowy networks of looted antiquities, readers are taken inside the intrigues of collecting: why some works of conceptual art command obscene prices, how illicit money flows distort the market and why the museums and critics we trust are not always as reliable as they appear. Along the way you'll encounter sovereign wealth heists, grave-robbed treasures and the blind eyes of even the world's most prestigious institutions. Intended for collectors, scholars, art lovers, journalists and the freshly curious who want to understand not just the beauty of art, but the power, money and deception behind it. Readers will learn how to navigate a world where provenance is often paper-thin, why markets rise and fall on ego as much as talent and what it truly means to seek authenticity in a culture built on illusion. Unlike other books that romanticize collecting or simply recount scandals, this one is part memoir, part expos and part cultural history. Written with both seriousness and humor, it invites you to see the art world through the eyes of a seasoned collector, money manager, part-time artist and lifelong seeker of truth.