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The Runner
A True Account of the Amazing Lies and Fantastical Adventures of the Ivy League Impostor James Hogue
Book Summary
A true tale based on an acclaimed New Yorker article follows the efforts of a homeless itinerant who assumed a false identity was accepted at Princeton University, an endeavor during which he dated a millionaire's daughter, achieved top grades, and gained entry into the elite Ivy Club before his deception was exposed. Reprint.
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NPR stories about The Runner
Three Books...
Fakin' It: Three Books On Masquerading Identities
Numerous recent books star this uniquely American character, but the most uncomfortably riveting is David Samuels' The Runner. And the most disturbing thing about it is that it's true. In the late 1980s, a man calling himself Alexi Santana was admitted to Princeton. Describing himself as a self-educated cowboy from Nevada, Santana was the most interesting new student at Princeton. He was also a consummate liar, something revealed when it was discovered that he was actually... more
—David Anthony
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