Why would a smart New York investment banker pay twelve million dollars for the decaying, stuffed carcass of a shark? By what alchemy does Jackson Pollocks drip painting No.5 1948 sell for $140 million? The Twelve Million Dollar Stuffed Shark is the first book to look at the economics of the modern art world and the marketing strategies which power the market to produce such astronomical prices. Don Thompson talks to auction houses, dealers, and collectors to find out the source of Charles Saatchis Midas touch, and how far a gallery like White Cube has contributed to Damien Hirst becoming the highest-earning artist in the world.
