The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry

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The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry

3.87 of 5 stars 3.87 · rating details · 24,050 ratings · 2,788 reviews

The Psychopath Test is a fascinating journey through the minds of madness. Jon Ronson's exploration of a potential hoax being played on the world's top neurologists takes him, unexpectedly, into the heart of the madness industry. An influential psychologist who is convinced that many important CEOs and politicians are, in fact, psychopaths teaches Ronson how to spot these...more

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Published May 12th 2011 by Tantor Media

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Nov 07, 2011 Simeon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fictions

  ***Warning: this review is not for the fainthearted.***

Via Reddit, a video recently went viral of a Texas Judge savagely beating his disabled teenage daughter with a belt.

(view spoiler)...more

  ***Warning: this review is not for the fainthearted.***

Via Reddit, a video recently went viral of a Texas Judge savagely beating his disabled teenage daughter with a belt.

(view spoiler)

Perhaps the most heartrending moment of the video is near the beginning, when in a tiny voice the girl cries out: “Dad...” an instant before he starts to hit her.

What do you get when you hollow a human of conscience? If there were no empathy, no guilt, no shame, no anxiety... if impulse control simply meant biding your time... if ego were all that mattered, a desire to dominate others, the shameless manipulation: quintessence of a creature with the mind of a man but the soul of an insect, no trappings of honor or personal responsibility (let alone personality). Well, you get things like human trafficking, plutocratic oligarchies, and Donald Trump.

Perhaps it occurs to you that even wife-beaters must love their wives, or why keep them around otherwise? Sociopaths don't have to fake tears or attachment. Family members are possessions; tears of loss for an important object, their deepest sentiment. They do not love. They possess.

Children, for instance, are an irritation, products of the loins that may occasionally cause some trouble, but which ultimately serve a purpose, useful in keeping up social appearances (if that fails, they can always be disowned). Sociopaths experience sorrow and cry for lost possessions in exactly the same way they would on finding their favorite automobile crushed by a tree in the driveway.

Without empathy, the ego becomes all-consuming. A sociopath is solipsistic to a degree that even Ayn Rand would find appalling (though she would herself score rather high on Robert Hare’s PCL-R test).

Factor 1: Personality, “Aggressive narcissism”

Glibness and superficial charm

Bachmann eyes

The creepy superficiality that politicians ooze like body fluid is item one.

It’s true, we all act sometimes. At work you may not behave the way you do at home, but usually affectation takes a toll. Overdo it, and your guilt and shame could manifest into a full-blown existential crisis. That’s why so many young people are emotionally wrecked or altered by the modern workplace, where character is not only irrelevant, but actively winnowed along the corporate ladder. (There’s a preponderance of sociopaths at the top of the corporate and political food-chain.)

Grandiose sense of self-worth, narcissism, egomania

he spent his life as an animated carcass

he spent his life as an animated carcass

Pathological lying

Cunning and Manipulation

Lolz

Shallow affect (genuine emotion is short-lived and egocentric)

Dick Cheney

Lack of remorse or guilt

Callousness; lack of empathy

Many hypothesize that Rush Limbaugh eats babies, or that he's the result of a human-pig crossbreading experiment gone terribly wrong. Or maybe, he's just a garden variety sociopath, who knows?

Failure to accept responsibility for own actions

Nothing left to say

Behavioral patterns include bullying others at a young age, sometimes torturing animals, reacting with clinical detachment to images of depravity and gore, emotionally praying on others for entertainment, promiscuity, short-term marital relationships, criminal versatility, etc.

Anxiety and shyness are the diametric opposite of psychopathy.

As you can imagine, Judge Adams would behave splendidly in public. He's a confident man, enjoys being called "sir" and flaunting his achievements, like all materially successful creatures. The real question, of course, is how he treats those over whom he has power. The understated answer is “badly.” Not being human himself, he's never quite sure how to treat other humans, except by observing and pretending to be one of them, a tiresome mimicry.

Of her psychopathic father, Hilary said: "I told him I had the video and he didn't seem to think anything of it, basically dared me to post it. I think he just really needs help and rehabilitation.”

She actually feels sorry for him. Incidentally, Judge Adams told reporters: “In my mind I haven't done anything wrong other than discipline my child.”

You may think you are good at lying or rationalization, but you are nothing compared to a sociopath, whose favorite phrases include gems like:

“Look at what you made me do!” and the classic:
“Are you happy now?" yelled while abusing a victim,
"Is this what you wanted? Do you like disobeying me?”

"I was completely brainwashed and controlled," said the mother, "I leave the room, he’s telling me what to say, what to do."

You get the picture. Sociopaths are everywhere, between one and three % of the population, male and female, and not always violent. They are attracted to authority. It's something in their lizard brains, a vestigial will to power.

Also, psychopaths cannot tolerate disrespect. Sometime near the video's end, Judge Adams promises that so much as a questionable tone of voice from his daughter would result in even more severe beatings.

Factoid: the Texas Judge has a history of ruling child-abuse cases in favor of the abuser, saying that a child's testimony is void without video evidence, ironically.

Somewhat related empathy test developed by professor Baron-Cohen.

Dr. Nassir Ghaemi on The Colbert Report explaining why empathy, creativity, realism are so important in leaders.

Jon Ronson on the Daily Show.(less)

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Oct 12, 2011 Jason rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-kindle, 2011, reviewed

I thought this would be a great tool for self-diagnosis, but actually Ronson skitters from one case to another without really making any definitive point. But maybe that’s the point. Psychopathy is probably not an absolute for most people, as there are many among us who exist in some sort of sociopathic gray area (myself included). Me, I scored a 10, so I’m a partial psychopath. (Surprise, surprise!) My downfall? Apparently, I don’t really care too much about other people.

Here, take the test!

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Dec 30, 2011 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is what I might call "an oddly interesting book". I say that because in retrospect I'm a bit surprised that it holds the interest so well. Mr. Ronson begins with a strange little mystery concerning running down the source/writer of an (to use the same word) odd book that has been mailed to certain people. From this the book springboards into a look at Psychopathy, its diagnosis and by extension the way in which psychiatric disorders are not only diagnosed but agreed on (that is agreed to ex...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, psycology

“There is no evidence that we've been placed on this planet to be especially happy or especially normal. And in fact our unhappiness and our strangeness, our anxieties and compulsions, those least fashionable aspects of our personalities, are quite often what lead us to do rather interesting things.”

Jon Ronson, in preparation of writing this book took a course from a top psychologist on how to spot a Psychopath. Below is a list of traits from the first factor called "Aggressive Narcissism". The...more

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May 18, 2011 Cyn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Only decided to read this because I saw Jon Ronson on "The Daily Show" promoting it. He was entertaining and the book sounded interesting and I was looking for some non-fiction so all the stars aligned to get me to read it.

Because of what a fabulous storyteller Ronson is, I finished this book in one day, only putting it down for lunch, dinner and "Glee". :) It was well worth the price and the time.

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Jun 05, 2011 Courtney rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People who want to learn to spot Psychopaths

Shelves: 2011, summer-2011, non-fiction

I read this in about a 4 hour span, from 12 am - 4 am. It freaked me out and I slept with the lights on. But on with the review.

So I've read things about psychopaths previously. How their brains are actually wired differently and they are unable to feel empathy, etcetc. Psychopathy is incurable. Psychopathy, in its violent and sexual strands, is outright fucking terrifying.

But Ronson's book talks more about the frequent misdiagnosis of psychopathy. And the misdiagnosis of many other "mental il...more I read this in about a 4 hour span, from 12 am - 4 am. It freaked me out and I slept with the lights on. But on with the review.

So I've read things about psychopaths previously. How their brains are actually wired differently and they are unable to feel empathy, etcetc. Psychopathy is incurable. Psychopathy, in its violent and sexual strands, is outright fucking terrifying.

But Ronson's book talks more about the frequent misdiagnosis of psychopathy. And the misdiagnosis of many other "mental illnesses" that may in fact just be trying to label and profit off of various human eccentricities. I thought it was interesting. Especially the inmate Tony who scammed his way into the Mental Hospital hoping for nicer amenities and found himself unable to convince the doctors of his sanity for another 20 years (13 years after his prison sentence was originally intended to be over).

That's some real life One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest stuff. When the majority decides that the only thing needed to stamp a lifelong label of "psychopath" is a score over 30 on a 20 point behavioral checklist, an incredible danger arises. Misuse and misguided priorities in diagnosis can ruin lives, create madness instead of protect against it.

As relatively new fields, I think psychotherapy and the psychiatric world at large are bound to make huge changes in their approach as they learn more and more about the human brain and its relation to behavior. A lot of the disorders seem, to me, very subjective in their conditions. (e.g. one of the characteristics for psychopathy is an 'inflated sense of self worth'....uhm? that's pretty subjective and would probably include the vast majority of my professors) The human brain itself is just such an incredible unknown that I think there needs to be a certain level of trepidation in creating absolutes. For Tony, the "absolute" definition of psychopathic tendencies lost him the best 20 years of his life surrounded by rapists and serial killers in a maximum security Hospital.

Of course, at the same time, there are definitely strands of human beings who objectively act differently and need to be addressed by society. They respond differently. They do not have the same emotional capacity as the other 99% of the human race. There is some definitive consistency in the way their minds work. There need to be tactics for identification, for prevention against their possible havoc.

So basically Ronson's conclusion is that, like with every other thing in this world, there needs to be a balance in the approach. There can't be a mass frenzy to diagnose and label every little idiosyncrasy of human behavior, turning the world into a medicated homogenization scared of every feeling outside of complacent and numb. But at the same time, we can't ignore extreme human behavior, the kind that is debilitating and sometimes even dangerous.

Oh wait, back to my review of the actual book. It was decent. Who isn't intrigued by the minds of psychopaths (and the minds of those who study the minds of psychopaths)? I thought his different chapters and stories were a little too disjointed and he trailed off topic a little toward the end. The book didn't have as great of a flow or dynamic as it could've. But overall, pretty interesting and worth a read. (less)

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Mar 06, 2012 Gregory rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: compeletd-reading, finished

Mr. Ronson puts forth ideas, scenarios, and real life observations in a easily read format. He writes so fluently that reading this book is like breathing. I just started it yesternight and about a 1/3 of the way through, he also highlights certain aspects of the study of the mind in relation to its historcal perspective(s).

Although the subject/topics are a bit challenging, if you think you may be interested in this book, It is well worth your time. Also, I think his paradigm exposes/shows us co...more

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Jul 16, 2011 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, 2011-reads

Wonderfully droll (and sometimes hilarious) tone and thought-provoking subject matter. Listened to the audiobook read by the author himself, and was hooked after only a few minutes; then when Ronson started talking about Douglas Hofstadter and Scientologists I had to think "I am so lucky to be listening to this book!" I learned about how the original DSM was created - how arbitrary all those diagnoses are - and that's (can I say:) depressing. I should write a thoughtful review but I am pressed f...more

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Mar 05, 2013 John rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to John by: Kate Anderson

A fascinating book about a subject close to my heart. Insanity.
We all walk fine line between madness and sanity, a state of being, itself, may or may not be classified as as a disorder under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and in this book Jon Ronson, tries to find out why psychopathy is not classified as such a disorder.
I myself must have a good dozen of those classifications and I have sought confirmation and/or removal of a state of madness from my various exc...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Justin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've never read anything by Jon Ronson so I wasn't sure what to expect. I heard an interview with him about this book and was fascinated by the subject matter. I was not disappointed, this book is extremely interesting. I like Ronson's style a great deal, and his writing is very approachable. I came to respect him a lot for his ability to acknowledge his weaknesses and then go forward despite them.

Ronson has a great ability in communicating his perspective to the reader. He is very clear about h...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Patrick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I blame Ronson for turning me on to mega-nut David Icke and his endlessly entertaining Lizard people conspiracy theory in "Them: Adventures with Extremists."

In this one he's asked to investigate an elaborate and weird hoax involving a book called "Being or Nothingness," by Joe K. - which takes him to Indiana and Douglas Hofstadter ("Godel, Escher, Bach").

That in turn sets him off on psychopaths, the Hare Psychopathy Checklist. Lots of oddballs emerge.

Ronson's got a funny style, and apparently a...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In "The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry" Jon Ronson provides a whirlwind tour of all things psychopathic. Ok, not ALL things psychopathic, but he does hit some of the highlights in his somewhat haphazard investigation into a serious mental health issue.

First things first: I found "The Psychopath Test" to be very entertaining. Even my second time through, the book held up remarkably well in terms of its ability to hold my attention as I eagerly kept turning the pages.

Ron...more In "The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry" Jon Ronson provides a whirlwind tour of all things psychopathic. Ok, not ALL things psychopathic, but he does hit some of the highlights in his somewhat haphazard investigation into a serious mental health issue.

First things first: I found "The Psychopath Test" to be very entertaining. Even my second time through, the book held up remarkably well in terms of its ability to hold my attention as I eagerly kept turning the pages.

Ronson begins the journey by introducing a mysterious book called "Being or Nothingness" by 'Joe K'. This curious tome has been sent to dozens of people around the world, usually to experts of one sort or another. Who wrote the book, or why, is unclear. Why Ronson chose to start his journey here is equally unclear. Is Joe K a psychopath? I won't tell you the answer, because, well, I don't know... Ronson's attempt to solve the mystery does give him the opportunity to visit some real-life scientists studying the depths of the human mind. We see the pigeonhole in which was deposited the most recent copy of "Being Or Nothingness". We read about crop circles -- my copy of the book even has a photo of what a crop circle might look like. And we meet Essi Viding, a woman who studies psychopaths. We even fly to Germany on a really, really cramped Ryanair jet.

After this puzzling jump-start to the journey, we are introduced to one of the recurring characters in the book. His name is 'Tony'. Tony is a psychopath. Maybe. At least he claimed to be one in order to avoid a lengthy jail sentence after committing grievous bodily harm. Trouble is, people believed him, and now he's stuck in Broadmoor psychiatric hospital. And then there are the Scientologists who want to get him out...

Next is a fleeting historic glimpse at the attempts to treat psychopaths.

And we meet Bob Hare. Bob is THE expert on psychopathology, a guru even. Bob is the man who developed the Hare PCL-R Checklist -- THE diagnostic tool for recognizing whether or not someone is a psychopath. It's a serious tool, to be used by highly-trained experts only. Ronson's approach to the Hare PCL-R Checklist is a bit more whimsical. He wields it with the giddiness and angst of a fourteen year old girl filling out a Cosmo quiz.

There are other stops on the journey. We meet a Haitian freedom-fighter / crime lord. We meet the poster child for corporate psychopathology. And then there's the Father of Criminal Profiling (in Great Britain). We're also given a brief history of the development of the DSM -- The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Oh, the Messiah even makes an appearance.

"The Psychopath Test" offers up the best and worst of modern pseudo-pop-psychology. There is a zany cast of characters. There are fascinating and highly-readable accounts of scientific research. There is a likable host to lead us along the way. And then there is Reality.

Reality, it turns out, is a bit less entertaining and a lot more complicated than the average journalist-turned-pseudo-pop-psychology writer would prefer. Do a brief internet search for Bob Hare and Jon Ronson and you'll find a statement by Hare in which he shares his reaction to the book. He is, to say the least, disappointed, as are several other people who shared their insights with Ronson. Turns out writing psychology books is complicated.

Do I recommend that you read Ronson's book? Sure. If you think it sounds interesting, go ahead and check it out. But take it all with a grain of salt. Check out what Hare has to say about the book. And while you're at it, check out Bob Hare's books (Without Conscience & Snakes in Suits). I assume he likes his own books.

I received "The Psychopath Test" without cost through the GoodReads First Reads program. I was not required to write a review.(less)

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Nov 03, 2011 Kara rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

Engrossing! The narrator was surprisingly funny and entertaining throughout the book- considering the subject matter, I expected a lot more doom and gloom. But he definitely kept it light, and at times, self-deprecating (which I found endearing).

Despite the light tone, I'll admit this book did creep me out. What if someone I know is a psychopath?? Given that they are supposedly adept at faking empathy and manipulating people, it could be anyone! Very "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". If the 1% f...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Teresa Lukey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: those interested in psychology, mental disorder, or a general desire to educate thyself

Shelves: 4-stars, audiobook, i-learned-something, must-share-with-friends

Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffery Dahmner, Joseph Vacher.... These names evoke reports of repulsive crimes the normal person would never imagine taking part in, but these people are different. These people are all missing something that allows them to experience empathy and likely find some level of excitement in the morbid. These people are all a specific type of psychopath that cannot be "fixed". Statistics indicate that 1 in 100 are Psychopaths and that number goes up as high as 4 to 5 in 1...more Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffery Dahmner, Joseph Vacher.... These names evoke reports of repulsive crimes the normal person would never imagine taking part in, but these people are different. These people are all missing something that allows them to experience empathy and likely find some level of excitement in the morbid. These people are all a specific type of psychopath that cannot be "fixed". Statistics indicate that 1 in 100 are Psychopaths and that number goes up as high as 4 to 5 in 100 in more powerful positions, which include politicians, CEO's, etc.

The Psychopath Test is a look in to the madness industry. The author briefly touches on Bi-polar Disorder and Attention Deficit Disorder, but the primary focus is on Psychopathy. Ronson is little bit of a quirky fellow and stops to ponder his own anxiety disorder as he investigates this industry. We are presented with the tools used to determine if a person is a psychopath and given a list of the most identifiable traits. We also learn how some of the tests developed to determine metal disorder are rather subjective and ways in which these methods have been misused. As far as Psychopathy goes, it seems there a couple of rather sure fire methods that can be used to determine if a person is the type of Psychopath that is likely to commit a violent crime, including genetic testing and certain types of startle tests in conjunction with the Hare Psychopathy Checklist. I found this link regarding a research group out of Finland that would like to test know psychopaths for a specific identifier in the genetic material that is an indicator of psychotic tendencies.

Ronson takes us to hospitals that house these types and gives a broad view of therapies used for psychopaths who have been convicted of a crime. I found it extremely disturbing that Psychopaths who were put through programs to help them learn empathy, were more likely to reoffend. Apparently Psychopaths who do not go through this program and are released have a 60% reoffend rate and the Psychopaths who did go through this program have an 80% reoffend rate. Why you ask? Well, they are manipulative and use what their taught to further manipulative in order to fulfill their personal desires or experiments.

The author really does look at mental disorder from several different sides and this book is quite thought provoking. One piece I was particularly surprised by was the fact that Scientologists do not believe in psychology-uh, okay...this L. Ron Hubbard guy is one interesting cat, no doubt about it. I have come to one, VERY concrete, conclusion regarding Psychopaths: if there is no way to "fix" these violent Psychopaths, then there is no reason for them to ever be roaming about in the normal population. That is unfortunate, but there seems to be no way around it. Really-an island all to themselves may be appropriate in this case.

This is an interesting look as psychopaths that you may find creepy and shocking, but it will surely keep you interest.
(less)

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Sep 17, 2011 VeganMedusa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-copy, non-fiction

I got this from the library on two week issue and just realized I only have 6 days left to read it.
Page 10:"She showed him a picture of a frightened face and asked him to identify the emotion. He said he didn't know what the emotion was but it was the face people pulled just before he killed them."

More a story of the author's journey into the world of identifying psychopaths, that covers slightly odd people obsessed with Douglas Hofstadter, Scientologists' crusade against psychiatry, the over-di...more

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May 17, 2013 Xenophon Hendrix rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't really see what the frame story has to do with the main point of the book, but it's pretty good in itself, so who cares? The writing is humorous, often darkly so. It helps the information go down easily. The reader will learn something about psychopathy and get a sense of the limitations of psychologist Robert Hare's psychopathy checklist. I get the idea that the checklist itself is excellent, but that it shouldn't be used in a mindless fashion.

Every human being owes it to himself to lea...more

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May 09, 2011 NerdGirlBlogger rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To write something like “I loved this book” or “I found it incredibly insightful, entertaining and downright frightful” wouldn’t give you the exact depth of my passion towards it. For the past 48 hours, I’ve been thinking about the precise words I need to come up with to describe my joy with the novel Ronson has written, and I can’t. I can only tell you that if someone like me–jaded with years of dealing with mentally ill family members, overloaded with information from 6 psychology classes and...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Kristi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

This was a quick and engaging read. Ronson has a lively writing style and includes personal anecdotes and interviews that make the book very entertaining. The history of how psychopaths have been viewed by the psychiatric industry, as well as the critiques of the industry itself, was extremely interesting. It is amazing, and appalling, what sorts of things have passed as "treatment" for psychopaths. And the most chilling fact of all is that psychopaths are essentially untreatable. I would have l...more

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May 19, 2011 Lynn Weber rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction

If you're interested in this topic, I'd recommend starting with Martha Stout's The Sociopath Next Door rather than this book. The problem with this one is that it's more "Follow me as I delve into this crazy world and have surreal experiences" than it is a study of sociopathy. And that ultimately makes it less gripping. I remember clearly the first section of of Stout's book, as it took the reader on a tour of one man's mind as he faced a simple but telling moment of moral decision-making. It wa...more

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Apr 25, 2012 Gary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fascinating and entertaining a real page turner.the best book i have read this year

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May 20, 2013 Julie Cohen added it · review of another edition

I've read all of Jon Ronson's book and always look out for his articles; I really enjoy his style and his offbeat interests. With this one, about madness and how it is viewed by society, I was riveted, but I did think he overdid the "naive reporter" angle a bit. Surely there was room for a *little* bit more analysis. It was fascinating, though. I couldn't put it down, read it in a day and a half (despite a young person on Easter holidays tagging around me constantly) and provided lots of food fo...more

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May 09, 2012 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An entertaining read that went by way too quickly. I love his tone and he's able to explore subjects without arrogance - he's self-deprecating enough to let us know that he's not blowing open the world of psychiatry, just poking around in it for a while.

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May 20, 2013 Kater Cheek rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The subtitle of this book reads: A Journey Through the Madness Industry, and that's exactly what this book is like. A journey. It begins when Ronson starts to investigate a mysterious book, copies of which have been sent to various academics around the world.

I almost didn't want to listen to this book, because the previous audiobook I was listening to was so dark, and a non-fiction book about madness didn't promise to be a pick-me-up. However, I'm glad I gave this a chance. It's charming and fun...more

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May 12, 2013 Leon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this madcap journey, a bestselling journalist investigates psychopaths and the industry of doctors, scientists, and everyone else who studies them.

The Psychopath Test is a fascinating journey through the minds of madness. Jon Ronson's exploration of a potential hoax being played on the world's top neurologists takes him, unexpectedly, into the heart of the madness industry. An influential psychologist who is convinced that many important CEOs and politicians are, in fact, psychopaths teach

...more

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May 08, 2013 Karen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a very entertaining and engrossing, but flawed book. I think it is flawed in its logic, its bias, and its accuracy. I think Ronson took on too much at once -- the first story of the mysterious package really has little or nothing to do with Ronson's personal quest to understand psychopathy; it is a great introduction, but disappointing in its resolution. But the main problem with this book is that it's more about one person's quest than about the real complexities of making sense of huma...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Holly rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

There is one massive, fatal flaw with this book: how Jon Ronson very carefully leaves out the fact that, when done correctly, the checklist takes MONTHS of intensive interaction to complete. The point is to get an idea of who a person is in general, not a quick snapshot of who they are at one moment in their life.

Of course, that little fact wouldn't serve his book at all. Of course you can get an accurate assessment of psychopathic tendencies in big business names in a chat lasting one afternoon...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Joanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a most engaging read. I didn't expect to like it having just finished Them and been really disappointed. However, this book is excellent: both well written and researched.

Ronson tells the story of being drawn into a peculiar (but only slightly relevant) mystery that coincidentally leads him to the real story - his global pursuit of psychopaths.

It's creepy. It's disturbing. It's weird and fascinating. It will make you look at the next person who pisses you off differently - probably thr...more

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Apr 08, 2013 erin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jon Ronson's The Psychopath Test is not only parts pop psychology, social commentary, and history, but is also keenly conscious in a way many similar books are not.

The Psycopath Test begins by plunging the reader into mystery. Obviously if one is already familiar with some of the odder bits of society Ronson writes about, the novelty of these strange stories may well seem anticlimactic and/or flashy. However, while I thoroughly enjoyed each story Ronson tells, I equally enjoyed Ronson's commenta...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Christine Blachford rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this one. I remember hearing Jon talk about the Psychopath test when he was plugging the book on endless radio and TV shows. From what he talked about, I had thought it would be more focused on the high profile names and faces that tend towards the wrong end of the test, but actually there is only a brief mention of how psychopathy may be prevalent in top businesmenn and media types.

Instead, the book focuses more on the prison system, how people are rated and detained, what is done to...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Robert rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If there's one thing that Jon Ronson is able to do, it is to write compelling prose. Adopting a faux-naive approach which endears him to the reader, he knowingly blunders through his subject matter, shifting focus slightly with each chapter and going (or at least pretending to go) on a personal journey along the way.
What saves this book from being completely lightweight pop-science is that Ronson's research is faultless and his impressive knack of finding and gaining access to the key people. Hi...more

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About Jon Ronson

Jon Ronson is a writer and documentary film maker. His books, Them: Adventures With Extremists and The Men Who Stare At Goats were international bestsellers. The Men Who Stare At Goats was adapted into a major motion picture starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges.

He's written the popular "Human Zoo" and "Out of the Ordinary" columns for The Guardian, where he still c...more

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Books by Jon Ronson

Out of the Ordinary: True Tales from Everyday Craziness

The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones: And the Less Amazing Adventures of Some Other Real-Life Superheroes

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Trivia About The Pyschopath Test

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Quotes from The Psychopath Test

“‎I have panicked unnecessarily in all four corners of the globe.” — 28 people liked it

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title link	preview: The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10979185-the-psychopath-test?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328760994l/10979185.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10979185-the-psychopath-test?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson[/url]

The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry

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