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3rd out of 21 books
—
15 voters
Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths Go to Work
Let's say you're about to hire somebody for a position in your company. Your corporation wants someone who's fearless, charismatic, and full of new ideas. Candidate X is charming, smart, and has all the right answers to your questions. Problem solved, right? Maybe not. We'd like to think that if we met someone who was completely without conscience -- someone who was capabl...more
Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
May 9th 2006
by ReganBooks
(first published May 1st 2006)
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Very recently I found out that a coworker of mine was misrepresenting me and my work to others in the company and vice versa, setting up a destructive conflict between administrative divisions. One of the first things I did was procure a copy of this book in order to focus on what my coping strategy would be when dealing with a coworker of that nature. In some respects, the book was very helpful in giving a clear sense of the behavioral patterns that can exist when people with psychopathic tende...more
I got around to this book several years after I first saw it referenced, and I'm glad I finally did. The author has a pleasingly terse writing style (with one exception that I'll mention in a minute) and I didn't feel like my time was being wasted.
The fictional examples in the book felt rather wasted - the real examples had far more impact. The addition of narrative in this case felt like a bow to pop psychology rather than anything else, and out of place because of it.
The major problem I had wa...more
The fictional examples in the book felt rather wasted - the real examples had far more impact. The addition of narrative in this case felt like a bow to pop psychology rather than anything else, and out of place because of it.
The major problem I had wa...more
They are not lying under every rock nor do they occupy every office, but unfortunately, more and more "snakes" are filling leadership positions in Corporate America. Depending on which study you read, between 4 and 30% of our managers and executives are social predators without conscience. Their thrill seeking behavior and political gamesmanship amasses them personal power without any regard to the consequences for either their companies or their co-workers. We've seen some obvious results of th...more
This book was referenced in Jon Ronson's The Psychopath Test, so I picked it up. It offers practical advice for recognizing a psychopath, understanding how the psychopath operates, and how to protect yourself from a psychopath, and it does so primarily in the context of the workplace or corporate atmosphere.
A few years ago I attempted to read The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout, but I put it down, mainly because it was one belabored case study after another. I was more interested in how to d...more
A few years ago I attempted to read The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout, but I put it down, mainly because it was one belabored case study after another. I was more interested in how to d...more
I read this as a follow up to Jon Ronson’s marvelous Psychopath Test, which was named for the diagnostic criteria Dr. Hare developed. I ended up skimming quite a bit of it because it was what it was billed to be – a book about dealing with psychopaths in the workplace, largely from a corporate management perspective. It’s good, but spent way too much time cautioning the reader to not do exactly what it was telling us how to do – realize that there are psychopaths among us and reducing the harm t...more
Excellent book. I ordered this for my Kindle at the recommendation of a friend who is a psychologist while battling to deal with a boss who was rude, abusive, manipulative and a non-performer. She disguised it all by terrorizing staff, and then could be charming and articulate when needed.
I have always worked well with colleagues and been in environments (but for the SABC in Johannesburg, which has been toxic for years) where people respect, if not enjoy, each other and perform well.
This woman,...more
I have always worked well with colleagues and been in environments (but for the SABC in Johannesburg, which has been toxic for years) where people respect, if not enjoy, each other and perform well.
This woman,...more
I had a hard time reading it, as it borders on scaremongering. It should be noted that one of the authors has a vested interest in the field and the dangers of psychopaths - he is also the creator of the controversial test for spotting psychopaths. He is utterly convinced that much of the decisions made by global businesses that place us in financial crises are the work of psychopaths.
The book relies largely on his notes and anecdotal evidence. Though studies (often his own) and some statistics...more
The book relies largely on his notes and anecdotal evidence. Though studies (often his own) and some statistics...more
This could have been about a third of the length and not lost content. It is VERY repetitive. I'm not sure how helpful it is, either, although the last couple of chapters do make a pass at offering hints about how to cope if one is working with such a snake.
The authors also claim that not all corporations are psychopathic. I wonder about this, since the legal mandate for corps is precisely psychopathic: they are legally required to do everything possible to improve shareholder value/profits, no...more
The authors also claim that not all corporations are psychopathic. I wonder about this, since the legal mandate for corps is precisely psychopathic: they are legally required to do everything possible to improve shareholder value/profits, no...more
I'm generally not that critical of pop business/pop psychology / pop economic books. They make what are otherwise complicated topics accessible for the layperson. And given the recent news of corporate malfeasance, ponzi schemes, and zealous greed driving economic policy, I had hoped to more fully understand how a limited number of corrupt individuals could unravel multinational companies and world markets and what sort of characters they might be. Snakes in Suits does explain this insofar as it...more
This was a good book, though it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. It would be a great book to read if you were in a hiring position, whether that be in a large company or a mom and pop store. And it was definitely better balanced than The Sociopath Next Door, which I read earlier this year. I really appreciate how this book emphasizes that it doesn't do anyone any good to label people psychopaths. Rather, the authors recommend steps to take once you recognize potentially destructive pattern...more
"Dumb psychopaths go to prison, smart psychopaths go to the executive floor". That's the premise of this interesting book that analyses how psychopaths manage to be successful in corporate environments or in specific industries. According to the author, psychopaths are 4 times more frequent among managers than among the general population.
The book offers many great insights, and although inevitably, when specific examples were mentioned, I did sometimes wonder whether impression management or hi...more
The book offers many great insights, and although inevitably, when specific examples were mentioned, I did sometimes wonder whether impression management or hi...more
This book was leagues better than the other books that i had read on ASPD, possibly because Hare actually had a direct hand in writing it. He avoids the pitfall that some other writers who write on this subject have, which is skipping the science behind what causes ASPD and talking the more "they aren't full people with emooootioonnns" route, which in my opinion gets boring after a while. The book has many practical applications as it's tailored to dealing with psychopaths in the workplace, so i...more
"I always said if i wasn't studying psychopaths in prison, i'd do so at the stock exchange." Robert Hare, quoted in Fast Company
Today's fast paced business environment is the perfect place to harbor psychopaths. 3.5% of senior executives fall into the category of psychopath. Their characteristics are very difficult to diagnose because they are or can be very charming and devious. Their characteristics are: superficial, grandiose,deceitful, lack remorse, lack empathy, do not accept responsibility...more
Today's fast paced business environment is the perfect place to harbor psychopaths. 3.5% of senior executives fall into the category of psychopath. Their characteristics are very difficult to diagnose because they are or can be very charming and devious. Their characteristics are: superficial, grandiose,deceitful, lack remorse, lack empathy, do not accept responsibility...more
Loved the book, it explains how psychpathic personalities can easily get passed interviews with impressive results. How they can dress up their resume and work experience, and how they create divisions and foster conflict within the organization.
If you've ever worked somewhere and wondered just how a deceitful, manipulative, and arrogant coworker or boss succeeded in keeping his job, this book is for you. It's also a great read for anyone new to the work world, or just out of college.
It gives yo...more
If you've ever worked somewhere and wondered just how a deceitful, manipulative, and arrogant coworker or boss succeeded in keeping his job, this book is for you. It's also a great read for anyone new to the work world, or just out of college.
It gives yo...more
Great book. In the end it doesn't matter whether your dealing with a psychopath or not and it's very had to tell as someone may exhibit these behaviors and not be a psychopath. It's all about how you handle yourself and how you deal with people exhibiting these behaviors. Main strategy is avoidance and developing excellent reputations, using good personnel practices to screen them out and making sure your leadership skills,are first rate. Also, never label anyone a psychopath and never confront...more
This book opened my eyes to what sociopaths are capable of and how conditions are ripe - due to lots of factors not the least of which is a depressed economy - for their ascent to powerful leadership positions in corporate America. The author clearly despises sociopaths, which is understandable. But if people really are born without a conscious it feels wrong to hate them for it until they actually do something to deserve it.
This book isn't a literary tour de force, but it wasn't meant to be. I...more
This book isn't a literary tour de force, but it wasn't meant to be. I...more
I wish we could do half stars; this book deserves more than a three but not quite a four. I was reading this book out of general interest rather than a specific need, so although the practicality of the book is admirable, it wasn't necessarily what I was reading it for. If you're looking for a book to help you identify, understand, and deal with a coworker/boss/subordinate you suspect might be a psychopath, or a book to help you not hire a psychopath to work at your organization (don't scoff; it...more
On the whole, the book was pretty good. It blended bits of storytelling throughout the book that brought to life the personality of a psychopath in the work place and even touched on how the psychopath sees the outside world. The more serious content of the book was also good but tended to get a bit repetitive near the end of the book and I would have liked to see the scientific aspect of the book a bit more hard hitting. The book left certain topics a bit vague and could have used some solid an...more
I feel nauseated. This is not because of the quality of this book but because of the prototypical examples of psychopaths in action, not only in the workplace, but in life. This book switches between novel-like accounts of psychopaths in action, and explanations of the psychology behind psychopathy and also tips for those who must be around a suspected pycshopath, particularly in the workplace. From the Christian perspective I hold, I kept wondering if these are the types of people that the bibl...more
I'm liking it more than Without Conscience, but not as much as The Sociopath Next Door. A book that is heavy with real-life vignettes is way more useful than a more abstract book or a book wherein all the psychopaths are murderous criminals. (I still have a quibble with the psychopath/sociopath semantics, though, and prefer the term sociopath to psychopath.)
There is a lot of human-resources/company management content in this book as well, like how to find a psychopath within your organization or...more
There is a lot of human-resources/company management content in this book as well, like how to find a psychopath within your organization or...more
They are not lying under every rock nor do they occupy every office, but unfortunately, more and more "snakes" are filling leadership positions in Corporate America. Depending of which study you read, between 4 and 30% of our managers and executives are social predators without conscience. Their thrill seeking behavior and political gamesmanship amasses them personal power without any regard to the consequences to either their companies or their co-workers. We've seen some obvious results of the...more
Snakes in Suits is written from a business perspective. Drs. Babiak and Hare, organizational psychologists, carefully outline how companies can protect themselves through the hiring process to weed out applicants who fall into this category. Thorough fact-checking of resumes and multiple screening interviews conducted by people of different expertise and levels within the company is a good start, but not sufficient. They list several red flags to watch for, suggest interviewing tactics and encou...more
This is a fun read for the first few chapters but then just repetitive. I learned that "psychopath" isn't a diagnosis. The author has developed a checklist and diagnostic tools for psychopathy (a word I find oddly pleasant to say) but the only close real diagnosis is Antisocial personality disorder.
My biggest takeaway from this though is the idea that corporations act like psychopaths. I had never thought about that, but once I did, it couldn't be more obvious. I think that the larger the compan...more
My biggest takeaway from this though is the idea that corporations act like psychopaths. I had never thought about that, but once I did, it couldn't be more obvious. I think that the larger the compan...more
Disclaimer: I skimmed through this book for research.
I think this book would be best for managers in office settings, as that is indeed the author's market. The book looks at how psychopaths manipulate certain relationships, use coworkers, etc. at work.
Personally, I was looking more for psychopathic behavior in blue collar jobs, so this wasn't the right book for me. However, it was very interesting to read, and I think it would be an important book for HR reps and managers in order to spot psy...more
I think this book would be best for managers in office settings, as that is indeed the author's market. The book looks at how psychopaths manipulate certain relationships, use coworkers, etc. at work.
Personally, I was looking more for psychopathic behavior in blue collar jobs, so this wasn't the right book for me. However, it was very interesting to read, and I think it would be an important book for HR reps and managers in order to spot psy...more
Good concept and the writing is 'good'. Problem is that it's kind of an academic topic. To make it more marketable it looks like the editors/publishers (?) interspersed the rather interesting facts with an episodic narrative. This fills out the text, but takes an interesting subject and converts it into a tedious read more suitable for the pre-teen set. But considering it is a 'business' book, that's probably the most appropriate reading level.
This book would be of interest to those who've worked in Corporate America. About 1 percent of the population are psychopaths, but one study found at least 3.5 percent of the managers in the study were psychopaths.
When you think about it, people who are good at lying, bullying, and getting others to do their work seem to do quite well in Corporate America.
I found this interesting and really liked the case studies that were used as examples.
When you think about it, people who are good at lying, bullying, and getting others to do their work seem to do quite well in Corporate America.
I found this interesting and really liked the case studies that were used as examples.
Another of those books that has a few ideas that can have huge benefits if practiced, such as making connections with other people in your organization so a psychopath or just plain jerk would have a harder time trying to smear and get rid of you. As well as helping to size up a situation as to whether you're being used and advice to exit bad situations before they have a chance to become worse.
This book was hard to read to the end. Although I find the topic of psychopaths in the workplace facinating, this book was boring. I wanted to have a better understanding of how an organization enables sociopaths in the workplace and systemic solutions. I didn't feel any closer to understanding this phenomena and what to do as an HR professional to prevent this. The part of the book about interviewing and selection was absolutely not helpful. That information is ubiqitous and not helpful at all....more
Lucid and useful blend of psychological research on psychopathy (used to be known popularly as sociopathy) and case studies on how it can profit the business world to identify and disable these predators. Hare co-wrote this with Babiak, and Hare is THE living authority on psycopathy. Highly recommended and fascinating reading for anyone in business and/or mental health!
This book was recommended by a professor of Organizational behavior at University. It gives you indications on how to recognize a psychopath, how he or she operates, and most importantly how to be able to protect yourself should you be working with one. I must admit however that some parts are repetitive but the book is very informative and the last chapter presents practical solutions on how to deal with a boss/colleague/subordinate who is a psychopath. The examples given are also quite good es...more
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“Personnel managers and psychologists rely heavily on selfreport psychological tests or instruments in which the individual responds to a set of questions or items about his or her personality attitudes and habits: “I am a truthful person ” “I like to take
chances ” “I care about the welfare of others.” Although most of these tests contain scales designed to detect faking and dissimulation it is not difficult for anyone with even a modicum of smarts to beat them. A personnel manager who takes the results of such tests at face value or who relies heavily on them for making personnel decisions runs the risk of being conned by someone more test wise than the test administrator.
Even relatively uneducated prison inmates are able to slant the results of most psychological tests appearing psychologically healthy or mentally disturbed depending on the context.”
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chances ” “I care about the welfare of others.” Although most of these tests contain scales designed to detect faking and dissimulation it is not difficult for anyone with even a modicum of smarts to beat them. A personnel manager who takes the results of such tests at face value or who relies heavily on them for making personnel decisions runs the risk of being conned by someone more test wise than the test administrator.
Even relatively uneducated prison inmates are able to slant the results of most psychological tests appearing psychologically healthy or mentally disturbed depending on the context.”
