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12th out of 65 books
—
96 voters
The A to Z Encyclopedia of Serial Killers
Bestselling true-crime writer Harold Schechter, a leading authority on serial killers, and coauthor David Everitt offer a guided tour through the bizarre and blood-chilling world of serial murder. Through hundreds of detailed entries that span the entire spectrum the shocking crimes, the infamous perpetrators, and much more they examine all angles of a gruesome cultura
...morePaperback, 368 pages
Published
November 28th 1997
by Pocket Books
(first published October 1st 1996)
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Well, this man is such an awesome writer that I had to start a shelf of ONLY his books!!! I plan to read each book that Mr. Schechter writes and am currently reading both Deviant and Psycho USA - Famous American Killers you Never Heard Of. This man, Schechter, has a way of uniting you with eras long lost and forgotten. You empathize with the murdered, revolt at the very thoughts of the killer, and just wish it were all set to music.
I think that, as a student of psychology, this is a must read!...more
I think that, as a student of psychology, this is a must read!...more
2 likes · like · see review
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• This was a really nice change from all the fiction I’ve been reading lately. Now, the subject matter of this book was a little odd, but it was still very interesting. I like it because first and foremost, it didn’t try to glorify serial killing. It did tell of some gory details but it always made sure to treat them simply as fact and not objects of sick fascination. There was also a ton of information in this book. I was always able to read it at a pretty steady pace when I had time to read be...more
This is a nice read if you're into this kind of stuff. However, it is also often very repetitive. You'll find the same killer, and his story, listed in four, five, or sometimes more areas of the book. For ex: William Heirens, the Lipstick Killer, was quoted to have said-- "For heaven's sake catch me before I kill more. I cannot control myself."-- in 9 different areas of the book. With that sentence was a mini repeat of his transgressions. If you took out the repeated parts of the book it wouldn'...more
Not bad for what it is, great range of serial killers throughout history. Although brief descriptions on some leave you wondering what else is known about the crimes and killers. Not necessarily for the faint of heart since this is real crimes commited against real people not just something an author with an excellent immagination brewed up.
Certainly not spectacular, but excellent reference book/starting point for those interested in true crimes and their further exploration. While I was reading it, I couldn't help thinking that horror and thriller writers could never surpass the real murderers, whose imagination is often terrifying. Definitely NOT for the faint of heart.
Probably not something I should have read at like 12 years old, but I was riveted. Well horrified, but also riveted. Not as much discussion as I would have liked on why they went off the reservation, more about the ways they were cracked. Still interesting though. And I still remember the title over a decade later.
A fair amount of information, though the author occasionally veers onto tangents, mostly trying to tie parts of the book together, ala wikipedia... Trying to figure out what exactly turns various people into the "monsters seen on these pages" will result in a headache, however.
I have a fascination with serial killers and crime, and this book is apt at satisfying my drive for knowledge into the human psyche, and the morbid crimes that these people committed. The awesome quotes from the various offenders also make this book a fun read.
Very Very Gross in some ways and UN-imaginable the things some serial killers did to there "victims". zvery interesting in the psychological aspect of how they came to doing this (childhood abuse, mental problems,raped or molested as a child)
I haven't finished it all because I need a break from this............
I haven't finished it all because I need a break from this............
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Dec 08, 2008
H.K. Barclay
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Female College Students
Startling tales of brutal depravity that will shock and disgust.
Some of the facts contained in this book are so horrific and disgusting they make most horror fiction seem unimaginative.
My only issue with this book is all the cross referencing and repetitive text.
Not for the squeamish.
Some of the facts contained in this book are so horrific and disgusting they make most horror fiction seem unimaginative.
My only issue with this book is all the cross referencing and repetitive text.
Not for the squeamish.
I think its pretty weird that I actually like reading about serial killers and that I actually rated this book high, but it is very informative and has a ton of people in it. Learned a lot.
This is a good book to read for those interested in serial killers. It give a brief summary of many of the known serial killers, where or not it was a big, well covered case or not...
This book is a great reference if you're writing a paper or have some the lesser known serial killers mixed up, and as an introductory book for someone curious. But I got bored quick, and ended up skipping sections at a time. The level of repetitiveness got on my nerves, but I guess you aren't supposed to read an encyclopedia cover to cover, right? There is some great information in here though, I would probably recommend this book to someone like my boyfriend, who just looks at me with a blank...more
LOVED IT!!!!!!! serial killers are so fascinating to me can't get enough!
1 like · like · see review
I really like this book. Explanations and examples
Are very cool.
Are very cool.
I have to say, disturbing but a good book.
Benim okuduğum bu değilmiş yaaaaaa, wikipediadan derlenmiş bir ekitap:S
Feb 15, 2009
Paula
is currently reading it
It's sickenly fascinating true stories.
Very informative and engaging.
It delivers what it promises.
great synopsis.
Gives you the meat and potatoes on the heavy-hitters of this delightful topic, but doesn't get the 5th star because of the weird choices he made on picking words to alphabetize. You can't just look up certain killers by name, because some are listed under different topics, like alligators and lime and stuff. That's kind of annoying, but it's good otherwise, and has plenty of non-extraneous information.
This "encyclopedia" is okay, not really great and not really bad. It's somewhere in the range of being mediocre. The entries on the killers was great, but putting in the methods and themes the killers used? It seemed like filler to me. I was left empty when it came to appreciating the book. I would rather buy full biographies on the killers than read short entries about them.
This book was really fun to read and I finished it in two days. I liked the way it was organized and it also recommends films that are based on each case. It has good information and profiles, although it does not have many case overviews. It’s a great book for someone who is interested in true crime but isn’t yet familiar with all the key players and cases.
This book is not really an encyclopedia of information on serial killers, but more of an overview of the more notorious. The format was somewhat lacking; not in a manner that one would take very serious (there's not even an index). It is a quick read and does provide entertainment; as long as you have a twisted couriousity (which I do).
Jul 06, 2007
Dustin Underwood
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
bed wetters, torturers of small animals, and collectors of obscure leather goods
coffee table/toilet book. I read it cover to cover over the course of a few days, but that's me. I love serial killers; I love this book. I still go back to it regularly to check facts during conversations with friends and family about serial killers.
Pretty decent compilation of serial killer information. But then again if you read a lot of works on serial killers it begins to get a bit redundant since Harold Schechter is the author of most of the best books on the subject.
I left this book in a hotel room in Atlantic City, and my phone died when I was talking to the housekeeping manager. I'm pretty sure it won't show up on my doorstep any time soon...
Aug 02, 2010
BonFire
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction-and-edumacational,
holy-shitfuck
My mother saw me reading this and asked if I was planning on being a serial killer, and if I was, to let her know.
I'd rather know than not know, you know?
I'd rather know than not know, you know?
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Aka Jon A. Harrald (joint pseudonym with Jonna Gormley Semeiks)
Harold Schechter is a professor of American Literature and culture at Queens College, the City University of New York. Among his nonfiction works are the historical true-crime classics Fatal, Fiend,Deviant, Deranged, and Depraved. He also authors a critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Edgar Allan Poe, which includes The Hum Bu...more
More about Harold Schechter...
Harold Schechter is a professor of American Literature and culture at Queens College, the City University of New York. Among his nonfiction works are the historical true-crime classics Fatal, Fiend,Deviant, Deranged, and Depraved. He also authors a critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Edgar Allan Poe, which includes The Hum Bu...more
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