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Murderous Minds
How many times have you seen a murder on the news or on a TV show like Crime Scene Investigation, and said to yourself, "How could someone do something like that?"Today, neuroscientists are imaging, mapping, testing and dissecting the source of the worst behavior imaginable in the brains of the people who lack a psychopaths. Neuroscientist Dean Haycock examines the behavior of real life psychopaths and discusses how their actions can be explained in scientific terms, from research that literally looks inside their brains to understanding how psychopaths, without empathy but very goal-oriented, think and act the way they do. Some don’t commit crimes at all, but rather make use of their skills in the boardroom.But what does this mean for lawyers, judges, psychiatrists, victims and readers--for anyone who has ever wondered how some people can be so bad. Could your nine-year-old be a psychopath? What about your co-worker? The ability to recognize psychopaths using the scientific method has vast implications for society, and yet is still loaded with consequences.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
425 people are currently reading
5931 people want to read
About the author
Dean Allen Haycock
6 books32 followersDean Haycock is a science and medical writer living in New York.
He is the author of "Characters on the Couch, Exploring Psychology Through Literature and Film" (ABC-CLIO/Greewood, 2016); "Murderous Minds: Exploring the Criminal Psychopathic Brain: Neurological Imaging and the Manifestation of Evil" (Pegasus Books), "The Everything Health Guide to Adult Bipolar Disorder," 2nd and 3rd Editions (Adams Media) and "The Everything Health Guide to Schizophrenia" (Adams Media). He also is the co-author of "Avoiding and Dealing with Complications of LASIK and Other Eye Surgeries" (with Ismail A. Shalaby, M.D., Ph.D.)
He earned a Ph.D. in neurobiology from Brown University and a fellowship from the National Institute of Mental Health to study at The Rockefeller University. The results of his research, conducted in academia and in the pharmaceutical industry, have been published in Brain Research, the Journal of Neurochemistry, the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, and the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
The author’s other reporting and feature articles have appeared in many newspapers and magazines including WebMD, Drug Discovery and Development, BioWorld Today, BioWorld International, The Lancet Neurology, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Current Biology and the Annals of Internal Medicine. In addition, he has contributed articles on a variety of topics to The Gale Encyclopedia of Science and The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Health.
He is a member of the National Association of Science Writers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
November 24, 2019
“The negative consequences of having a wide gap between the educated and the uneducated are as dangerous as having a wide economic gap between the haves and the have-nots.” The book thus ends with words from the author, Dr. Dean A. Haycock, aptly describing a theme that travels throughout its pages. Throughout, Dr. Haycock seeks to rectify that situation.
The intention of the author was to make the information accessible to all, with enough description to allow a layman to understand while still holding value for those in the field of neuroscience. Being in the former group, while I did struggle a few times grasping some of the terms, nothing was too difficult and at worst I was forced to read a few of the earlier chapters at a slower pace than normal. The accompanying real-life examples of criminal and non-criminal psychopaths was extremely helpful. While the author relates the background info of murderers most of us are familiar with – Eric Harris/Dylan Klebold (Columbine), Jared Loughner (Tucson-Gabby Giffords) – there are also lesser know criminals whose stories will illuminate and help achieve deeper understanding of the subject matter.
However, the book is not merely a grouping of definitions and examples. As Dr. Haycock points out, even within the field of neuroscience not everyone agrees with the data that has been compiled. In fact, interpretation of that data is also sometimes debated. Couple those discussions with the legal ramifications and it is easy to see that this book will give readers plenty to think about. The author presents everything in a matter-of-fact way, and is quite fair in presenting all sides of an issue if there is disagreement. Based on the book’s presentation, I would have to say that the goal of educating readers has been achieved.
Recommended for those who are interested in the field of neuroscience. Unless you are heavy into the clinical aspects of why people commit murderous crimes, readers of true crime might find this a bit scientific (still a good read). Also recommended as good background info for crime writers. Five stars.
The intention of the author was to make the information accessible to all, with enough description to allow a layman to understand while still holding value for those in the field of neuroscience. Being in the former group, while I did struggle a few times grasping some of the terms, nothing was too difficult and at worst I was forced to read a few of the earlier chapters at a slower pace than normal. The accompanying real-life examples of criminal and non-criminal psychopaths was extremely helpful. While the author relates the background info of murderers most of us are familiar with – Eric Harris/Dylan Klebold (Columbine), Jared Loughner (Tucson-Gabby Giffords) – there are also lesser know criminals whose stories will illuminate and help achieve deeper understanding of the subject matter.
However, the book is not merely a grouping of definitions and examples. As Dr. Haycock points out, even within the field of neuroscience not everyone agrees with the data that has been compiled. In fact, interpretation of that data is also sometimes debated. Couple those discussions with the legal ramifications and it is easy to see that this book will give readers plenty to think about. The author presents everything in a matter-of-fact way, and is quite fair in presenting all sides of an issue if there is disagreement. Based on the book’s presentation, I would have to say that the goal of educating readers has been achieved.
Recommended for those who are interested in the field of neuroscience. Unless you are heavy into the clinical aspects of why people commit murderous crimes, readers of true crime might find this a bit scientific (still a good read). Also recommended as good background info for crime writers. Five stars.
June 6, 2015
Highly informative, but a bit repetitive (even though, one should be when trying to empirically prove a point. I wanted a bit more true crime details and examples of successful psychopaths. But, I did walk away with a much more informed way of evaluating the science and validity behind articles claiming that neuroimaging has been able to accurately identify areas in the brain linked to behaviors/emotions. Beware when someone claims that data from neuroimaging can predict criminal behavior. The brain is always more complicated than it seems.
December 13, 2015
Very interesting premise that psychopath may be "born that way", or have a brain that developed into that situation. Very detailed references and studies that may point to that direction.
Although the author himself admitted that neuroscience is far from being conclusive about psychopaths, this book is still very intriguing. At parts it may feel tedious and too technical, but persevering readers will feel rewarded.
I especially love the end part that hypothesized why psychopaths remain amongst us as a species despite its seemingly lack of survival contribution.
If you love neuroscience or criminal subjects, this book is recommended.
Although the author himself admitted that neuroscience is far from being conclusive about psychopaths, this book is still very intriguing. At parts it may feel tedious and too technical, but persevering readers will feel rewarded.
I especially love the end part that hypothesized why psychopaths remain amongst us as a species despite its seemingly lack of survival contribution.
If you love neuroscience or criminal subjects, this book is recommended.
June 25, 2020
An interesting account of the theories, research, controversies, and issues surrounding the construct of psychopathy and those who exhibit psychopathic traits. Fascinating discussion of the differences between “successful” and “unsuccessful” psychopaths, and where they tend to congregate in society. A bit too technical for the average reader who doesn't have a background in the sciences, but I still got a lot out of it.
August 3, 2020
Fascinating read about psychopathy and how it originates, how it is characterized, how it develops, and it's causes. Combined with the addition of interesting but unsettling examples of real life cases highlight how important and influential research into psychopathy is. Critically it was a bit repetitive on occasions but it was an interesting read, easily understandable for a casual reader but provided further reading that I will hopefully venture into. I would definitely recommend it to those interested in understanding psychopaths and the study of them.
February 5, 2015
Highly recommend. The subject is compelling and Haycock is an expert at balancing well-researched, well-explained scientific information with engaging stories. This book will teach you what the word "psychopath" really means.
March 25, 2014
Amazingly easy and fun to read. I would most definitely read more writings from this author.
March 17, 2022
What is the difference between you and a psychopath? A sociopath? A murderer?
The author provides the particulars of what a psychopath is characterized as. A failed sense of moral ethics and social norms, overt deceitfulness, lack of remorse, aggression and impulsiveness are all qualities that unite in a person who is considered a psychopath. Along with is likely to become a parasitic lifestyle, psychopaths cost the U.S. $460 billion (2009) from direct and indirect occurrences like spiking the expensive crime investigations and inflicting injury ramming up hospital bills.
What fascinated me most about the objective difference between a non-psychopathic and psychopathic person was the weak brain connectivity of the fronto-temporal-limbic system. If the main component, the orbitofrontal cortex, has reduced activity and blood flow one is more likely to give to impulses for risk-taking behavior, become abusive and be less empathetic. This is shown in EEG and fMRI studies.
The author provides enough insight to the fact that although psychopaths are more likely to be violent criminals, it takes a combination of brain structure, like the integrity of the orbitofrontal cortex, your biology, like MAOA-L gene (warrior gene), and your nurture like being raised in a happy home or an abusive one. Although it was not as capturing as Kevin Dutton’s, Wisdom of Psychopaths, it was fantastic.
The author provides the particulars of what a psychopath is characterized as. A failed sense of moral ethics and social norms, overt deceitfulness, lack of remorse, aggression and impulsiveness are all qualities that unite in a person who is considered a psychopath. Along with is likely to become a parasitic lifestyle, psychopaths cost the U.S. $460 billion (2009) from direct and indirect occurrences like spiking the expensive crime investigations and inflicting injury ramming up hospital bills.
What fascinated me most about the objective difference between a non-psychopathic and psychopathic person was the weak brain connectivity of the fronto-temporal-limbic system. If the main component, the orbitofrontal cortex, has reduced activity and blood flow one is more likely to give to impulses for risk-taking behavior, become abusive and be less empathetic. This is shown in EEG and fMRI studies.
The author provides enough insight to the fact that although psychopaths are more likely to be violent criminals, it takes a combination of brain structure, like the integrity of the orbitofrontal cortex, your biology, like MAOA-L gene (warrior gene), and your nurture like being raised in a happy home or an abusive one. Although it was not as capturing as Kevin Dutton’s, Wisdom of Psychopaths, it was fantastic.
October 22, 2021
“Our societies routine failure to examine people like Jared is a wasted opportunity to increase our insight into abnormal behavior” The author of this book did a outstanding job of hooking in his readers and keeping there attention. Dean Allen Haycock provided a clearer understanding for the science behind psychopaths and the neurological issues leading to there murderous minds. I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in psychology along with crime. The book shows you scenarios of people who have had murderous thoughts and acted on those thoughts, following that the book turns to scientists and neurologist explaining behaviors that person displayed and what neurological problems lie deep within there minds. Along with all the stories and neurological facts the book also provides pictures showing the brain from different angles and it’s parts. Overall I highly recommend this book for everyone but especially for those interested in psychology.
January 4, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed Dean Haycock's book, Murderous Minds. It was well referenced and showcased viewpoints from differing perspectives. I did not have a difficult time understanding the book, considering my background in research in psychiatry, however I think it could be quite difficult to read this book if an individual does not have any background in research or neuroscience/psychiatry.
July 10, 2018
This book examines what neuroscience can tell us about the psychopathic mind, and how that compares to what other disciplines – such as psychology and genetics – have been telling us. This is no simple task because there remains a great deal of disagreement about what psychopathy is and how it relates to other behavioral conditions, like sociopathy.
The book begins with front matter (a Preface and an Introduction) that sets the stage for a reader who may have only a vague and Hollywood-inspired notion of what psychopathy is and who may confuse it with any number of psychiatric conditions.
Chapter 1 builds intrigue and offers a narrative introduction to psychopathy by telling the story of the architects of the Columbine shooting, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris. The Columbine shooting gives the reader an ability to compare and contrast, because the two shooters had quite different psychological profiles. The chapter also uses the case of Jared Loughner, a Tucson shooter who killed or wounded almost twenty people – most famously Congressional Representative Gabrielle Giffords.
Chapter 2 dives into the controversial questions of what a psychopath is, how effectively can psychopathy be measured, and how it compares to conditions that have the same or similar symptoms. The obvious point of comparison is Sociopathy, about which a controversy remains as to whether it’s a distinct condition. However, the more interesting comparison is to “Kunlangeta,” which is a term from an Inuit tribe. The Kunlangeta – psychopathy comparison gets to the fact that aberrant behavior isn’t new. It’s just how these actions are viewed and responded to that has changed.
Chapter 3 describes the strengths and limitations of brain imaging as a tool for understanding the psychopath. We find that neuro-imaging has revealed tendencies – notably a reduction of gray matter in parts of the frontal and temporal cortex. However, we also discover that there remains much to be learned.
Chapter 4 is entitled “A Problem Behind the Forehead” and it continues the discussion of the neurological connection to psychopathy – particularly by considering the case of Jim Fallon (the neuroscientist who stumbled onto the fact that he had the brain of a psychopath -- not to be confused with the late night talk show host.) The consideration of Fallon’s case foreshadows a discussion that is detailed in Chapter 8 about psychopaths who function just fine in society and who don’t kill people with axes.
Chapter 5 examines competing explanations for psychopathy that are more likely to be complementary to neuroscience than competitors – notably genetics and childhood abuse. This chapter highlights the fact that criminal psychopathy has complex causes and there is as of yet no single silver bullet that links to psychopathic behavior.
The idea in chapter 5 leads nicely into the next chapter (ch. 6) which considers to what degree we have enough (or will ever have enough) information to be able to predict who is likely to engage in bad behavior. Is a real world “Minority Report” scenario likely in which someday we’ll be able to know who’s going to commit violent felonies before they do (at least for some cases.)
Chapter 7 explores the most notable symptoms of psychopathic behavior, including the inability to empathize and a lack of fear.
Chapter 8, as mentioned, explores the fact that not everyone who has psychopathic traits runs afoul of the law. In fact, many lead productive lives running companies or performing surgeries.
The next two chapters reflect upon questions that may be of great interest to readers. Chapter 9 asks whether one can become a psychopath late in life. In other words, once one has lived out an abuse-free childhood, grown a fully developed brain, and reached an age where the relevant genes have or haven’t flipped on is one safe? Or, is there some way – an injury or ailment, perhaps – that one might become the victim of adult-onset psychopathy? The penultimate chapter asks whether one’s child might be a psychopath in the making.
The last chapter discusses how criminal justice works if it turns out that at least some individuals commit crimes because they got a bad brain. While there may be controversies over the death penalty, most people feel at ease with harsh sentencing and with locking convicted criminals away for life. However, if some individuals had no choice but to do what they did by virtue of a brain defect, it’s much harder to be confident one has taken a fair and reasonable course of action.
There’s a brief epilogue which presents a common fixture in science books: the scholarly rant about how the field is underfunded.
The book has a number of color and black-and-white graphics including photos, diagrams, brain scans, and brain cross-section pictures. There’s a recommended reading section in addition to the bibliographic notes. I read the Kindle version of the book, and it had excellent hyperlinks for the notes as well as in the index.
I’d recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the question of the degree to which brains determine who engages in criminally aberrant behavior. The author uses stories of famous cases of psychopathy to present a book that is very readable and doesn’t get lost in scientific minutiae. It’s a quick and fascinating read.
The book begins with front matter (a Preface and an Introduction) that sets the stage for a reader who may have only a vague and Hollywood-inspired notion of what psychopathy is and who may confuse it with any number of psychiatric conditions.
Chapter 1 builds intrigue and offers a narrative introduction to psychopathy by telling the story of the architects of the Columbine shooting, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris. The Columbine shooting gives the reader an ability to compare and contrast, because the two shooters had quite different psychological profiles. The chapter also uses the case of Jared Loughner, a Tucson shooter who killed or wounded almost twenty people – most famously Congressional Representative Gabrielle Giffords.
Chapter 2 dives into the controversial questions of what a psychopath is, how effectively can psychopathy be measured, and how it compares to conditions that have the same or similar symptoms. The obvious point of comparison is Sociopathy, about which a controversy remains as to whether it’s a distinct condition. However, the more interesting comparison is to “Kunlangeta,” which is a term from an Inuit tribe. The Kunlangeta – psychopathy comparison gets to the fact that aberrant behavior isn’t new. It’s just how these actions are viewed and responded to that has changed.
Chapter 3 describes the strengths and limitations of brain imaging as a tool for understanding the psychopath. We find that neuro-imaging has revealed tendencies – notably a reduction of gray matter in parts of the frontal and temporal cortex. However, we also discover that there remains much to be learned.
Chapter 4 is entitled “A Problem Behind the Forehead” and it continues the discussion of the neurological connection to psychopathy – particularly by considering the case of Jim Fallon (the neuroscientist who stumbled onto the fact that he had the brain of a psychopath -- not to be confused with the late night talk show host.) The consideration of Fallon’s case foreshadows a discussion that is detailed in Chapter 8 about psychopaths who function just fine in society and who don’t kill people with axes.
Chapter 5 examines competing explanations for psychopathy that are more likely to be complementary to neuroscience than competitors – notably genetics and childhood abuse. This chapter highlights the fact that criminal psychopathy has complex causes and there is as of yet no single silver bullet that links to psychopathic behavior.
The idea in chapter 5 leads nicely into the next chapter (ch. 6) which considers to what degree we have enough (or will ever have enough) information to be able to predict who is likely to engage in bad behavior. Is a real world “Minority Report” scenario likely in which someday we’ll be able to know who’s going to commit violent felonies before they do (at least for some cases.)
Chapter 7 explores the most notable symptoms of psychopathic behavior, including the inability to empathize and a lack of fear.
Chapter 8, as mentioned, explores the fact that not everyone who has psychopathic traits runs afoul of the law. In fact, many lead productive lives running companies or performing surgeries.
The next two chapters reflect upon questions that may be of great interest to readers. Chapter 9 asks whether one can become a psychopath late in life. In other words, once one has lived out an abuse-free childhood, grown a fully developed brain, and reached an age where the relevant genes have or haven’t flipped on is one safe? Or, is there some way – an injury or ailment, perhaps – that one might become the victim of adult-onset psychopathy? The penultimate chapter asks whether one’s child might be a psychopath in the making.
The last chapter discusses how criminal justice works if it turns out that at least some individuals commit crimes because they got a bad brain. While there may be controversies over the death penalty, most people feel at ease with harsh sentencing and with locking convicted criminals away for life. However, if some individuals had no choice but to do what they did by virtue of a brain defect, it’s much harder to be confident one has taken a fair and reasonable course of action.
There’s a brief epilogue which presents a common fixture in science books: the scholarly rant about how the field is underfunded.
The book has a number of color and black-and-white graphics including photos, diagrams, brain scans, and brain cross-section pictures. There’s a recommended reading section in addition to the bibliographic notes. I read the Kindle version of the book, and it had excellent hyperlinks for the notes as well as in the index.
I’d recommend this book for anyone who is interested in the question of the degree to which brains determine who engages in criminally aberrant behavior. The author uses stories of famous cases of psychopathy to present a book that is very readable and doesn’t get lost in scientific minutiae. It’s a quick and fascinating read.
March 26, 2024
horrible 👎
August 4, 2023
I give this book 5 stars because the research is astounding and the examples are so thorough. The author also acknowledges that there isn't one answer, and more research should be done. I wish there was a follow-up, since it is 9 years later, and I've learned so much more.
As an English teacher, and not a scientist, doctor, or anyone in the criminal justice system, I did not know a lot of the terminology, so I had to look up information, like the PCL-R, and FMRI. I learned so much. I chose to read the book because one of my children is in college studying criminal justice and chose this book for an independent study. I've also been working with high school students who were assigned a paper on this topic and whether types of remediation could keep convicts from becoming repeat offenders. I've had discussions in the past with students about whether it is a neurological issue or not that causes the criminals to become psychopaths. What made Columbine shooter do what he did? Was it issues from birth? Something that happened after? Damages to the brain? Something formed in utero? It was interesting and sad at the same time to hear the stories and examples. It is also amazing to see what research and technology (MRI's) can see in a psychopath's brain. BUT testing all of the criminals in prisons to see whether their brains may make them want to carry out more crimes is quite expensive.
One thing that profoundly shocked me, and some info for context. I love to study. I love to learn and take classes and more credits than I know what to do with but don't want to do my PHD because of the research. Then when I read the part in this book about how many scientists and doctors get chosen for research or to be used in studies based on quantity of papers they pump out vs quality of papers.... ugh! Short papers, but lots of papers gets people recognized and maybe gets them tenured at universities, but that means a lot of the good research gets skipped over, ignored, or doesn't get a chance to be developed and tested more. SHOCKING and disappointing.
In the future, I definitely won't flippantly say "that person is a psychopath." I also really will think about what makes people tick, and flip out. BUT I still believe that a person can't use a mental disorder as a way of getting out of crimes. Insanity in a court case doesn't take away the fact that a crime was committed.
The scenarios towards the end were really good for me to think about. I would probably make the wrong choices in some cases and could be labeled a psychopath, but we all have tendencies in us, and some of us just don't act upon them.
As an English teacher, and not a scientist, doctor, or anyone in the criminal justice system, I did not know a lot of the terminology, so I had to look up information, like the PCL-R, and FMRI. I learned so much. I chose to read the book because one of my children is in college studying criminal justice and chose this book for an independent study. I've also been working with high school students who were assigned a paper on this topic and whether types of remediation could keep convicts from becoming repeat offenders. I've had discussions in the past with students about whether it is a neurological issue or not that causes the criminals to become psychopaths. What made Columbine shooter do what he did? Was it issues from birth? Something that happened after? Damages to the brain? Something formed in utero? It was interesting and sad at the same time to hear the stories and examples. It is also amazing to see what research and technology (MRI's) can see in a psychopath's brain. BUT testing all of the criminals in prisons to see whether their brains may make them want to carry out more crimes is quite expensive.
One thing that profoundly shocked me, and some info for context. I love to study. I love to learn and take classes and more credits than I know what to do with but don't want to do my PHD because of the research. Then when I read the part in this book about how many scientists and doctors get chosen for research or to be used in studies based on quantity of papers they pump out vs quality of papers.... ugh! Short papers, but lots of papers gets people recognized and maybe gets them tenured at universities, but that means a lot of the good research gets skipped over, ignored, or doesn't get a chance to be developed and tested more. SHOCKING and disappointing.
In the future, I definitely won't flippantly say "that person is a psychopath." I also really will think about what makes people tick, and flip out. BUT I still believe that a person can't use a mental disorder as a way of getting out of crimes. Insanity in a court case doesn't take away the fact that a crime was committed.
The scenarios towards the end were really good for me to think about. I would probably make the wrong choices in some cases and could be labeled a psychopath, but we all have tendencies in us, and some of us just don't act upon them.
April 26, 2014
Murderous Minds is a fantastic book. It is an engaging, thoughtful, and informative read about the inner workings of the devious psychopathic mind. Each chapter begins with an anecdote that demands one's attention. Then, Haycock goes on to expertly explain psychopathic behavior using fascinating information gleaned from scientific studies. This is the perfect book for the reader who is interested in learning why and how some people are able to murder in cold blood. I give this book my highest possible recommendation!
April 27, 2015
It was very heavy on science and light on specific case studies, which is more what I was looking for, but it was very interesting.
September 28, 2016
Eric Harris is mentioned frequently.
September 29, 2021
Bardzo ciekawy reportaż
October 12, 2021
“W umyślę mordercy. Tajemnice mózgów psychopatów” to książka Deana A. Haycoock opowiadająca o psychopatii. Przedstawia ona medyczny, a także psychologiczny punkt widzenia takich osób. A tym samym pojawiają się próby wyjaśnienia, dlaczego ludzie mordują lub wykonują inne przestępstwa.
Informacje związane z działaniami psychopatów są niewątpliwie ciekawym tematem. Zwykły człowiek nie rozumie, dlaczego dany osobnik wykonał tak haniebne czyny, jak zabójstwa lub gwałty. Dlatego też oczekiwałam, że książka okaże się choć trochę ciekawa, a przede wszystkim wyjaśni związane z tym pytania. I moja nadzieja się ziściła! Autor w dość przystępny sposób wyjaśnia medyczne oraz psychologiczne czynniki wywołujące psychopatię. A oprócz tego pojawiają się przykłady związanych z tym badań, a także opisy przypadki osób, których ta kwestia dotyczy. Tym bardziej więc mnie cieszy, że przekaz autora został poparty dość wieloma źródłami, bo dzięki temu temat ten staje się jeszcze bardziej autentyczny. Dzięki temu dowiedziałam się nowych informacji o mało znanej dziedzinie.
Jak już wspomniałam, książka ta jest dość przystępna w odbiorze. Spowodowane jest to dość popularnym stylem, mimo że informacje te raczej kwalifikują się to grupy naukowej. Dla mnie to ogromny plus, gdyż jako laik nie czułam się przytłoczona przedstawionymi informacjami. Oprócz tego sam autor nie narzuca swojego zdania, a raczej przedstawia fakty udowodnione przez innych kolegów oraz wyjaśnia pojęcia często ze sobą mylone przez zwykłego człowieka.
Myślę, że fanom psychologii oraz ciekawych, dlaczego dzieje się tak, a nie inaczej w głowach psychopatów zainteresuje ta pozycja. Zawiera ona wiele ciekawych informacji, które w wielu momentach mogą wręcz zaskakiwać. Dlatego też moja ocena to 7/1 i zdecydowanie polecam tę książkę!
Za egzemplarz recenzencki bardzo dziękuję Wydawnictwu Muza!
Informacje związane z działaniami psychopatów są niewątpliwie ciekawym tematem. Zwykły człowiek nie rozumie, dlaczego dany osobnik wykonał tak haniebne czyny, jak zabójstwa lub gwałty. Dlatego też oczekiwałam, że książka okaże się choć trochę ciekawa, a przede wszystkim wyjaśni związane z tym pytania. I moja nadzieja się ziściła! Autor w dość przystępny sposób wyjaśnia medyczne oraz psychologiczne czynniki wywołujące psychopatię. A oprócz tego pojawiają się przykłady związanych z tym badań, a także opisy przypadki osób, których ta kwestia dotyczy. Tym bardziej więc mnie cieszy, że przekaz autora został poparty dość wieloma źródłami, bo dzięki temu temat ten staje się jeszcze bardziej autentyczny. Dzięki temu dowiedziałam się nowych informacji o mało znanej dziedzinie.
Jak już wspomniałam, książka ta jest dość przystępna w odbiorze. Spowodowane jest to dość popularnym stylem, mimo że informacje te raczej kwalifikują się to grupy naukowej. Dla mnie to ogromny plus, gdyż jako laik nie czułam się przytłoczona przedstawionymi informacjami. Oprócz tego sam autor nie narzuca swojego zdania, a raczej przedstawia fakty udowodnione przez innych kolegów oraz wyjaśnia pojęcia często ze sobą mylone przez zwykłego człowieka.
Myślę, że fanom psychologii oraz ciekawych, dlaczego dzieje się tak, a nie inaczej w głowach psychopatów zainteresuje ta pozycja. Zawiera ona wiele ciekawych informacji, które w wielu momentach mogą wręcz zaskakiwać. Dlatego też moja ocena to 7/1 i zdecydowanie polecam tę książkę!
Za egzemplarz recenzencki bardzo dziękuję Wydawnictwu Muza!
February 25, 2020
Very interesting book on the neurobiology of psychopathology. Since two of my degrees are in neuroscience, I really wanted more understanding in this particular problem in psychology. I always tell my students that psychiatric illnesses have a very real physical problem going on in the brain, and this book by Haycock proves my point. I knew about some studies concerning the amygdala which is involved in emotion and compassion, but this book explained what MRI studies have found concerning this area of the brain (the limbic system). I was intrigued by the information Haycock provides about successful versus unsuccessful psychopaths. Not all of them kill. Many of the successful ones are in business. Haycock skirted around naming any of these guys, but you get the general idea of who is probably one of these. As he said about the unsuccessful psychopaths..."they are in jail!"
I was somewhat disappointed at the end of the book. I wanted more information medically, and the last chapter was not on medicine. I would have liked more specifics about the studies done on the brain in these guys (mostly), but he did provide information about some psychopaths such as Jared Loughner. Because of this book, I will probably look for more books specifically about the neurobiology of different psychiatric disorders. This book is definitely worth a read if you are more interested in the brain (and not so much in true crime junk).
I was somewhat disappointed at the end of the book. I wanted more information medically, and the last chapter was not on medicine. I would have liked more specifics about the studies done on the brain in these guys (mostly), but he did provide information about some psychopaths such as Jared Loughner. Because of this book, I will probably look for more books specifically about the neurobiology of different psychiatric disorders. This book is definitely worth a read if you are more interested in the brain (and not so much in true crime junk).
August 29, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book. I don't typically pick up nonfiction, but I have an increasing interest in Psychology. I decided that this book would interest me along with educating me. This book was time-consuming to read, but I do believe that it taught me a lot. Just sitting here writing this review I can recall facts and statistics that the author gave. I don't what it was about the writing, but the author was able to give information in a way that made it stick. I appreciated how the author used many real-world examples to assist in explaining the psychopathic mind. However, these real-world examples do mean that this novel could be very dark at times. Some of the facts were hard to swallow because of how aware I was that all of this was real. The author was talking about real people who really thought that way. Given that this book was about the Psychopathic mind, I was in no way surprised that it had a dark twist. Having said that, obviously, this book is for a mature audience. On top of the content being mature, the information can be a lot to handle, and I'm sure that some of it did go over my head. I don't really know what else to say. I thought that this book accomplished what it set out to do, and it really got me thinking. I did enjoy reading this novel, and I would seek out more from both this author and about this topic in the future.
May 15, 2017
When I began reading this book, I thought I was really going to enjoy it. Early on, there's an attention-grabbing description of two famous cases of what were in some ways similar crimes but with a key big difference. In case, the perpetrator was a psychopath; in the other, the perpetrator was psychotic. The author does a nice job explaining the difference in a way that's understandable for the average person.
After a strong start, the book kind of fizzles. I will say, it's very well referenced, so if you are the type that likes to delve deeper into source materials, there's a lot to explore. Ultimately, though, while some of the science discussed and the cases presented are interesting, the writing is distractingly bad. My attention kept drifting away from the book's actual subject matter because I couldn't keep myself from mentally writing the prose to make it understandable. To be clear, the book's problem is not an excess of highly specialized technical jargon but rather poor syntax.
After a strong start, the book kind of fizzles. I will say, it's very well referenced, so if you are the type that likes to delve deeper into source materials, there's a lot to explore. Ultimately, though, while some of the science discussed and the cases presented are interesting, the writing is distractingly bad. My attention kept drifting away from the book's actual subject matter because I couldn't keep myself from mentally writing the prose to make it understandable. To be clear, the book's problem is not an excess of highly specialized technical jargon but rather poor syntax.
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December 5, 2023Inciting violence has damaged the scientific integrity! The first chapter of this book listed to mass causality crimes in US. Under the assumption that the suspect "acting alone" and they are not "incited by any other agency" as other mass shooting shows sign off, the result is a simple wrong scientific conclusion in the first few pages of a scientific book that first claim the complication of its mission on articulating linking the correlations and causation of neuropsychological domain. It is a major issue that took me times to actualize its scale while I looked for this book as neutral reference to refer to in court regarding, ironically, the practice of inciting violence .. which made me more determined even to bring it to the court!
June 27, 2018
This book is ideal for those who enjoy and appreciate a wealth of scientific and technical information. While short on "story" it does explain psychopathy, what it means and what it doesn't in great detail. While lay people may struggle with the text (the author does have a PhD while most of us don't) a thorough knowledge of scientific and psychological/psychiatric vocabulary will help the reader move through the body of work. Reccommend for those who work or study in the fields pertaining to the subject matter.
December 16, 2020
Expected more about neuroimaging. Kindle version needs illustrations and/or photos
I bought the Audible and Kindle versions, and both were accessible but neither was exceptional. After finishing the book, I agree with other reviewers who mentioned the amount of repetition, and I expected more information and discussion about neuroimaging. I have background in sciences and associated medical fields, so I didn’t have problems with comprehension. That said, for a book discussing fMRIs, there no photos, illustrations, and/or figures included with the Kindle version.
I bought the Audible and Kindle versions, and both were accessible but neither was exceptional. After finishing the book, I agree with other reviewers who mentioned the amount of repetition, and I expected more information and discussion about neuroimaging. I have background in sciences and associated medical fields, so I didn’t have problems with comprehension. That said, for a book discussing fMRIs, there no photos, illustrations, and/or figures included with the Kindle version.
August 26, 2025
This book was so informative and had so much information in it. I think it was written really well, however, it was very heavy on science. This is not a good book to pick up if you’re trying to get a layman’s understanding of psychopathy. With my educational background, I had a pretty easy time reading this book, and I thought it was presented in a clear and concise way. I liked how the author was very clear on the shortcomings of the research and how far we have to go to truly understand psychopathy.
March 31, 2018
An informative and holistic look at psychopathy and the science and research surrounding it. It is the ideal starting point for anyone looking to understand the subject more by not only discussing symptoms and research but helping the reader clearly understand the implications and context of those things as well as providing lucid commentary on the struggles and short comings of those attempting to further research the subject professionally.
June 5, 2025
Contained a great overview of the neurobiological, epigenetic and neurodevelopmental research however, largely absent were the bio-psycho-social theories and information on treatment modalities and outcomes.
Science heavy, so it’s not exactly an “easy read” but that’s not a criticism. I like that it isn’t full of inaccurate or speculative personal opinions, which books on this topic usually are. Worth reading
Science heavy, so it’s not exactly an “easy read” but that’s not a criticism. I like that it isn’t full of inaccurate or speculative personal opinions, which books on this topic usually are. Worth reading
November 9, 2025
I struggled to finish this book. It felt so repetitive. It reiterated the same brain areas and conclusions so many times. I also felt it went on unrelated points, like why are we bringing up Batman?? I did like the discussion of the field of neuroscience research as a whole and the critical lens on fMRI. I also liked the questions posed in the impact neuroscience has on law. But overall this book was tough to read
February 10, 2018
Well written & gives excellent analysis of real life cases dealing with psychopaths. There was a balance between explaining the science behind psychopathic tendencies and informing the audience of examples. I also liked how the author distinguished terms that are known to be synonymous with each other.
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