Book cover of The Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey Into the Dark Side of the Brain

Book description

“Compelling, essential reading for understanding the underpinnings of psychopathy.” — M. E. Thomas, author of Confessions of a Sociopath

For his first fifty-eight years, James Fallon was by all appearances a normal guy. A successful neuroscientist and professor, he’d been raised in a loving family, married his high school sweetheart,…

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Why read it?

3 authors picked The Psychopath Inside as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Although I mostly read fiction, I also enjoy medical and psychological nonfiction. In this case, the real-life premise of the author discovering that he himself fit the parameters of a psychopath was fascinating.

All I needed was the view from inside a psychopath, and there aren’t many reliable ones out there, but hey, guess what, this one is—because it’s written by a self-diagnosed psychopath who’s also a neuroscientist!

I loved this one as the inside view is that extra layer of nuance I needed to build into one of my main characters—understanding how they think and process from their perspective is crucial in making my psychopath real. Bonus here is that the author’s absolutely honest, describing his behaviours, what he didn’t see impacting on those around him,and then adding…

From Ishmael's list on move from movie trope to reality.

Can you imagine being a neuroscientist who specializes in identifying psychiatric disorders from brain scans, finds a scan of a psychopath, and it’s his? That’s what happened to Dr. James Fallon, leading to this book that discusses the inner workings – psychological and physiological – of a psychopath. Merging genetic, structural, and environmental factors, Fallon brings you “into the dark side of the brain,” explaining the science and his personal experience as a non-violent psychopath. He examines psychopathy at all levels, helping you understand the true nature from “functional” to criminal. I could not put this down – it’s a…

From Jeri's list on psychopaths.

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