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| psychopath spotting course: The Psychopath Test Jon Ronson, 2011-06-03 What if society wasn't fundamentally rational, but was motivated by insanity? This thought sets Jon Ronson on an utterly compelling adventure into the world of madness. Along the way, Jon meets psychopaths, those whose lives have been touched by madness and those whose job it is to diagnose it, including the influential psychologist who developed the Psychopath Test, from whom Jon learns the art of psychopath-spotting. A skill which seemingly reveals that madness could indeed be at the heart of everything . . . Combining Jon Ronson's trademark humour, charm and investigative incision, The Psychopath Test is both entertaining and honest, unearthing dangerous truths and asking serious questions about how we define normality in a world where we are increasingly judged by our maddest edges. 'The belly laughs come thick and fast – my God, he is funny . . . provocative and interesting' – Observer |
| psychopath spotting course: The Psychopath Test Jon Ronson, 2011-05-12 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 teaches Ronson how to spot these high-flying individuals by looking out for little telltale verbal and nonverbal clues. And so Ronson, armed with his new psychopath-spotting abilities, enters the corridors of power. He spends time with a death-squad leader institutionalized for mortgage fraud in Coxsackie, New York; a legendary CEO whose psychopathy has been speculated about in the press; and a patient in an asylum for the criminally insane who insists he's sane and certainly not a psychopath. Ronson not only solves the mystery of the hoax but also discovers, disturbingly, that sometimes the personalities at the helm of the madness industry are, with their drives and obsessions, as mad in their own way as those they study. And that relatively ordinary people are, more and more, defined by their maddest edges. |
| psychopath spotting course: The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones Jon Ronson, 2011-11-22 Bestselling author Jon Ronson walks the mean streets of America where he finds real life, modern day superheroes. Fighting crime, saving old ladies, and chasing away drug dealers – all while wearing a mask and a cape. Phoenix Jones patrols Seattle, masked, muscles rippling, while corner boys scatter and teenage runaways are helped, whether they want it or not. He might still see his pediatrician when superhero-ing gets a little too intense, but he’ll be back out there with his ass-kicking comrades as soon as he’s bandaged up. These do-gooding citizens talk the talk, and walk the walk of mythical superheroes – the only thing they're missing is actual supernatural powers. The Amazing Adventures of Phoenix Jones is an inside, intimate look at the world of amateur superheroes and a front row seat to their adventures. |
| psychopath spotting course: Making a Psychopath Mark Freestone, 2022-03-01 Find out what truly creates and defines a psychopath, from the leading expert who helped to create Killing Eve's Villanelle. Dr. Mark Freestone has worked on some of the most interesting, infamous and disturbing cases of psychopathology in recent years. His expertise has led to a consultant role on several TV series, helping them accurately portray their fictional villains. Now, he shares his phenomenal insight into the minds of some of the world's most violent real-life criminals. Angela the Remorseless, a rare female psychopath, casually confessed to murder on national television without a hint of regret. Danny the Borderline switched from grandiosity to rage to despair within minutes and killed his defenseless friend without explanation. Tony the Conman preferred charm, intimidation and sexual abuse over physical violence and once tried to dupe someone into buying the Eiffel Tower. Jason the Liar had a fantasy life that led to vicious murders around Europe and preyed on those who see the good in people. Case by fascinating case, get to know seven of the most dangerous minds that Dr. Freestone has encountered over the last 15 years. These are up-close accounts of some of the most psychopathic criminals, and of what can happen if you fall victim to their supreme powers of manipulation. Exploring the many factors that make a psychopath, the complexities and contradictions of their emotions and behavior, as well as an examination of how the lives of psychopaths develop inside and outside the institutions that are supposed to contain them, Making a Psychopath opens up a window into the world of those who operate in a void of human emotion—and what can be done to control them. |
| psychopath spotting course: Almost a Psychopath Ronald Schouten, James Silver, 2012-05-23 Do you know someone who is just a bit too manipulative and full of himself? Does someone you know charm the masses yet lack the ability to deeply connect with those around her? You might have an Almost Psychopath in your life. Grandiosity and exaggerated self-worth. Pathological lying. Manipulation. Lack of remorse. Shallowness. Exploitation for financial gain. These are the qualities of Almost Psychopaths. They are not the deranged criminals or serial killers that might be coined psychopaths in the movies or on TV. They are spouses, coworkers, bosses, neighbors, and people in the news who exhibit many of the same behaviors as a full-blown psychopath, but with less intensity and consistency. In Almost a Psychopath, Ronald Schouten, MD, JD, and James Silver, JD, draw on scientific research and their own experiences to help you identify if you are an Almost Psychopath and, if so, guide you to interventions and resources to change your behavior. If you think you have encountered an Almost Psychopath, they offer practical tools to help you: recognize the behavior, attitudes, and characteristics of the Almost Psychopath; make sense of interactions you've had with Almost Psychopaths; devise strategies for dealing with them in the present; make informed decisions about your next steps; and learn ways to help an Almost Psychopath get better control of their behavior. The Almost Effect Series presents books written by Harvard Medical School faculty and other experts that offer guidance on common behavioral and physical problems falling in the spectrum between normal health and a full-blown medical condition. These are the first publications to help general readers recognize and address these problems. |
| psychopath spotting course: Psychopath Free (Expanded Edition) Jackson MacKenzie, 2015-09-01 From the author of Whole Again comes a significantly expanded edition of Psychopath Free—containing new chapters, updated content, and real survivor experiences—that will help you recover from emotionally abusive relationships with narcissists, sociopaths, and other toxic people. Have you ever been in a relationship with a psychopath? Chances are, even if you did, you would never know it. Psychopaths are cunning charmers and master manipulators, to the point where you start to accept the most extreme behaviors as normal...Even if it hurts you. All around us, every single day, human beings devoid of empathy are wreaking havoc and destroying lives in the coldest, most heartless ways imaginable. In constant pursuit of money, sex, influence, or simple entertainment, psychopaths will do whatever it takes to gain power over others. They hide behind a veil of normalcy, arranging their friends and partners like pawns in a game of chess. Using false praise and flattery to get what they want, they can lure any unsuspecting target into a relationship. Once hooked, their charming promises spin into mind games and psychological torture. Victims are left devastated and confused, unable to recognize—or even put into words—the nightmare that just took place. Written from the heart, Psychopath Free is the first guide for survivors written by a survivor, offering hope for healing and thriving after psychopathic abuse. Say goodbye to the chaos, self-doubt, and victimization. You are free. |
| psychopath spotting course: Snakes in Suits Paul Babiak, Robert D. Hare, 2007-05-08 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 capable of doing anything at all if it served his or her purposes -- we would recognize it. In popular culture, the image of the psychopath is of someone like Hannibal Lecter or the BTK Killer. But in reality, many psychopaths just want money, or power, or fame, or simply a nice car. Where do these psychopaths go? Often, it's to the corporate world. Researchers Paul Babiak and Robert Hare have long studied psychopaths. Hare, the author of Without Conscience, is a world-renowned expert on psychopathy, and Babiak is an industrial-organizational psychologist. Recently the two came together to study how psychopaths operate in corporations, and the results were surprising. They found that it's exactly the modern, open, more flexible corporate world, in which high risks can equal high profits, that attracts psychopaths. They may enter as rising stars and corporate saviors, but all too soon they're abusing the trust of colleagues, manipulating supervisors, and leaving the workplace in shambles. Snakes in Suits is a compelling, frightening, and scientifically sound look at exactly how psychopaths work in the corporate environment: what kind of companies attract them, how they negotiate the hiring process, and how they function day by day. You'll learn how they apply their instinctive manipulation techniques -- assessing potential targets, controlling influential victims, and abandoning those no longer useful -- to business processes such as hiring, political command and control, and executive succession, all while hiding within the corporate culture. It's a must read for anyone in the business world, because whatever level you're at, you'll learn the subtle warning signs of psychopathic behavior and be able to protect yourself and your company -- before it's too late. |
| psychopath spotting course: Without Conscience Robert D. Hare, 1999-01-08 Most people are both repelled and intrigued by the images of cold-blooded, conscienceless murderers that increasingly populate our movies, television programs, and newspaper headlines. With their flagrant criminal violation of society's rules, serial killers like Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy are among the most dramatic examples of the psychopath. Individuals with this personality disorder are fully aware of the consequences of their actions and know the difference between right and wrong, yet they are terrifyingly self-centered, remorseless, and unable to care about the feelings of others. Perhaps most frightening, they often seem completely normal to unsuspecting targets--and they do not always ply their trade by killing. Presenting a compelling portrait of these dangerous men and women based on 25 years of distinguished scientific research, Dr. Robert D. Hare vividly describes a world of con artists, hustlers, rapists, and other predators who charm, lie, and manipulate their way through life. Are psychopaths mad, or simply bad? How can they be recognized? And how can we protect ourselves? This book provides solid information and surprising insights for anyone seeking to understand this devastating condition. |
| psychopath spotting course: The Wisdom of Psychopaths Kevin Dutton, 2012-10-16 Psychopath. The word conjurs up images of serial killers, rapists, suicide bombers, gangsters. But think again: you could probably benefit from being a little more psychopathic yourself. Psychologist Kevin Dutton has made a speciality of psychopathy, and is on first-name terms with many notorious killers. But unlike those incarcerated psychopaths, and all those depicted in movies and crime fiction, most are not violent, he explains. In fact, says Prof Dutton, they have a lot of good things going for them. Psychopaths are fearless, confident, charismatic and focused--qualities tailor-made for success in today's society. The Wisdom of Psychopaths is an intellectual rollercoaster ride that combines lightning-hot science with unprecedented access to secret monasteries, Special Forces training camps, and high-security hospitals. In it, you will meet serial killers, war heroes, financiers, movie stars and attorneys--and discover that beneath the hype and popular characterization, psychopaths have something to teach us. Like the knobs on a mixing deck, psychopathy is graded. And finding the right combination of psychopathic traits, sampled and mixed at carefully calibrated volumes, can put us ahead of the game. |
| psychopath spotting course: Assessing Risk in Sex Offenders Leam A. Craig, Kevin D. Browne, Anthony R. Beech, 2008-05-23 Assessing Risk in Sex Offenders: A Practitioner's Guide is a handy resource for forensic practitioners responsible for assessing an managing sexual offenders at risk of recidivism. It covers the risk factors associated with sexual recidivism, evaluates risk assessment approaches and offers guidance on how to conduct forensic evaluations. Written by an expert author team, Assessing risk in Sex Offenders: A Practitioner's Guide examines: The characteristics of sexual offenders Methodological considerations in measuring predictive accuracy Static and dynamic factors Structured risk assessments Treatment of sexual offenders Policy and practices Assessing Risk in Sex Offenders: A Practitioner's Guide is an essential resource for clinical and forensic psychologists, forensic psychiatrists, undergraduate and postgraduate students in forensic and clinical psychology, and prison and probation officers. |
| psychopath spotting course: The Psychopath Inside James Fallon, 2014-10-28 “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, and had three kids and lots of friends. Then he learned a shocking truth that would not only disrupt his personal and professional life, but would lead him to question the very nature of his own identity. While researching serial killers, he uncovered a pattern in their brain scans that helped explain their cold and violent behavior. Astonishingly, his own scan matched that pattern. And a few months later he learned that he was descended from a long line of murderers. Fallon set out to reconcile the truth about his own brain with everything he knew as a scientist about the mind, behavior, and personality. |
| psychopath spotting course: Them Jon Ronson, 2011-06-28 A wide variety of extremist groups -- Islamic fundamentalists, neo-Nazis -- share the oddly similar belief that a tiny shadowy elite rule the world from a secret room. In Them, journalist Jon Ronson has joined the extremists to track down the fabled secret room. As a journalist and a Jew, Ronson was often considered one of Them but he had no idea if their meetings actually took place. Was he just not invited? Them takes us across three continents and into the secret room. Along the way he meets Omar Bakri Mohammed, considered one of the most dangerous men in Great Britain, PR-savvy Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Thom Robb, and the survivors of Ruby Ridge. He is chased by men in dark glasses and unmasked as a Jew in the middle of a Jihad training camp. In the forests of northern California he even witnesses CEOs and leading politicians -- like Dick Cheney and George Bush -- undertake a bizarre owl ritual. Ronson's investigations, by turns creepy and comical, reveal some alarming things about the looking-glass world of us and them. Them is a deep and fascinating look at the lives and minds of extremists. Are the extremists onto something? Or is Jon Ronson becoming one of them? |
| psychopath spotting course: Outsmarting the Sociopath Next Door Martha Stout, 2020 From Dr. Martha Stout's influential work The Sociopath Next Door, we learned how to identify a sociopath. Now she tells us what to actually do about it. Using the many chilling and often heartbreaking emails and letters she has received over the years, Dr. Stout uncovers the psychology behind the sociopath's methods and provides concrete guidelines to help navigate these dangerous interactions-- |
| psychopath spotting course: Mental Illness at Work M. Race, A. Furnham, 2014-06-29 It is argued that the incidence of mental illness in the workplace is more common than many realize, ranging from stress to schizophrenia. In this book leading psychologists Adrian Furnham and Mary-Clare Race explore the psychiatric classification of illness and how symptoms can be identified to help develop mental health literate organizations. |
| psychopath spotting course: Ranger Games Ben Blum, 2017-09-12 A gloriously good writer...Ranger Games is both surprising and moving...A memorable, novelistic account.—Jennifer Senior, New York Times Intricate, heartrending, and morally urgent, Ranger Games is a crime story like no other Alex Blum was a good kid, a popular high school hockey star from a tight-knit Colorado family. He had one goal in life: endure a brutally difficult selection program, become a U.S. Army Ranger, and fight terrorists for his country. He poured everything into achieving his dream. In the first hours of his final leave before deployment to Iraq, Alex was supposed to fly home to see his family and beloved girlfriend. Instead, he got into his car with two fellow soldiers and two strangers, drove to a local bank in Tacoma, and committed armed robbery... The question that haunted the entire Blum family was: Why? Why would he ruin his life in such a spectacularly foolish way? At first, Alex insisted he thought the robbery was just another exercise in the famously daunting Ranger program. His attorney presented a case based on the theory that the Ranger indoctrination mirrored that of a cult. In the midst of his own personal crisis, and in the hopes of helping both Alex and his splintering family cope, Ben Blum, Alex’s first cousin, delved into these mysteries, growing closer to Alex in the process. As he probed further, Ben began to question not only Alex, but the influence of his superior, Luke Elliot Sommer, the man who planned the robbery. A charismatic combat veteran, Sommer’s manipulative tendencies combined with a magnetic personality pulled Ben into a relationship that put his loyalties to the test. |
| psychopath spotting course: Whole Again Jackson MacKenzie, 2019-01-08 From a leading voice on recovering from toxic relationships, a deeply insightful guide to getting back to your old self again--in order to truly heal and move on. Jackson MacKenzie has helped millions of people in their struggle to understand the experience of toxic relationships. His first book, Psychopath Free, explained how to identify and survive the immediate situation. In this highly anticipated new book, he guides readers on what to do next--how to fully heal from abuse in order to find love and acceptance for the self and others. Through his close work with--and deep connection to--thousands of survivors of abusive relationships Jackson discovered that most survivors have symptoms of trauma long after the relationship is over. These range from feelings of numbness and emptiness to depression, perfectionism, substance abuse, and many more. But he’s also found that it is possible to work through these symptoms and find love on the other side, and this book shows how. Through a practice of mindfulness, introspection, and exercises using specific tools, readers learn to identify the protective self they've developed - and uncover the core self, so that they can finally move on to live a full and authentic life--to once again feel light, free, and whole, and ready to love again. This book addresses and provides crucial guidance on topics and conditions like: complex PTSD, Narcissistic abuse, Avoidant Personality Disorder, Codependency, Core wounding, toxic shame, Borderline Personality Disorder, and so many more. Whole Again offers hope and multiple strategies to anyone who has survived a toxic relationship, as well as anyone suffering the effects of a breakup involving lying, cheating and other forms of abuse--to release old wounds and safely let the love back inside where it belongs. |
| psychopath spotting course: Dangerous Instincts Mary Ellen O'Toole Ph.D, Alisa Bowman, 2012-09-25 Fear can't help you in a dangerous situation. A former FBI profiler shows you what can. As one of the world's top experts on psychopathy and criminal behavior, Mary Ellen O'Toole has seen repeatedly how relying on the sense of fear alone often fails to protect us from danger. Whether you are opening the door to a stranger or meeting a date you connected with online, you need to know how to protect yourself from harm-physical, financial, legal, and professional. Using the SMART method, which O'Toole developed and used at the FBI, we can confidently know how to: Respond to a threat in any situation Hire someone who will work inside your home like a contractor or housekeeper Figure out whether a prospective employee is a safe bet Know whom you can trust with your children An especially useful book for women living alone, parents who are concerned about their children's safety, and employers worried about employees who might go postal, Dangerous Instincts gives us the tools used by professionals to navigate potentially hazardous waters. Like The Gift of Fear and The Sociopath Next Door, it will appeal to anyone looking to make the right call in an ever threatening world. |
| psychopath spotting course: The Polygraph and Lie Detection National Research Council, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Committee on National Statistics, Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences, Committee to Review the Scientific Evidence on the Polygraph, 2003-02-22 The polygraph, often portrayed as a magic mind-reading machine, is still controversial among experts, who continue heated debates about its validity as a lie-detecting device. As the nation takes a fresh look at ways to enhance its security, can the polygraph be considered a useful tool? The Polygraph and Lie Detection puts the polygraph itself to the test, reviewing and analyzing data about its use in criminal investigation, employment screening, and counter-intelligence. The book looks at: The theory of how the polygraph works and evidence about how deceptivenessâ€and other psychological conditionsâ€affect the physiological responses that the polygraph measures. Empirical evidence on the performance of the polygraph and the success of subjects' countermeasures. The actual use of the polygraph in the arena of national security, including its role in deterring threats to security. The book addresses the difficulties of measuring polygraph accuracy, the usefulness of the technique for aiding interrogation and for deterrence, and includes potential alternativesâ€such as voice-stress analysis and brain measurement techniques. |
| psychopath spotting course: The Men Who Stare at Goats Jon Ronson, 2011-06-28 Now a major film, starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, and Jeff Bridges, this New York Times bestseller is a disturbing and often hilarious look at the U.S. military's long flirtation with the paranormal—and the psy-op soldiers that are still fighting the battle. Bizarre military history: In 1979, a crack commando unit was established by the most gifted minds within the U.S. Army. Defying all known laws of physics and accepted military practice, they believed that a soldier could adopt the cloak of invisibility, pass cleanly through walls, and—perhaps most chillingly—kill goats just by staring at them. They were the First Earth Battalion, entrusted with defending America from all known adversaries. And they really weren’t joking. What’s more, they’re back—and they’re fighting the War on Terror. An uproarious exploration of American military paranoia: With investigations ranging from the mysterious “Goat Lab,” to Uri Geller’s covert psychic work with the CIA, to the increasingly bizarre role played by a succession of U.S. presidents, this might just be the funniest, most unsettling book you will ever read—if only because it is all true and is still happening today. |
| psychopath spotting course: Frank Jon Ronson, 2014-01-16 From the bestselling author of The Psychopath Test comes a characteristically humorous story of a musician on the margins. In Frank: The True Story that Inspired the Movie, Jon Ronson reflects on his days playing keyboard for the Frank Sidebottom Oh Blimey Big Band. Frank Sidebottom, best known for performing with a big fake head with a cartoon face painted on it, was a cult favorite in the United Kingdom and is the subject of the new movie Frank, co-written by Ronson and starring Michael Fassbender, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Domhnall Gleeson. |
| psychopath spotting course: Defeated Demons Thomas Sheridan, 2012-05-01 Psychopaths are not human. Psychopaths will leave effusive and flattering comments on your social network page after you friend them. They will text you numerous times a day and call you on the phone just to hear your voice before they sleep. They continually quiz you about your sexual fantasies then enthusiastically promise to fulfil them all on the day you physically meet. Steadily and by degrees they build a comprehensive profile of you in order to create a blueprint for constructing a mirror-perfect soulmate persona and then, they claim you. They claim your heart, your energy, creativity, happiness, peace, sanity, strength and in some cases, all or most of your worldly goods. Then they begin to destroy you. Eternally hungry, forever empty, they never stop seeking the one thing that makes you human and the one thing they will always lack: your soul. |
| psychopath spotting course: Saints and Psychopaths William L. Hamilton, 1995 |
| psychopath spotting course: The Wasp Factory Iain Banks, 2013-07-02 The polarizing literary debut by Scottish author Ian Banks, The Wasp Factory is the bizarre, imaginative, disturbing, and darkly comic look into the mind of a child psychopath. Meet Frank Cauldhame. Just sixteen, and unconventional to say the least: Two years after I killed Blyth I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different and more fundamental reasons than I'd disposed of Blyth, and then a year after that I did for my young cousin Esmerelda, more or less on a whim. That's my score to date. Three. I haven't killed anybody for years, and don't intend to ever again. It was just a stage I was going through. |
| psychopath spotting course: The school shooter a threat assessment perspective. Mary Ellen O'Toole, 2009 |
| psychopath spotting course: Surrounded by Psychopaths Thomas Erikson, 2020-10-06 From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Surrounded by Idiots. Some people are exceptionally manipulative. They can convince anyone about anything and lure them with their charm. They enjoy controlling others and will do anything to get what they want. Sound familiar? The bad news is that you can’t really escape them. But here comes the good news: you can beat them at their own game. After going through the highs and lows of different personality types (Red, Blue, Green and Yellow) in his international bestseller Surrounded by Idiots, Swedish behavioural expert Thomas Erikson will now show you how your weaknesses and personality traits can be exploited by other people and how you can stop them in their tracks. By learning more about your personality type and how you work, you’ll be able to see through any psychopath's manipulative behaviours and fend off their attempts to wreak havoc into your life. Witty, engaging and informative, this book will give you everything you need to handle life’s most skilled manipulators and identify the psychopaths in your life... before it’s too late! |
| psychopath spotting course: Out of the Ordinary Jon Ronson, 2011-02-23 Out of the Ordinary is Jon Ronson at his inimitable best: hilarious, thought-provoking and with an unerring eye for human frailty – not least his own. Jon Ronson's subjects have included people who believe that goats can be killed by the power of a really hard stare, and people who believe that the world is ruled by twelve-foot lizard-men. In Out of the Ordinary, a collection of his journalism from the Guardian, he turns his attention to irrational beliefs much closer to home, investigating the ways in which we sometimes manage to convince ourselves that all manner of lunacy makes perfect sense – mainstream, domestic, ordinary insanity. Whether he finds himself promising his son that he will be at his side for ever, dressed in a Santa costume, or trying to understand why hundreds of apparently normal people would suddenly start speaking in tongues in a Scout hut in Kidderminster, he demonstrates repeatedly how we all succumb to deeply irrational beliefs that grow to inform our everyday existence. |
| psychopath spotting course: The Orbitofrontal Cortex David H. Zald, Scott Rauch, 2006-10-12 The Orbitofronal Cortex plays a critical role in emotion, smell, and personality. This is the definitive volume on a brain region hitherto neglected in the neurosciences literature. It brings together world leaders in neuroscience to provide a comprehensive, integrative account of this region--one that will be the standard source for years to come. |
| psychopath spotting course: American Psycho Bret Easton Ellis, 2022 Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho is one of the most controversial and talked-about novels of all time. A multi-million-copy bestseller hailed as a modern classic, it is a violent and outrageous black comedy about the darkest side of human nature. With an introduction by Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting. I like to dissect girls. Did you know I'm utterly insane? Patrick Bateman has it all: good looks, youth, charm, a job on Wall Street, and reservations at every new restaurant in town. He is also a psychopath. A man addicted to his superficial, perfect life, he pulls us into a dark underworld where the American Dream becomes a nightmare . . . Part of the Picador Collection, a series showcasing the best of modern literature. |
| psychopath spotting course: Is There a Psycho in Your Life? Kerry Daynes, 2012 You've met a new man who seems too good to be true. He's charming, confident and impulsive. He shares so much in common with you and you seem to be the perfect match. But things aren't quite as they seem; you soon realise his charm doesn't run deep, he gets bored easily, he's irresponsible and he has a string of exes and one night stands in his wake, he thinks a lot of himself but little of others. Or perhaps your boss takes too many big risks and treats you like a pawn in their game or your friend is always asking favours of you. The psychopath in your life is probably in disguise - they could be your lover, your child, your colleague, your friend or the hot new date you've met on the internet. So how do you know if someone close to hand isn't quite who they seem? For fans of Jon Ronson's The Psychopath Test, in The Psychopath in Your Life, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes explains the psyche of a psychopath, she reveals the behavioural traits they share in common and she gives advice on how to handle them - or better still, how to avoid them at all costs. PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS THE DEVIL YOU KNOW |
| psychopath spotting course: The Confidence Game Maria Konnikova, 2017-01-10 It’s a startling and disconcerting read that should make you think twice every time a friend of a friend offers you the opportunity of a lifetime.” —Erik Larson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dead Wake and bestselling author of Devil in the White City Think you can’t get conned? Think again. The New York Times bestselling author of Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes explains how to spot the con before they spot you. “[An] excellent study of Con Artists, stories & the human need to believe” –Neil Gaiman, via Twitter A compelling investigation into the minds, motives, and methods of con artists—and the people who fall for their cons over and over again. While cheats and swindlers may be a dime a dozen, true conmen—the Bernie Madoffs, the Jim Bakkers, the Lance Armstrongs—are elegant, outsized personalities, artists of persuasion and exploiters of trust. How do they do it? Why are they successful? And what keeps us falling for it, over and over again? These are the questions that journalist and psychologist Maria Konnikova tackles in her mesmerizing new book. From multimillion-dollar Ponzi schemes to small-time frauds, Konnikova pulls together a selection of fascinating stories to demonstrate what all cons share in common, drawing on scientific, dramatic, and psychological perspectives. Insightful and gripping, the book brings readers into the world of the con, examining the relationship between artist and victim. The Confidence Game asks not only why we believe con artists, but also examines the very act of believing and how our sense of truth can be manipulated by those around us. |
| psychopath spotting course: So You've Been Publicly Shamed Jon Ronson, 2015 This is the perfect time for a modern-day Scarlet Letter--a radically empathetic book about public shaming, and about shaming as a form of social control. It has become such a big part of our lives it has begun to feel weird and empty when there isn't anyone to be furious about. Whole careers are being ruined by one mistake. A transgression is revealed. Our collective outrage at it has the force of a hurricane. Then we all quickly forget about it and move on to the next one, and it doesn't cross our minds to wonder if the shamed person is okay or in ruins. What's it doing to them? What's it doing to us?-- |
| psychopath spotting course: Flying the Line George E. Hopkins, 1996 |
| psychopath spotting course: The Sociopath Next Door Martha Stout, 2021-07-08 WHO IS THE DEVIL YOU KNOW? Is it your lying, cheating ex-husband? Your sadistic high school gym teacher? Your boss who loves to humiliate people in meetings? The colleague who stole your idea and passed it off as her own? In the pages of The Sociopath Next Door, you will realize that your ex was not just misunderstood. He's a sociopath. And your boss, teacher, and colleague? They may be sociopaths too. We are accustomed to think of sociopaths as violent criminals, but in The Sociopath Next Door, Harvard psychologist Martha Stout reveals that a shocking 4 percent of ordinary people- 1 in 25 - has an often undetected mental disorder, the chief symptom of which is that that person possesses no conscience. He or she has no ability whatsoever to feel shame, guilt, or remorse. One in 25 everyday people, therefore, is secretly a sociopath. They could be your colleague, your neighbour, even family. And they can do literally anything at all and feel absolutely no guilt. How do we recognize the remorseless? One of their chief characteristics is a kind of glow or charisma that makes sociopaths more charming or interesting than the other people around them. They're more spontaneous, more intense, more complex, or even sexier than everyone else, making them tricky to identify and leaving us easily seduced. Fundamentally, sociopaths are different because they cannot love. Sociopaths learn early on to show sham emotion, but underneath they are indifferent to others' suffering. They live to dominate and thrill to win. The fact is, we all almost certainly know at least one or more sociopaths already. Part of the urgency in reading The Sociopath Next Door is the moment when we suddenly recognize that someone we know - someone we worked for, or were involved with, or voted for - is a sociopath. But what do we do with that knowledge? To arm us against the sociopath, Dr Stout teaches us to question authority, suspect flattery, and beware the pity play. Above all, she writes, when a sociopath is beckoning, do not join the game. It is the ruthless versus the rest of us, and The Sociopath Next Door will show you how to recognize and defeat the devil you know. |
| psychopath spotting course: Judith's Pavilion Marc Flitter, 1997 A doctor's memoir in the best tradition of William Carlos Williams, Marc Flitter recreates the life-or-death drama of brain surgery as he has practiced it for more than twenty years, filling an imaginary hospital wing with the true stories of the patients and colleagues whose fates will haunt him forever. His prose is as elegant and delicate as his surgery, and his characters come to life as those from the best short stories do, and yet their power derives from our realization that these are actual people whose lives have transformed the physician who encountered them (The New York Times Book Review). |
| psychopath spotting course: The 48 Laws of Power (Special Power Edition) Robert Greene, 2023-11-14 This limited, collector’s edition of The 48 Laws of Power features a vegan leather cover, gilded edges with a lenticular illustration of Robert Greene and Machiavelli, and designed endpapers. This is an authorized edition of the must-have book that’s guided millions to success and happiness, from the New York Times bestselling author and foremost expert on power and strategy. A not-to-be-missed Special Power Edition of the modern classic, now beautifully packaged in a vegan leather cover with gilded edges, including short new notes to readers from Robert Greene and packager Joost Elffers. Greene distills three thousand years of the history of power into 48 essential laws by drawing from the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz as well as the lives of figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to P.T. Barnum. Including a hidden special effect that features portraits of Machiavelli and Greene appearing as the pages are turned, this invaluable guide takes readers through our greatest thinkers, past to present. This multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control. |
| psychopath spotting course: Darling Venom Parker S. Huntington, 2021-12-10 From Wall Street Journal bestseller Parker S. Huntington comes a broken love story laced with angst and forbidden romance.I wasn't supposed to be on that roof on Valentine's Day.Neither was Kellan Marchetti, the school's designated freak.We met on the verge of ending our lives.Somehow, the tattered strings of our tragedies tangled and tightened into an unlikely bond.We decided not to take the plunge and agreed to check on each other every Valentine's Day until school ended. Same time. One roof. Two restless souls. We kept our promise for three years. On the fourth, Kellan made a decision, and I was left to deal with the consequences. Just when I thought our story ended, another one began. They say all love stories look the same and taste different. Mine was venomous, disgraceful, and written in scarlet scars. My name is Charlotte Richards, but you can call me Venom. |
| psychopath spotting course: Someone We Know Shari Lapena, 2020-05-12 AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! “Poised and chilling.” —Wall Street Journal “No-one does suburban paranoia like Shari Lapena—this slowly unfurling nightmare will have you biting your nails until the end.” —Ruth Ware Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and Not a Happy Family Maybe you don't know your neighbors as well as you thought you did . . . This is a very difficult letter to write. I hope you will not hate us too much. . . My son broke into your home recently while you were out. In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into houses--and into the owners' computers as well--learning their secrets, and maybe sharing some of them, too. Who is he, and what might he have uncovered? After two anonymous letters are received, whispers start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. And when a woman down the street is found murdered, the tension reaches the breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they're telling? And how far will all these very nice people go to protect their own secrets? In this neighborhood, it's not just the husbands and wives who play games. Here, everyone in the family has something to hide . . . You never really know what people are capable of. |
| psychopath spotting course: Lost at Sea Jon Ronson, 2013-10-01 New York Times–bestselling author of The Psychopath Test Jon Ronson writes about the dark, uncanny sides of humanity with clarity and humor. Lost at Sea—now with new material—reveals how deep our collective craziness lies, even in the most mundane circumstances. Ronson investigates the strange things we’re willing to believe in, from robots programmed with our loved ones’ personalities to indigo children to the Insane Clown Posse’s juggalo fans. He looks at ordinary lives that take on extraordinary perspectives. Among them: a pop singer whose greatest passion is the coming alien invasion, assisted-suicide practitioners, and an Alaskan town’s Christmas-induced high school mass-murder plot. He explores all these tales with a sense of higher purpose and universality, yet they are stories not about the fringe of society. They are about all of us. Incisive and hilarious, poignant and maddening, revealing and disturbing—Ronson writes about our modern world, and reveals how deep our collective craziness lies, and the chaos stirring at the edge of our daily lives. |
| psychopath spotting course: Home at Last Katherine Stone, 2022-03-06 This is what I want, she thought. This night with you. This impossible dream. “It’s just that we’re not supposed to be . . .” “Doing this? Because a psychopath warned us not to?” Yes, Lucas realized. That was her worry. Her fear. The killer. Not him. His entire being filled with relief. “This is about us, Galen. You and me. No one else. Nothing else. Just us. Okay?” “Okay.” “And Galen, if you tell me to stop, I will stop. No matter when.” “I won’t tell you to stop.” Not ever. He chases killers . . . Homicide lieutenant Lucas Hunter has a sixth sense for evil and a fierce and relentless passion for putting criminals behind bars. Now his quarry is the cunning madman known as The Lady Killer, the monster whose victims are glamorous, beautiful women who were at one time close to the sexy lieutenant himself. She chases dreams . . . Galen Chandler's career is on the edge—again. Indeed, the disastrous and soon to be ex-anchorwoman is on the verge of leaving Manhattan when the madman calls her, to use her to lure Lucas Hunter out to play. Theirs is an unlikely alliance, the icy-eyed hunter and the woman on the run. And it’s an even unlikelier love. But in the midst of the dangerous game of life and death, they discover something fragile and precious—and precarious—that feels very much like home. Praise for the novels of Katherine Stone: “Remarkably romantic and thoroughly enchanting.”—Rendezvous on Pearl Moon “Poignant . . . Cass is an intrepid heroine, but it is Chase who wins our hearts when he refuses to allow Cass’s seeming betrayal to stop him from protecting his beloved.”—Midwest Book Review on Bed of Roses “Fairytale elements mix with those of a present day romance for . . . thoroughly enjoyable results.”—Kirkus Reviews on Rainbows Katherine Stone writes “in the vein of Danielle Steel and Sandra Brown”—Library Journal “Alluring . . . Fascinating . . . Each page brings a new adventure, every plot twist another question begging to be answered.”—Rendezvous on Imagine Love “Heart-tugging . . . few romance fans will remain unmoved.”—Publishers Weekly on Thief of Hearts Katherine Stone's high quality romance ranks right up there with Nora Roberts.—Booklist “Sweeping drama . . . Her most emotionally charged and intricate story of love yet.”—Romantic Times on Imagine Love |
| psychopath spotting course: Political Ponerology Andrzej Łobaczewski, Alexandra Chciuk-Celt, 2007-04-01 Political Ponerology is a study of the founders and supports of oppressive political regimes. Analyzes the common factors that lead to the propagation of man's inhumanity to man. -- Cover, p. [4]. |
Psychopathy - Wikipedia
Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality, [1] is a personality construct [2][3] characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, along with bold, disinhibited, and egocentric traits. These …
20 Signs You May Be Dealing With a Psychopath - Choosing …
Jan 28, 2025 · The signs of a psychopath often include superficial charm, manipulative behavior, a lack of empathy, and a tendency toward violence or antisocial actions. Psychopaths are …
What Is a Psychopath? - Verywell Mind
Jun 17, 2024 · Learn psychopath characteristics, the history of the term, and how to recognize if someone might be a psychopath. We also cover the differences between sociopath vs. …
What’s the Difference Between a Psychopath and a Sociopath?
Mar 16, 2023 · Doctors don’t officially diagnose people as psychopaths or sociopaths. They use a different term instead: antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Still, some experts do use …
Psychopath: What It Is and Differences From a Sociopath
Apr 30, 2025 · The term "psychopath" refers to someone who does not follow the moral norms of their society and lacks empathy and remorse. People displaying psychopathy are callous, …
Psychopathy: What It Is and It Is Not - Healthline
Nov 7, 2024 · "Psychopath" and "sociopath" are common terms, but they aren't a diagnosis. Here's all about antisocial personality disorder.
Psychopathy - Psychology Today
Psychopathy is a condition characterized by the absence of empathy and the blunting of other affective states. Callousness, detachment, and a lack of empathy enable psychopaths to be …
What is a psychopath? Signs, causes, treatments - therapist
Mar 12, 2025 · Psychopathy is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by a lack of empathy as well as limited or incomplete control over emotional responses. Often, this combination leads …
Psychopathy vs. Sociopathy: The Differences
May 14, 2025 · A psychologist explains the importance of understanding the differences between psychopathy and sociopathy, and how antisocial personality disorder plays out in day-to-day …
How to Identify a Psychopath: The 13 Key Signs to Look For - wikiHow
Jun 4, 2025 · If there’s a psychopath in your life, know that there are ways to cope: ignore their intimidations, turn the conversation back on them, and talk to a therapist.
Psychopathy - Wikipedia
Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality, [1] is a personality construct [2][3] characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, along with bold, disinhibited, and egocentric traits. These …
20 Signs You May Be Dealing With a Psychopath - Choosing …
Jan 28, 2025 · The signs of a psychopath often include superficial charm, manipulative behavior, a lack of empathy, and a tendency toward violence or antisocial actions. Psychopaths are …
What Is a Psychopath? - Verywell Mind
Jun 17, 2024 · Learn psychopath characteristics, the history of the term, and how to recognize if someone might be a psychopath. We also cover the differences between sociopath vs. …
What’s the Difference Between a Psychopath and a Sociopath?
Mar 16, 2023 · Doctors don’t officially diagnose people as psychopaths or sociopaths. They use a different term instead: antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Still, some experts do use …
Psychopath: What It Is and Differences From a Sociopath
Apr 30, 2025 · The term "psychopath" refers to someone who does not follow the moral norms of their society and lacks empathy and remorse. People displaying psychopathy are callous, …
Psychopathy: What It Is and It Is Not - Healthline
Nov 7, 2024 · "Psychopath" and "sociopath" are common terms, but they aren't a diagnosis. Here's all about antisocial personality disorder.
Psychopathy - Psychology Today
Psychopathy is a condition characterized by the absence of empathy and the blunting of other affective states. Callousness, detachment, and a lack of empathy enable psychopaths to be …
What is a psychopath? Signs, causes, treatments - therapist
Mar 12, 2025 · Psychopathy is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by a lack of empathy as well as limited or incomplete control over emotional responses. Often, this combination leads …
Psychopathy vs. Sociopathy: The Differences
May 14, 2025 · A psychologist explains the importance of understanding the differences between psychopathy and sociopathy, and how antisocial personality disorder plays out in day-to-day …
How to Identify a Psychopath: The 13 Key Signs to Look For - wikiHow
Jun 4, 2025 · If there’s a psychopath in your life, know that there are ways to cope: ignore their intimidations, turn the conversation back on them, and talk to a therapist.
