The Psychopath Epidemic

A unique look at the psychopaths among us and how our society--from kindergarten to corporations--encourages and rewards psychotic behavior.

This book analyses the conceptualization of psychopathic personality disorder for criminal/forensic populations and examines in depth the emerging phenomenon of the ‘corporate psychopath’. In doing so its authors expose the paradoxical nature of the disorder: while it is frequently associated with antisocial, criminal and predatory behaviour, more recent studies have highlighted examples of creative, visionary and inspiring leaders who are also found to present a high degree of psychopathy. They focus on the nature, behaviours and consequences of psychopathy in executives and across the organization, offering an important contribution to the emerging body of research on psychopathy and other problematic personality constructs in the workplace. The book will appeal to scholars, students and professionals across the discipline, and particularly to those working in workplace, forensic and personality psychology.

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. Do you know someone who is too manipulative and full of himself? Does someone you know charm the masses yet lack the ability to deeply connect with those around her?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; andlearn 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.

As well-researched as a scholarly work, yet with the immediacy and accessibility of a layman, Puzzling People is a first-person account of the cheats, the charlatans, the liars, the neglectful parents, abusive teachers, two-faced politicians and their Psychopathic Control Grid, tyrannical bosses and colleagues from hell we have all encountered, including the lying lovers who use us then lose us in an instant. Puzzling People takes an in-depth look at how the minds of psychopaths work and why, and focusses on what you can do to survive and thrive and ultimately escape forever. Delivered in a voice that makes it clear that the author lives what he writes, Puzzling People is an invaluable field guide to spotting and avoiding entities so completely lacking in empathy or compassion they may as well be counted as a different species entirely to human beings.

The memoir of a high-functioning, law-abiding (well, mostly) sociopath and a roadmap—right from the source—for dealing with the sociopath in your life. “[A] gripping and important book . . . revelatory . . . quite the memorable roller coaster ride.”—The New York Times Book Review As M.E. Thomas says of her fellow sociopaths, “We are your neighbors, your coworkers, and quite possibly the people closest to you: lovers, family, friends. Our risk-seeking behavior and general fearlessness are thrilling, our glibness and charm alluring. Our often quick wit and outside-the-box thinking make us appear intelligent—even brilliant. We climb the corporate ladder faster than the rest, and appear to have limitless self-confidence. Who are we? We are highly successful, noncriminal sociopaths and we comprise 4 percent of the American population.” Confessions of a Sociopath—part confessional memoir, part primer for the curious—takes readers on a journey into the mind of a sociopath, revealing what makes them tick while debunking myths about sociopathy and offering a road map for dealing with the sociopaths in your life. M. E. Thomas draws from her own experiences as a diagnosed sociopath; her popular blog, Sociopathworld; and scientific literature to unveil for the very first time these men and women who are “hiding in plain sight.”

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

Genesis of a Plague Right now, in a remote corner of rural China, a farmer and his family are sharing their water supply with their livestock: chickens, ducks, pigs, sheep. They share the same waste-disposal system, too. Bird viruses meet their human counterparts in the bloodstreams of the swine, where they mix and mutate before spreading back into the human population. And a new flu is born.... Dr. Noah Haldane, of the World Health Organization, knows that humanity is overdue for a new killer flu, like the great influenza pandemic of 1919 that killed more than twenty million people in less than four months. So when a mysterious new strain of flu is reported in the Gansu Province of mainland China, WHO immediately sends a team to investigate. Haldane and his colleagues soon discover that the new disease, dubbed Acute Respiratory Collapse Syndrome, is far more deadly than SARS, killing one in four victims, regardless of their age or health. But even as WHO struggles to contain the outbreak, ARCS is already spreading to Hong Kong, London, and even America. In an age when every single person in the world is connected by three commercial flights or fewer, a killer bug can travel much faster than the flu of 1919. Especially when someone is spreading the virus on purpose... At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Her marriage to successful airline pilot Captain X seemed like a dream come true. In reality, it was a nightmare.From the second they met, Captain X swept MrsXNomore off her feet, constantly showering her with gifts, flattery and attention. He never left her side unless he was working his scheduled flights. Expertly he gained her complete trust and love. Soon they married, often traveling the world on Major Airways.Early on she underwent the physical and emotional stress of infertility and adoption with little help from her husband. Things were not adding up. She ignored the red flags, his controlling ways and anger, putting his abuse somewhere in the back of her mind. After all, everyone who met charming Captain X told her "How lucky you are to be married to him "Captain X doted on their child, as if in a parenting competition. His erratic work schedule, their few friends, distant family, and his evasiveness about finances left MrsXNomore in a constant state of confusion. Isolated from friends and family, and plagued with serious medical conditions, she was in no state to address these issues.Enduring three surgeries in fourteen months, she received no empathy whatsoever from Captain X. Worn down, her life was filled with his constant mixed messages. Claiming she needed mental help, Captain X pushed her into therapy, resulting in more confusion.Insisting on reviewing family finances, disbelief set in. Captain X had plunged them into serious debt, often using her name, ruining her credit. In what appeared to be a sincere apology, he begged for forgiveness, promising to make everything right. Instead, he filed for divorce.Shocked, she constantly searched for answers and found them in Captain X's computer. She discovered he was member of a secret brotherhood involving prostitution, locally and internationally during their entire marriage. When she confronted him, he immediately moved out of their family home, taking their child. She was a now a victim of parental alienation.Tormented, thoughts of suicide crept into her head. Months became years spent trying to understand what had happened to her. What kind of man was he? Why didn't she know the man she married? Thankfully she found answers. Captain X is a socialized psychopath. MrsXNomore always believed there was good in everyone, but now she understood that's not so. The realization was frightening.Recognizing that psychopaths (also known as sociopaths) often return to their past victims to inflict further pain, she fled the country to be far away from him, heal and write. Struggling to undo the parental alienation, to get her child back into her life, was just one more obstacle to overcome.Like most people, MrsXNomore thought the label "psychopath" meant someone was a murderer. Ted Bundy came to mind. She had no idea psychopaths could be socialized and live among us, skillfully masking their psychopathy while manipulating and controlling people's lives.MrsXNomore learned that his devaluation and discarding of her, along with their high conflict divorce, parental alienation, and subsequent frivolous litigations were commonplace when dealing with a psychopath. As a result, she no longer has any contact with him.Since experts estimate as many as 4% of people are psychopaths, a chapter titled Understanding & Avoiding Psychopaths helps readers recognize and avoid these untreatable social predators without conscience. A final chapter, Suggested Reading and Viewing, provides readers with resources to learn more about psychopathy.A memoir written straight from the heart, you will long to comfort MrsXNomore while admiring her determination to get her child back into her life while surviving the aftermath of her life with a psychopath.