The Psychopath Inside

“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.

A compelling journey into the science and behavior of psychopaths, written by the leading scientist in the field of criminal psychopathy. We know of psychopaths from chilling headlines and stories in the news and movies—from Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy, to Hannibal Lecter and Dexter Morgan. As Dr. Kent Kiehl shows, psychopaths can be identified by a checklist of symptoms that includes pathological lying; lack of empathy, guilt, and remorse; grandiose sense of self-worth; manipulation; and failure to accept one’s actions. But why do psychopaths behave the way they do? Is it the result of their environment— how they were raised—or is there a genetic compo­nent to their lack of conscience? This is the question Kiehl, a protégé of famed psychopath researcher Dr. Robert Hare, was deter­mined to answer as he began his career twenty years ago. To aid in his quest to unravel the psy­chopathic mind, Kiehl created the first mobile functional MRI scanner to study psychopaths in prison populations. The brains of more than five hundred psychopaths and three thousand other offenders have been scanned by Kiehl’s labora­tory—the world’s largest forensic neuroscience repository of its kind. Over the course of The Psy­chopath Whisperer, we follow the scientific bread crumbs that Kiehl uncovered to show that the key brain structures that correspond with emotional engagement and reactions are diminished in psy­chopaths, offering new clues to how to predict and treat the disorder. In The Psychopath Whisperer, Kiehl describes in fascinating detail his years working with psy­chopaths and studying their thought processes— from the remorseless serial killers he meets with behind bars to children whose behavior and per­sonality traits exhibit the early warning signs of psychopathy. Less than 1 percent of the general population meets the criteria for psychopathy. But psycho­paths account for a vastly outsized proportion of violent crimes. And as Kiehl shows, many who aren’t psychopaths exhibit some of the behaviors and traits associated with the condition. What do you do if you discover your roommate, or boss, or the person you are dating has traits that define a psy­chopath? And what does having a diminished limbic region of the brain mean for how the legal system approaches crimes committed by psychopaths? A compelling narrative of cutting-edge science, The Psychopath Whisperer will open your eyes on a fascinating but little understood world, with startling implications for society, the law, and our personal lives.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 There is no psychiatric diagnosis of psychopath, and the closest thing we have in the DSM is an antisocial personality disorder. Outside of the DSM, many doctors and researchers have their own definitions of what makes a psychopath. #2 There are no set methods to test for psychiatric disorders like psychopathy, but we can determine some facets of a patient’s mental state by studying his brain with imaging techniques like PET and fMRI scanning, as well as genetics, behavioral, and psychometric testing. #3 The traits of psychopathy can be sorted into four categories: interpersonal, affective, behavioral, and antisocial. The antisocial category includes hotheadedness, a history of juvenile delinquency, and a criminal record. #4 There is a second category of psychopaths, which are people who do not score as high on the PCL-R but still exhibit strong signs of classic psychopathic traits. They are not murderers, but they are still psychopaths.

Declaring that movies grant psychopaths much more power and fascination than they deserve, Wilson (psychology, Stephen F. Austin State U., Nacogdoches, Texas) profiles the various types portrayed, beginning with the computer HAL in 2001. He also discusses evil's imperfections, breach of character, mood and circumstance, the power within, justice, and other aspects. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

~ Take a Glimpse Inside the Mind of a Psychopath... **Limited Edition** From the ~Personality Disorders and Mental Illnesses~ collection and the award winning writer, Paul Sorensen, comes a masterful explanation into the mind of a psychopath! "An excellent depiction of the modern day psychopath!" - Alex Lemmings, Book Critique When you first think of the term psychopath, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is the insane, insatiable serial killer. We expect the appearance of such a depraved individual to reflect the madness without. This couldn't be more wrong. The truth is, that charming person who holds the door open for you at work all the time, the charismatic ex you have that everyone loves, but had a bit of a mean streak behind closed doors, the guy from college who loved extreme sports, or even your surgeon - they are all quite possibly psychopaths. And, unless you know them intimately, and know what you're looking for, it's unlikely you'll ever spot it. So, what is a psychopath - really? How can you recognize it? Are they dangerous? Or do we as society actually really need them? How do we know if they're just a bad kid or could develop into something worse? This book will walk you through the history being psychopathy, how to recognize the signs, and what to do if you ever find yourself in a relationship with one. It also looks at new scientific developments and research into the condition, and profiles some of the ones that were truly evil - the world's worst. Let's hope your charming ex isn't one of those. Topics of Discussion - What is a Psychopath? - The Root of the Problem - A Day in the Life - Relationships with Psychopaths - Turning to Crime - Can Psychopaths be Cured? - The Psychopath Test - The World's Worst Psychopaths - and much more! Grab Your Copy Today! The contents of this book are easily worth over $30 but if you purchase this book today you will get it for just $11.99! --------- Tags: Psychopath, Psychopaths, Psychopathy, Psychopath Books, Sociopath, Psychopath Test, Psychopath Next Door, Mental Illnesses, Psychiatric Ward, Manipulation, Behavioural Disorder, Mental Health, Narcissist, Antisocial, Personality Disorder

What do you do when the person you’re meant to trust the most in the world is the one trying to destroy you? ‘When people met her they thought how lovely she was, this attractive woman with a beautiful laugh. But she was one person in public and another behind closed doors. Who would she be today? The loving mother? The trusted teacher? The monster destroying my life?’ Olivia has been afraid ever since she can remember. Out of sight, she was subjected to cruelty and humiliation at the hands of the one person who should have loved and protected her at all times – her mother, Josephine. While appearing completely normal to the outside world, Josephine displayed all the signs of being a psychopath – unbeknown to her daughter until adulthood – and Olivia grew up feeling scared, worthless and exploited. Even when she found the courage to cut ties, her mother found new ways to manipulate and deceive, attempting to destroy her life with a vicious campaign of abuse. Now Olivia has come to terms with her past and gives a fascinating, harrowing and deeply unsettling insight into what it’s like growing up with a psychopathic parent.

This book presents scientific facts of psychopathy and antisocial behavior, addressing critical issues such as the definity of psychopathy, the number of psychopaths in society, whether psychopaths can be treated, and whether psychopathy is due to nurture or to nature.