Resource List
Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths go to Work by Paul Babiak, PhD & Robert D. Hare, PhD (2006)
HarperCollins Publishers
Not all individuals with Antisocial
Personality Disorder (APD) are in prison, many are among us. They work and play
alongside us. Babiak and Hare reveal the common ploys of psychopaths,
especially in the corporate world. The authors provide detailed suggestions
about how to screen for psychopaths in the interview process as well as how to
protect the work environment from those whose main goals are to manipulate and
exploit the workplace.
This is an outstanding book for
those in the business world who would like to become more aware of the subtle
warning signs of psychopaths.
The Sociopath Next Door
by Martha Stout, PhD (2005) Broadway Books
Stout does an outstanding job of
describing everyday sociopathy. She uses case examples to describe commonplace
APD, the role conscience plays in society, and the disruptive, destructive
nature of this disorder. She explains how to identify the sociopaths among us
and outlines specific ways to protect ourselves.
I highly recommend this book. It
does not focus on the extreme violent end of the continuum of APD, but rather
the everyday examples of this condition. This is an excellent read for anyone
wanting to understand how to defend oneself against commonplace APD.
Dr. Stone explores the concept of evil
in this compelling book. The first part
of the book defines “evil” and what constitutes as such behavior. Through a detailed analysis of more than 600
violent criminals he has developed a 22-level hierarchy of evil behavior that
moves from justifiable homicide to psychopathic torture-murder. He then uses
actual cases to discuss the impact of genetics, family dynamics, societal
pressures, mental illness, and the abuse of mind-altering substance in order to
help us understand what causes some people to commit heinous acts of violence.
I recommend this book to those who
are trying to understand why/what motivates some people to perpetrate
atrocities. However, due to its narrow focus on extremely violent criminals, it
is not recommended for those who are looking for a more general exploration of
Antisocial Personality Disorder.
The Profiler: My Life Hunting Serial Killers & Psychopaths by Pat Brown (2010) Voice, Hyperion: New
York
Pat Brown starts this book by
describing how her real-life experiences with a killer lead her to become a
criminal profiler. She then open actual case files to provide an up-close
perspective of the forensic work involved in investigating crimes. This book
provides a fascinating behind-the-scene exploration of profiling and is
recommended to those who would like to understand how criminal profilers
develop theories and insight into serial killers' behaviors.
Bad Boys, Bad Men: Confronting Antisocial Personality Disorder by Donald W. Black, MD (1999)
Oxford University Press
Black explains the history of the
diagnosis Antisocial Personality Disorder. The information is peppered with
plenty of fascinating case histories and examples. This is a very interesting
book for those looking to understand the background and definition of this
disorder. It also reviews scientific
thought about the disorder and various treatment options.
I am, however, reluctant to recommend
Black’s Bad Boys since there are other more recent resources available.
Two books not reviewed, but worth
a look–
Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of Psychopaths Among Us by Robert D. Hare, PhD (1993) The
Guilford Press
Getting It Through My Thick Skull: Why I Stayed, What I Learned, and What Millions of People Involved with Sociopaths Need to Know by Mary Jo Buttafuoco (2009) Heath Communications,
Inc.
Other Interesting Links–
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