Customer Reviews

Looking Into The Eyes Of A Killer

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I am not the most objective reviewer (Dr. Ross is my close friend and colleague) - but nevertheless I must add my praise. Drew's book is balanced, nuanced, and moving. It goes far beyond the cheap titillation of most mainstream media presentations of the topic. I hope that this important work elevates the level of public debate regarding society's wrestling match with crime and punishment.

The problem with this book isn't that there's too much, it's that there's too little, especially on the author's fascinating crisis of conscience at the end. Some very good thoughts on murder & murderers throughout. I wanted some of these developed more, & I wanted a better understanding of how Drew Ross, M.D. reached certain conclusions, especially his conclusion that punishment is a crime. It's an excellent (maybe even brave) topic, but I don't get a sense of how Ross got there--he just comes out and says it. The book is accessible to laypeople as well as professionals. It's a quick read. Some of the patient profiles are quite well done, but again I would've liked more rather than less. The book is a very good introductory survey of many of the issues raised dealing with murderers. It's sometimes brave--commendable in insisting on not demonizing murderers & on facing the killer within all of us. Ross is commendably honest about himself. His book also is interesting for its insights into the path taken by a psychiatrist dealing with criminals--for its examination of the realizations Ross came to as he dealt with his subjects, for its mapping of his own psychic journey. Again, he's open & honest about this. He's not afraid to show his limitations, not arrogant despite his education. His ultimate conclusion is startling, best not spoiled by being revealed in a review ... & I wish he'd written at greater length about it, with more explanation of how he got there. Bottom line, not enough development of very good ideas, not enough specifics, not enough of the route to his ideas ... but a very good survey of the issues & a worthwhile read that ought to interest both criminal justice professionals & true crime enthusiasts.

This book impacted the way I view the human race. While reading this book, I was able to appreciate that Dr. Ross has the ability to look into the eyes of a killer, pass the beast within and see the masqueraded man or woman. As he traveled deep into their dark side, he was faced with his own, the one of society, Psychiatry and the Law. I was faced with mine. Before I picked up this book, I had hoped to find condemnation towards society's condemned; instead I found redemption for all human kind. By my own personal observations, Dr. Ross has an extremely insightful understanding of the human psyche and a nice ability to convey his observations and experiences to his readers. I highly recommend this book to all concerned professionals and or layperson.