The Measure of Madness: [Paperback]

Cheryl Paradis (Author), Ka Ramsland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 29, 2010

"The defendant told the jury that he did not kill girlfriend. He did, however, admit to dismembering her, boiling her bones, and hiding them in the Port Authority locker."

At the heart of countless crimes lies the mystery of the human mind. In this eye-opening book, Dr. Cheryl Paradis draws back the curtain on the fascinating world of forensic psychology and revisits the most notorious and puzzling cases she has handled in her multifaceted career.

"Out it all came, a slew of bizarre comments about the electronic chips implanted in his brain."

Her riveting, sometimes shocking stories reveal the crucial and often surprising role forensic psychology plays in the pursuit of justice. Sometimes the accused believe their own bizarre lies, creating a world that pushes them into frightening, violent crimes.

"My client is charged with murder and tells me he is a descendent of kings. He says he is of royal blood. Can you evaluate him for an insanity defense?"

Join Dr. Paradis in a stark concrete cell, with the accused handcuffed to a chair opposite her, as she takes on the daunting task of mapping the suspect's madness--or exposing it as fakery. Have a front-row seat in a tense, packed courtroom, where her testimony can determine an individual's fate. The criminal mind has never been so intimately revealed--or so darkly compelling.

"A forensic psychologist reveals the dark and troubling human mind. Fascinating."--Robert K. Tanenbaum

Cheryl Paradis, PSY.D., has more than twenty years' experience as a forensic psychologist, and has evaluated thousands of seriously mentally ill and violent individuals. Her research and writings have been published in journals such as Medicine & Psychiatry and the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation. As an expert in psychological and neuropsychological testing, she has testified in both the New York State and federal court systems. Currently a clinical associate professor at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center and associate professor of psychology at Marymount Manhattan College, she has also been a staff psychologist at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Dedicated true-crime fans have enjoyed a torrent of police procedurals, forensic how-to’s, and psychological studies of the inner workings of heinous miscreants in recent years. Now forensic psychologist Paradis unleashes something of an amalgam of those approaches in this insightful work, which mixes in lots of bloody details with the author’s professional assessments. The three parts of the book (Mental State at Time of Offense Evaluations, Competency Evaluations, and Evaluations of Juveniles and Assessments of Dangerousness and Malingering) open with brief summaries of germane legal questions and distillations of psychological issues involved. Chapters within the sections detail specific cases and Paradis’ interactions with the individual criminals. Bits of scientific methodology share page space with visceral detail, as in the case of wife-killer Mr. Paulson, who, in the course of an evaluation exercise, drew a nude woman in high-heeled boots, contributing to Paradis’ conclusion that the subject showed poor judgment and self-awareness despite his superior intellectual skills. Between the author’s personal tales of interaction with fiends and her descriptions of subsequent court testimony, this is an excellent and entertaining bit of grim if occasionally clinical reading. --Mike Tribby

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Citadel (June 29, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806531053
• ISBN-13: 978-0806531052
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,886 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cheryl Paradis, Psy.D., has more than twenty years experience as a forensic psychologist, and has evaluated thousands of seriously mentally ill and violent individuals. As an expert in psychological and neuropsychological testing, she has testified in both the New York State and federal court systems. She specializes in the assessment of Competency to Proceed to Trial, Competency to waive Miranda rights and Criminal Responsibility - including insanity, extreme emotional disturbance and diminished capacity. Her research and writings have been published in journals such as Psychiatric Services, Transcultural Psychiatry and The Journal of Psychiatry & Law. Currently an associate professor of psychology at Marymount Manhattan College, where she is the coordinator of the Forensic Psychology Minor, she is also a clinical associate professor at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling Collection of Case Studies!, July 17, 2010

By 

GabrielleV - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Measure of Madness: (Paperback)

For anyone even slightly interested in the field of forensic psychology, The Measure of Madness is sure to curb your craving for an insider's look at the criminal mind. With over 25 years of experience, Paradis describes a collection of some of her most interesting experiences in this page turning collection of case studies. Not only does she provide us with details about the crimes of the defendants and their incredible delusions, she also poses as tour guide through the criminal justice system. Readers can close this book knowing that they have learned about what happens to defendants from the time of their confessions to sentencing.
Paradis describes the true job of a forensic psychologist through her amazing tales of competency to stand trial evaluations, competency to waive Miranda rights evaluations, and assessments of dangerousness and malingering. Readers are taken through every aspect of these fascinating processes and are also given in depth explanations of the many different psychological tests administered to defendants, such as the Rorschach inkblot tests and IQ tests. However, Paradis's interesting stories do not simply end in the psychological examination rooms, leaving readers questioning about the whereabouts of defendants. Instead readers are also taken through hearing processes, and are given excellent explanations of not only her duty on the witness stand but also the responsibilities of the defendant's attorneys. From Huntley Hearings to neurolaw, Paradis leaves no aspect of the criminal justice system unexplored.
Besides its fascinating subject matter, The Measure of Madness' highly organized sections make for an easy and enjoyable read. The book is broken into three different sections (Evaluations of Mental State at the Time of the Offense, Evaluations of Competency to Stand Trial and Waive Miranda Rights, and Evaluations of Juveniles and Assessments of Dangerousness and Malingering), and each section is broken into chapters that describe individual case studies. Even the index offers readers a highly useful reference tool, allowing them to speedily look up forgotten terms. The book's organized make up only adds to its usefulness and educational value. Whether The Measure of Madness is used as an educational tool for forensic psychology students or simply a book to throw in your beach bag, it is sure to please any audience hoping to get their forensic psychological thrill.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not glamorous, but definitely gritty, July 7, 2010

By 

W. V. Buckley (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Measure of Madness (Kindle Edition)

Before I write a review, let me take a few moments to tell you some of the things that The Measure of Madness isn't. It isn't "Further Silence of the Lambs: More Conversations Between Hanibal Lector and Clarice Starling." Neither is it "Let Me Drop a Few Famous Names and Dish about Their Psychiatric Profiles." And it certainly isn't "Lifestyles of the Psychotic and Delusional."

If you pick up Dr. Cheryl Paradis' The Measure of Madness what you can expect to find is a straight-forward look at the field of forensic psychology and how its practitioners put it to work in the field of criminal justice. It may not be glamorous, but it definitely is gritty.

Pradis has put her considerable skills to work for both the defense and the prosecution in New York City. Armed with inkblots, IQ tests, peg boards and more, she helps the legal system sort out if defendants have the mental capacity to stand trial, waive their rights or know right from wrong at the moment the crime was committed. She can also form an opinion on if the defendant is "faking" mental illness in the hope of getting off on an insanity defense.

Each case study Paradis cites helps illustrate important legal concepts. She also clears up misconceptions. For instance, only about 1 percent of cases attempt to use the insanity defense (and of those, it's successful in only one case out of five). For the casual reader, this book is not only an introduction to the field of forensic psychology, but an education into an often misunderstood area of the legal system.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, July 13, 2010

By 

LZSNYC - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Measure of Madness: (Paperback)

If you are interested in either psychology or criminal justice (as most of us are), you will want to get this book. The author, forensic psychologist Dr. Cheryl Paradis, has selected some of her most interesting cases to share with the reader. You feel as though you are in her shoes as she tests and interviews the men and women who may have murdered their husbands, their wives, and their roommates. In her 30-odd years of practice, she has sometimes been hired by the defense and sometimes by the prosecution, but her concern has been on the side of the truth. Was the defendant mentally ill at the time of the crime; is he/she capable of understanding and participating in an upcoming trial; is he/she a danger to society? Dr. Paradis provides brief but clear definitions of legal or psychological terms as needed, but focuses most particularly on the evidence she gathered regarding the crime, the context, the history, and mental state of the perpetrator. You will finish the book feeling better informed about the law and serious crime, and the potential of psychology to understand those who suffer from serious disorders. At the same time, you will regret the fact that this fascinating read has come to an end.