Mindhunter: Inside the FBI Elite Serial Crime Unit [Mass Market Paperback]

John E. Douglas (Author), Mark Olshaker (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0099435675 | ISBN-13: 978-0099435679 | Publication Date: December 2006

What makes a serial killer? Only one man really knows. John Douglas. A man who has looked evil in the eye and made a vocation of understanding it. Now retired, Douglas can let us inside the FBI elite serial crime unit and into the disturbed minds of some of the most savage killers in the world. The man who was the inspiration for Special Agent Jack Crawford in "The Silence of the Lambs" and who lent the film's makers his expertise explains how he invented and established the practice of criminal profiling; what it was like to submerge himself mentally in the world of serial killers to the point of 'becoming' both perpetrator and victim; and individual case histories including those of Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson, Ted Bundy and the Atlanta child murders.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'John Douglas knows more about serial killers than anybody in the world' - Jonathan Demme, Director of Silence of the Lambs 'A cracker of a book' - Esquire 'John Douglas is the FBI's pioneer and master of investigative profiling, and one of the most exciting figures in law enforcement I've had the privilege of knowing' - Patricia Cornwell 'Douglas is a hero for the agonised Nineties: not the action man quick on the draw, but the thinker who dares go into the unexplored badlands of the mind' - Nicci Gerrard, Observer"

About the Author

John Douglas is from the Washington DC area. Mark Olshaker, author of four novels and producer of the Emmy-nominated The Mind of a Serial Killer, lives in Washington DC.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 383 pages
• Publisher: Arrow (December 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099435675
• ISBN-13: 978-0099435679
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,442,095 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Work!, April 21, 2008

By 

E. Dornan "Douglas Fan" (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mindhunter: Inside the FBI Elite Serial Crime Unit (Mass Market Paperback)

John Douglas has the capability of captivating the reader through his real life story telling. This book draws you into the mind of a profiler as he seeks to find the truth. Gripping details, unbelievable acts of terror, and horrifying facts will have you looking over your shoulder for days. You must read this if you are a true crime buff. The legendary profiler is also a legendary author.

4.0 out of 5 stars Goof FBI book., January 20, 2011

By 

James Irving - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mindhunter: Inside the FBI Elite Serial Crime Unit (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a great book gives you an eye on the inside of one of the FBI creators for the Behavioral Science Unit.

4.0 out of 5 stars Disturbingly Gruesome, January 5, 2011

By 

Terri J. Rice "ricepaper" (WA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Mindhunter: Inside the FBI Elite Serial Crime Unit (Mass Market Paperback)

I found John Douglas's story about himself and his work to be very engaging. He is a funny man and that is a good thing in his line of work.

I found it fascinating that he has developed this profiling science that has helped with many, many cases involving murder.

It's just that I couldn't finish the book. Though very well written, this book is very, very disturbing and gruesome. Half way through, I just could not bear to hear of one more life torturously and needlessly snuffed out. I am thankful for people like John Douglas and for the work they do, I just can't read the details of it.