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The Psychopath Whisperer: The Science of Those Without Conscience Paperback – April 21, 2015
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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.
- Print length304 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherCrown
- Publication dateApril 21, 2015
- Dimensions5.24 x 0.66 x 8.01 inches
- ISBN-100770435866
- ISBN-13978-0770435868
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"In this compassionate study, Kiehl, professor of psychology, neurosciences, and law at the University of New Mexico, attempts to provide a way to understand and improve the lives of psychopaths...Kiehl's goal is not to sensationalize, but rather to learn and assist...His pedigree speaks volumes: he has devoted a good portion of his career to this oft-maligned population." -Publishers Weekly
"A renowned neuroscientist provides us with a fascinating account of his personal journey into the mind of the psychopath." –Robert D. Hare, Professor Emeritus, University of British Columbia, author of Without Conscience
“A lucid and closely observed portrait of what psychopaths are actually like, with their chilling combination of moral apathy and charm, by one of the leading researchers and innovators in the field. A Fascinating and terrifying book, and a potential life saver.” –John Seabrook, The New Yorker
“A must read! Dr. Kiehl’s stories about psychopaths are as authentic as can be. I found Dr. Kiehl’s research formed the backbone of my work in analyzing the behavioral signature of a psychopath left behind at the crime scene. Whether you work in mental health, law enforcement, the judiciary or research, don’t trust your gut about this disorder– learn about it from one of the foremost experts in the field.” –Mary Ellen O’Toole, Special Agent (retired), Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
"Highly engaging and personal perspective from a world leading scientist in the field of psychopathy research. What sets this book apart is the combination of an accessible overview of the cutting edge science and compelling and authentic portrayal of what individuals with psychopathy are really like." - Essi Viding, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology, University College London
"By primates standards, humans are intensely social, affiliative, and empathic. Thus, we are fascinated with the rare individuals who lack those traits, who have a reptilian indifference to what makes humans humane. Criminal psychopaths are the iconic example of such terrifyingly broken humans. In this superb book written by one of the pioneers in this field, Kent Kiehl explores what is different about the brains of psychopaths. This is a clear, accessible account of the science and, in addition, an appealing personal story of how Kiehl has gone about his unique science." –Robert Sapolsky, Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University
“An exhilarating exploration into the lives, minds and emotions of criminal psychopaths by one of the leading researchers in the field. This lively and engaging narrative not only educates the reader on the internal machinations of the psychopath, but also takes us through Kiehl’s own life journey of scientific discovery. It’s an irresistible read that is hard to put down. Even after decades of my own research I found myself learning new perspectives on the psychopath. Serious, witty, saddening and beguiling, The Psychopath Whisperer yells out as a “must read” for anyone interested in those without conscience.” –Adrian Raine, Professor of Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pennsylvania
“The fascinating story of how Kent Kiehl, a remarkably energetic and accomplished scientist, used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a mobile brain scanner to examine the brains of more psychopathic prisoners than anyone in the world and characterize their dysfunction. Filled with entertaining anecdotes of psychopaths in prison, research collaborations, and scientific discovery, the book discusses the ramifications of his finding to the criminal system and to the treatment of psychopathic juvenile delinquents. An eye-opening read!” - Dr. Joseph Newman, Professor of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Crown; Reprint edition (April 21, 2015)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0770435866
- ISBN-13 : 978-0770435868
- Item Weight : 6.4 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.24 x 0.66 x 8.01 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #74,707 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #134 in Personality Disorders (Books)
- #146 in Medical Psychology Pathologies
- #301 in Popular Psychology Pathologies
- Customer Reviews:
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The only thing that worries me about this is the state criminal justice system really exists to prevent feuding, the cycle of revenge that often proliferates and disrupts society in general in remote (say) regions where an impartial justice system is weak or non-existent . If offenders, say murderers, are not punished and the focus is solely on rehabilitation the friends and relatives of those they have murdered will probably simply try to kill them when they get out of prison. They will instinctively seek revenge because there has been no justice in their eyes, especially if they know they are only going to be rehabilitated not punished. Prison and state punishment actually protects criminals from the far worse fate of revenge by loved ones of their victims.
There may well be a way around this but it may be even harder to find than the excellent but challenging practices in this book that I find very useful in dealing with non-criminal psychopath behavior in daily life (don't fight their evil, they'll almost certainly win- reward their good). Perhaps a higher ratio of reward to punishment in law enforcement could be slowly phased in over decades so the vicious circle of generalized punishment, violence and dominance in society gradually decreases (but probably never completely disappears).
Kiehl definitely has an engaging way of telling stories, and the way he starts out visiting psychopaths in a Canadian prison definitely draws you in. Like Kiehl, the reader can't help yearning for the elusive why? Why or how are psychopath brains different that allows them to be so emotionally disconnected?
What seemed valuable to me in this book was threefold: an emphasis on research-based/supported tools for classifying psychopaths as adults and juveniles, an explanation of the niche world of MRI imaging instrumentation, and a carefulness in dealing with predictive imaging/analysis for youth so as to not label them into a self-fulfilling prophecy of psychopathy.
While the good old boy ex-football player socially astute tone of the narrative was engaging at first, near the end of the book it took on just a hint of self-aggrandizing when relating the various career paths (i.e. moving to New Mexico Mind Center) and police cases Kiehl is involved with. Near the end of the book I began to look for evidence that the generally successful career trend Kiehl portrays in the book replete with best friends in various cities that just happen to have the exact expertise he needs at each stage and with whom he eats steaks had any kind of real life obstacles and false starts that seem to be part of real life. It was just....too golden boy.
But his personal career aside, Kiehl does do a bang up job of explaining how nuero-science and psychological assessments interact with legal and moral issues when dealing with psychopathy. Fascinating.
Others have criticized this book as autobiographical of its author, Dr. Kent Kiehl. I could see how someone would feel this way, because the book is a description of Dr. Kiehl's journey in first becoming interested in psychopaths and then later on discovering the fundamental neurological abnormality seen in psychopaths. But it's a good book and an interesting read...and Dr. Kiehl certainly isn't self-promoting or arrogant in any way.
What is missing in this book (although in my mind doesn't diminish it all that much) is that lack of a discussion on how Dr. Kiehl's findings can be translated into treatment for psychopaths. While he does talk about the Mendota treatment center in Wisconsin, there isn't much detail into this and there isn't any other description of any treatments for psychopaths. Perhaps this is because there aren't very many treatments, or perhaps Dr. Kiehl just chose not to talk about them. Either way, I found myself wondering if there is any way to treat these individuals based upon Dr. Kiehl's findings, and unfortunately there wasn't very much in the book about that.
I find any book on this topic fascinating. Another parallel book, 'The Sociopath Next Door' is excellent. I would put this book among the excellent examinations of this serious topic. If you read it, you can be assured of a fascinating book.









