The Psychopath Test

A Journey Through the Madness Industry

paperback, 288 pages

Published May 1, 2012 by Riverhead Books, Jon Ronson.

ISBN:
978-1-59448-575-6
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4 stars (41 reviews)

5 editions

Review of 'The Psychopath Test' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I can't recommend books by Jon Ronson enough. The Psychopath Test is his journey into the origins of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) by Scientology, the psychopath test by Bob Hare, people potentially trapped by the boxes of mental illness checklists, alternative attempts to "cure" psychopathy, and conversations with people like R.D. Laing's son about a problematic room of a schizophrenic. Read it all, and take in the absurdity around the birth of the DSM and children (as young as four years old) being diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.

Funny, worrying, absurd, and a good read.

Review of 'The Psychopath Test' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

So finally, the ultimate explanation to Western woes: society has evolved to be one where sociopaths succeed to the point where most people on top positions of power are sociopaths otherwise they wouldn't have made it there.
Good theory that on one hand seems hard to disprove and on the other explains so many things.

Review of 'The Psychopath Test' on 'Storygraph'

4 stars

Despite a few glib errors - such as not differentiating between psychopathy and sociopathy - and attributing "[...] wanted to kill women because he thought looking into their eyes as they died would make him feel normal" to Ted Bundy, this book provides fascinating insight into what happens in the field, today.

For instance, Ronson visits Robert Hare, by many considered to be the father of modern-day views on psychopathy. Many criticize him for having conducted nearly all of his research for his psychopathy checklist - PCL-R, widely known as the most well-used checklist for professional psychologists to spot potential psychopaths - on prison inmates:

“I came to you,” I said, “because of this guy called Tony. He’s in Broadmoor. He says they’re falsely accusing him of psychopathy and he hopes I’ll do some campaigning journalism to support his release. And I do have warm feelings for Tony, I really …
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