melodyseestrees's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative slow-paced

1.75

This book can be summed up as "I learned a symptom checklist, went out psycho-spotting, and you can too!" He spends the entire book armchair diagnosing people, especially those for whom he wonders if the psychologists got it wrong (all of which were men). He talks about a few other individuals but they get a few paragraphs in comparison to the men. He interviewed more Scientologists than psychologists and I found that a bit troubling. There is very little to this book besides interviews and biased conclusions. 
He trivializes symptoms in the DSM even though it is accepted that these symptoms are to have significant impact on the individual's life. 
I was expecting a more nuanced discussion of the failings of the system. Perhaps how it isn't really built for anyone who is not male or Caucasian. 
The attempts at humor fell flat and actively detracted whatever points the author was dancing around. The author was also not very focused on his own points and jumped all over the place at times. This felt like directionless info-dump. 
If you are familiar with this author you might enjoy this book. I did not. 

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abimyers_reads's review against another edition

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dark informative medium-paced

4.0


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mgbellm's review against another edition

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medium-paced

4.0


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sam_rm94's review against another edition

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medium-paced

4.0


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issyd23's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny informative tense medium-paced

3.0

Jon Ronson where do you find these people? 3⭐️

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mellowbread's review against another edition

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funny informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

The people who are the right sort of mad are a bit madder than we fear we're becoming, and in a recognisable way. We might be anxious but we're not as anxious as them. We might be paranoid but we aren't as paranoid as them. We are entertained by them, and comforted that we're not as mad as they are.

Spectacularly entertaining. It was very refreshing to hear someone's take on diagnostic criteria of mental illnesses and what it means to be normal and sane. As a Psych student, it got me thinking further about the way we categorise people based on their differences, which are emphasised and labelled. The humour scattered throughout the chapters is what made me devour this in a few sittings. 

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teekeita's review against another edition

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funny informative mysterious fast-paced

3.75

my partner and i have a book club and this was the first pick. it’s totally not my style of book so I didn’t know what to expect - but i quite enjoyed this! Ronson’s non-fic writing style is storytelling-led and didn’t feel like most non-fic (by white men 🫣) reads. i learned *so* much about psychology, psychiatry, and psychopaths. some of the information is quite violent though and it can be a bit jarring as it sometimes appears unexpectedly - so CW. 

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wandering_recorder's review against another edition

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funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

This is one of my favorite novels of all time. Read on recommendation of a teacher years ago, I have since reread it two more times because of how amazing it is. In this book we follow Jon Ronson himself, our anxious yet determined journalist, as he dives into the dangerous world of psychopaths. As he explores this concept he touches on many great questions such as how we define psychopaths, the complex history of psychopathy, how the legal and medical systems view this condition, how the common person and media perceive it, and the effects this condition has on individuals along with the world. While those questions may seem clear cut, Ronson provides us with such a great wealth of information that it makes the reader think twice. With a comedic and dry delivery throughout, this is one of my top recommendations to other readers, especially those who are interested in psychology itself.

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mikeebeth's review against another edition

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dark informative fast-paced

4.0


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alibader's review against another edition

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funny informative lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0


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