Reviews tagging 'Transphobia'

The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry by Jon Ronson

4 reviews

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Mental illness, and Violence

Moderate: Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide

Minor: Classism, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Eating disorder, Excrement, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Ableism, Confinement, Gaslighting, Rape, Self harm, and Cursing

Many of the content warnings are a sentence or two in passing. Not a whole lot is detailed.

talypollywaly's review against another edition

challenging funny informative fast-paced

3.25

Some reviews say this isn't pop psychology, but the lack of true depth on any one subject and the obvious moral standpoint that the author took says otherwise. I might give a try to the other books from this author, but considering I had high hopes for this one and was left feeling "meh," I'm not so sure. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Excrement

Minor: Transphobia

megsthomas's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Torture

Minor: Transphobia

alibader's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Stalking, and Transphobia