Reviews - The Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain

183 reviews for:

The Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain

although there's some interesting insights on psychopathy and other mental illnesses, it's hard to get past how extremely unlikely this person is. he is a jerk and he enjoys it. you have to have some patience to deal with this narrator and I unfortunately I didn't

holly_117's review against another edition

2.0

This book has an interesting premise and there is some interesting science, but the author is a straight up jackass and that makes it REALLY hard to read at times. His entitlement and abuse of white privilege really make you want to smack the hypocritical shit out of him at times. For example, he describes residential burglary and theft of a motor vehicle as "harmless teenage fun/hijinks" when he does it, then goes on and on about how he doesn't show any of the criminal traits of an antisocial psychopath. W. T. F.

That said, if you can wade through his narcissistic bullshit, there is some interesting science of the brain going.

bootman's review against another edition

5.0

This is a really interesting book for anyone interested in psychopaths, psychology, and neuroscience. James Fallon is a neuroscientist who studied the brains of psychopaths, and one day, he realized his own brain scan showed similarities with psychopaths. In this book, Fallon explains everything from the nature vs. nurture debate, to why some psychopaths never become aggressive, and many other fascinating topics. It's a short read, and I feel it's accessible to many readers even if they're not familiar with the fields of psychology and neuroscience. Fallon is a great storyteller, which definitely helps you stay engaged throughout the book.

erinthecat's review

3.0

The author is a narcissistic jerk, but that is the point. He is aware of (and proud of, I would say) this, of being a "prosocial psychopath" as he labels himself. This book was interesting, but really dragged at points, especially when he patted himself on the back over and over. But it was fascinating to learn more about what "makes" a psychopath and even see the author's own understanding and insight evolve. I'm glad I read it, and even more glad that I never have to deal with this man.

libraryofstarrs's review against another edition

2.0

1.5/5

i had to read this as a course requirement for my psychopathy class. holy hell, james fallon is obnoxious. this book is a mixture of the author gloating about his negative traits and then presenting neuroscience concepts in the most difficult to understand manner possible. he even goes on to say something alone the lines of "i can't make it any more stupid". i'm not surprised i didn't jive with fallon, given the fact that he's a raging narcissist. i wouldn't say he's a full-blown psychopath, especially given he didn't score a high score on the checklist, but he does possess a handful of psychopathic traits.