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183 reviews for:
The Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain
James Fallon
3.26 AVERAGE
183 reviews for:
The Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain
James Fallon
3.26 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Nature vs. nurture... Fascinating discussion re genetics and brain chemistry.
I don't know what I expected, it's a book by a psychopath about being a psychopath, so of course it is going to all about the author.
Third time reading this. Still one of the best books on pathology of psychopathy.
I liked the premise of it - he finds that his own brain scan is similar to those of “psychopaths”. Was thinking it would be more like Sacks’ style of writing, but is more his life story and hints of psychopathic tendencies but it is just one case and perspective.
He does go through a lot of neuro pathology and wow i would have learnt so much if I paid attention. Basically there are lots and lots of factors that come into play, and even more factors that affect those factors.
Did get me interested in our psych module, though now I’m convinced I have all of these mental conditions.
Free will? Is everything determined by upbringing and genetics? Even beyond people’s actions, their good or bad motivations come from somewhere.
https://psyche.co/guides/how-to-think-about-free-will-in-a-world-of-cause-and-effect
https://psyche.co/guides/how-to-think-about-free-will-in-a-world-of-cause-and-effect
Psychopaths in the cycle of domestic violence.
https://psyche.co/ideas/what-my-patient-with-paranoia-taught-me-about-fear-and-humanity
https://psyche.co/ideas/what-my-patient-with-paranoia-taught-me-about-fear-and-humanity
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
informative
challenging
informative
slow-paced
This book is not good. James Fallon is a narcissist, unsurprisingly, admits that he enjoys manipulating people, and seems to relish the fact that he's a major asshole. Also, he desperately needed an editor. There was so much unnecessary information and what could have been an interesting story of reflection and growth was turned into a diatribe on libertarianism and the joys of abandoning one's wife and young children for entire weekends just to get drunk in Vegas. No diagnosis could excuse this man's genuine lack of basic decency. Would not recommend.
As well as [b:The Man Who Couldn't Stop|20930755|The Man Who Couldn't Stop|David Adam|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1393519278s/20930755.jpg|40300325] describes the limits of the fMRI and other diagnostic critiques, this memoir of discovering possible psychopathy is less nuanced. James Fallon discovers that his MRI indicates the same overall activity pattern as the psychopathic brains he is researching, and self reflection occurs. What it comes down to again is a nature/nurture argument and the author comes down on the mostly nature but some nurture side (despite the fact that he has many mental physiological similarities with those who do become violent and discusses at length how his stable family life helped him avoid falling into violence).
Overall, it's a sensational book that does too much science poorly and doesn't delve into the personal experience quite the same way as [b:Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness|13547180|Brain on Fire My Month of Madness|Susannah Cahalan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353173297s/13547180.jpg|19112736] or other similar memoirs. It's not awful or un-factual, just middle of the road.
Overall, it's a sensational book that does too much science poorly and doesn't delve into the personal experience quite the same way as [b:Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness|13547180|Brain on Fire My Month of Madness|Susannah Cahalan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353173297s/13547180.jpg|19112736] or other similar memoirs. It's not awful or un-factual, just middle of the road.