A review by bootman
Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty by Roy F. Baumeister

5.0

I’ve honestly been meaning to read this book for years. I’ve heard it reference numerous times when I read books about psychopaths or evil, and more specifically, Baumeister’s work around “the myth of pure evil” is referenced even more. I absolutely loved this book, and I wish I could convince as many people as possible to read it. The idea that people are “evil” leads to a lot of issues in our world, and Roy Baumeister does an amazing job discussing the science, psychology, and facts around what we perceive as evil. Often times, evil isn’t what we think it is, and we neglect that most people who do “evil” things believe that they’re doing something righteous or for the right reason. The book discusses covers terrible things that happened in different wars, serial killers, everyday violence, and so much more. By reading this book, you’ll have a better understanding of the world and realize that everything isn’t so black and white because pure evil isn’t real or what you think it is.