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A review by mapsco1984
Columbine by Dave Cullen
4.0
A solid, seemingly well-researched* book about what happened before, during and after Columbine. If there's any complaint I have, it's the format: being broken into 3 parts, switching back and forth on the time line, and without an easily-picked-up on theme to tie together the chronologically spastic chapters. Because of this, it did take me a while to get into the groove of the book.
I've seen other reviewers complain that Cullen's answer to the "why" -- that Eric was a psychopath -- is too simple and unsatisfying. I agree that it is unsatisfying, but as for the too simple...well, as a psychologist-in-training myself, all I can say is, it's not Cullen's fault. The fact is, we just don't KNOW a lot about psychopathy, and we struggle with personality disorders in general. Personality disorders are infamous for: their resistance to treatment, and: (except one or two) their pervasiveness across time and context and the absolute lack of any solid cause or pattern. Psychopathy is certainly the poster child of this -- we simply have no idea why some people seem to be wired differently -- why they find reinforcing things that most of us wouldn't (or would, in fact, find punishing) and why they DON'T find punishing what most of us would. Cullen actually does an excellent idea of explaining what psychopaths are and aren't, and what most are like (ie, not killers). I will be the first to admit that I went into this book with trepidation, because I rarely see a layman explain psychological phenomena with even the bare minimum of correctness, but Cullen nailed it.
This is a difficult book to read, but if you are in the mental health field, it's also a disturbingly captivating read.
*I say "seemingly" because I have been trained never to take things at face value, and I do not know enough about first hand accounts to say whether or not Cullen's conclusions are accurate. However, he does well explaining the few things I do know about, and that bodes well for me trusting the rest of his book.
I've seen other reviewers complain that Cullen's answer to the "why" -- that Eric was a psychopath -- is too simple and unsatisfying. I agree that it is unsatisfying, but as for the too simple...well, as a psychologist-in-training myself, all I can say is, it's not Cullen's fault. The fact is, we just don't KNOW a lot about psychopathy, and we struggle with personality disorders in general. Personality disorders are infamous for: their resistance to treatment, and: (except one or two) their pervasiveness across time and context and the absolute lack of any solid cause or pattern. Psychopathy is certainly the poster child of this -- we simply have no idea why some people seem to be wired differently -- why they find reinforcing things that most of us wouldn't (or would, in fact, find punishing) and why they DON'T find punishing what most of us would. Cullen actually does an excellent idea of explaining what psychopaths are and aren't, and what most are like (ie, not killers). I will be the first to admit that I went into this book with trepidation, because I rarely see a layman explain psychological phenomena with even the bare minimum of correctness, but Cullen nailed it.
This is a difficult book to read, but if you are in the mental health field, it's also a disturbingly captivating read.
*I say "seemingly" because I have been trained never to take things at face value, and I do not know enough about first hand accounts to say whether or not Cullen's conclusions are accurate. However, he does well explaining the few things I do know about, and that bodes well for me trusting the rest of his book.