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laurapk 's review for:
I was like a moth attracted to a candle: torn between the repulsing realization that the writer is probably an asshole that could harm me and yet attracted to his charm and humor.
The autobiography is a quick read and well organized. Although some information was repeated, the context was sufficiently different that it didn't bother me. The narrative was strong and I found myself rooting for the main character (the real James Fallon). I was especially touched by the story of his romance with his wife - despite the brutal mention later on that his love may be more admiration for a brain he could never quite figure out rather than real love. I highly recommend reading this book in parallel to "Conscience" by Patricia Churchland, as they complement each other.
I found myself annoyed at times by the author's firm belief in "nature" vs "nurture" (and at time wondered how could a smart person who has made it so far in academia could be such an idiot). At the end, however brief, he had to admit the importance of nurture - in the absence of which his life trajectory may have ended up completely different (and tragic).
It was in the last 15 minutes of the audio-book when it hit me: the person James Fallon describes is a mirror image of one of my friends. Identical down to political views. It creeped me out, yet I felt empowered by the realization. (I always knew there was something off about my friend and was slowly putting distance between us already). A quick advice the author included about how to engage a functioning psychopath and remain safe therefore became invaluable.
Ironically, until the end I considered the book is a ~ 4.5 stars, which should be rounded down to 4. The humor, frankness and admissions in the last chapter convinced me to round it up instead to the perfect score.
I'm sure the psychopath inside James Fallon is proud.
And I'm even more creeped out of what I've allowed him to do to me. :)
The autobiography is a quick read and well organized. Although some information was repeated, the context was sufficiently different that it didn't bother me. The narrative was strong and I found myself rooting for the main character (the real James Fallon). I was especially touched by the story of his romance with his wife - despite the brutal mention later on that his love may be more admiration for a brain he could never quite figure out rather than real love. I highly recommend reading this book in parallel to "Conscience" by Patricia Churchland, as they complement each other.
I found myself annoyed at times by the author's firm belief in "nature" vs "nurture" (and at time wondered how could a smart person who has made it so far in academia could be such an idiot). At the end, however brief, he had to admit the importance of nurture - in the absence of which his life trajectory may have ended up completely different (and tragic).
It was in the last 15 minutes of the audio-book when it hit me: the person James Fallon describes is a mirror image of one of my friends. Identical down to political views. It creeped me out, yet I felt empowered by the realization. (I always knew there was something off about my friend and was slowly putting distance between us already). A quick advice the author included about how to engage a functioning psychopath and remain safe therefore became invaluable.
Ironically, until the end I considered the book is a ~ 4.5 stars, which should be rounded down to 4. The humor, frankness and admissions in the last chapter convinced me to round it up instead to the perfect score.
I'm sure the psychopath inside James Fallon is proud.
And I'm even more creeped out of what I've allowed him to do to me. :)