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stainedsouth 's review for:
Written by gonzo journalist, Jon Ronson, this book was a bit all over the place. In a way, I get it because that is what following a story is truly like. An investigative reporter follows the information which can take him or her far afield from the original topic. Sometimes this can lead to engrossing stories and sometimes it leads to confusing snippets. Honestly, I felt like this book did both and I would have preferred it if Mr. Ronson would have done a bit more editing.
I liked the investigation into psychopathology and the measurement of it; the development of the test by Hare, the experimental attempts at treatment, the interviews with individuals diagnosed as psychopaths and I liked the story about the development of the DSM-III. I learned a bit about Scientologists and their bias against psychiatry. There are some thought provoking examples about over diagnosis and some horrendous stories about mis-diagnosis.
Overall, I was interested, but recognized the short-comings that were presented by trying to critique such a complicated subject in a brief book. My rating goes between 3 and 4. I may come back and change it.
I liked the investigation into psychopathology and the measurement of it; the development of the test by Hare, the experimental attempts at treatment, the interviews with individuals diagnosed as psychopaths and I liked the story about the development of the DSM-III. I learned a bit about Scientologists and their bias against psychiatry. There are some thought provoking examples about over diagnosis and some horrendous stories about mis-diagnosis.
Overall, I was interested, but recognized the short-comings that were presented by trying to critique such a complicated subject in a brief book. My rating goes between 3 and 4. I may come back and change it.