Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #19465 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Synopsis
Who is the devil you know? This is an astonishing, chilling and appallingly useful guide to recognising conscienceless individuals. Everyone knows what a sociopath is. A sociopath is Hannibal Lecter - the cold, calculating monster who has no compunction, no sense that what he or she does is wrong. No conscience. An inhuman and often violent criminal. Wrong. Hannibal Lecter is a sociopath, for sure - but sociopaths are no more Hannibal Lecter than dogs are Spot. The lying, cheating ex. The boss who loves to humiliate in meetings. The colleague who steals ideas and passes them off as their own. A shocking four per cent of ordinary people have an undetected mental disorder, the chief symptom of which is that that person possesses no conscience. They can do literally anything at all and feel absolutely no guilt. One of their chief characteristics is a charisma that makes them more charming or interesting to others - and hence tricky to identify. Sociopaths learn early on to sham emotion, but underneath they are indifferent to others' suffering, they live to dominate and thrill to win. And statistically, every reader will know at least one, if not more. Dr.

Martha Stout uncovers the hidden signs of the sociopath, teaching readers to question authority, suspect flattery and beware the pity play. Everyone has been sucked into the game at some point - now they have a way out.

Customer Reviews

Insight
Martha Stout provides a clear explanation and description of 'the sociopath' that ranges from simple examples of the devastating impact people without conscience are able to have, to an incisive and broad ranging overview of our understanding of morality. Dealing with sociopaths is tough, not least because they are arch-manipulators who know how to shape our emotional responses unseen and un-noticed by us because we make the assumption that they are driven by the same impulses as we are. This book makes it clear that this error is the most destructive one we can make - sociopaths are not 'like us', they can not 'be reasoned with' or 'reformed'. This knowledge is invaluable for anyone whose life comes in contact with a sociopath, but also fascinating for all who seek to understand human nature and why people do what they do!

Read this book!
We are accustomed to think of sociopaths as violent criminals like Hannibal Lechter or Ted Bundy.

Martha Stout in this book reveals how a shocking 4 percent of the population have the same chief symptom, namely a complete lack of conscience. The difference is that the majority with this mental disposition operate within the laws and only rarely get caught.

The book is easy to read without having a psych degree and Martha Stout uses many examples to show how these people charm and deceive their way through life in total disregard for the impact on other people.

Martha Stout further teaches how to identify a sociopath and how to protect oneself from the impact of one.

I found the book clear and light and also a celebration of the 96% who do have a conscience.

The book is well worth reading along with "In sheeps clothing" by George Simon, "Political Ponerology" by Andrzej Lobaczewski, "The mask of sanity" by Hervey Checkley and "Without conscience" by Robert Hare, that all deal with different aspects of the phenomenon.

An exellent overview
In 'The Sociopath Next Door', Stout concentrates on those sociopaths who are not violent but who remain hidden amongst us. She estimates that 1 in 25 of the US population are sociopaths meaning that they have no concience.It's a claim that you might easily dismiss before reading the book, but haven't you met someone who seems to undermine your efforts at work for no apparent reason, who makes you feel sorry for them so that they can manipulate you, or someone who only thinks about themselves without an aparent care for anyone else?

Stout explains quite complex theories in language that is easy to understand. She looks at historical and Freudian theories about the nature of conscience. One of the most interesting parts for me was her consideration of the impact of Millgram's Obedience experiments and what this means for the general populations' risk of being manipulated by these people.

She also includes a handy 13 point plan that will prevent you being targeted.

An excellent study which is really easy to read. Recommended.