The Mind of a Murderer: Privileged Access to the Demons That Drive Extreme Violence

by Katherine Ramsland

This unique history of the last 100 years of criminal psychology shares insights about infamous murderers from the psychiatrists and other trained psychological professionals who analyzed and treated them.

The Mind of a Privileged Access to the Demons That Drive Extreme Violence presents a series of cases in which a psychiatrist, psychologist, or counselor gained privileged access to a mass or serial murderer, going beyond the typical mental assessment to learn more about criminal behavior. Through their work, readers are granted a unique view of criminology and a better understanding of the criminal mind.

The book opens with the earliest professional observations of criminals in the late 19th century and goes on to explore the rudimentary behavioral profiling and case analysis of the early 20th century. It shows how, by the 1960s and 1970s, behavioral professionals recognized the need for intense study of extreme offenders and got close to the likes of Richard Speck, John Wayne Gacy, and Ted Bundy to gain a fuller picture of their psychological development. Finally, readers learn how today's behavioral professionals rely on neurobiological correlates to assess predatory, impulsive, and addictive behavior.

Genres: Psychology, True Crime, Nonfiction

232 pages, Hardcover

First published February 2, 2011

About the author

I've loved books since I was 3, and the library was a highlight of my childhood. I've been fortunate to be able to find great joy in what others have written and sometimes to give this to readers. I follow my own muse, because it leads me on interesting adventures. I began my writing career with "Prism of the Night: A Biography of Anne Rice." I had a bestseller with "The Vampire Companion." Since then, I've published 69 books and over 2,500 articles, reviews and short stories. I have also been an executive producer for "Murder House Flip" and "BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer." From ghosts to vampires to serial killers, I have taken on a variety of dark subjects, mostly in crime and forensics. I hold graduate degrees in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, criminal justice, creative writing and philosophy. Currently, I teach forensic psychology and criminal justice at DeSales University. My books include "I Scream Man," "How to Catch a Killer", "Confession of a Serial Killer", "The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds", "The Mind of a Murderer", "The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation", "Inside the Minds of Serial Killers", "Inside the Minds of Sexual Predators", and "Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers". My background in forensic studies positioned me to assist former FBI profiler John Douglas on his book, "The Cases that Haunt Us", and to co-write a book with former FBI profiler, Gregg McCrary, "The Unknown Darkness", as well as "Spree Killers" with Mark Safarik, "The Real Life of a Forensic Scientist" with Henry C. Lee, and "A Voice for the Dead" with James Starrs. I speak internationally about forensic psychology, forensic science, and serial murder, and has appeared on numerous documentaries, as well as such programs as The Today Show, 20/20, 48 Hours, NPR, Dr. Oz, Coast to Coast, Montel Williams, Larry King Live and E! True Hollywood. Currently, I'm working on a fiction series, The Nut Cracker Investigations, which features a female forensic psychologist who manages a PI agency. "I Scream Man" is the first one.

Reviews

[colby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book mostly because every chapter had different people. The way this book was made was that every chapter was about a different criminal, and the attourney who researched the criminal. It was really interesting reading about different crimes and then seeing those crimes from a real attourney. The cool part is how these attourneys are so quick with labeling the criminal with a diagnostic, whether its schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, they are always so quickly on it and it's just incredible how they are able to do that.

[S.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the description touts this as a privileged glimpse into the serial killer's mind via some trusted psychiatric source, this book is mostly just a neat & tidy introduction to a couple handfuls of said murderers. You get about ten to twenty pages per perpetrator; hardly a deep delve into the mind of anyone featured here. If you want a springboard into more thorough true crime biographies, this is a good pick. Most serial killer enthusiasts probably will find nothing new here.

[Melody Holena]

I read this book for a college class. It was a very good book.

[Ana Pereira · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an interesting reading althought I first thought it would be a more professional approach rather than an hystorical recollection of cases in a not so deep approach.