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Mind Hunter #2
Journey into Darkness
There is only one John Douglas.
We first met John Douglas in Mindhunter, telling the story of his brilliant and terrifying career with the FBI, until his retirement in 1995. And now, working again with coauthor Mark Olshaker, acclaimed filmmaker, novelist, and journalist, John takes us even further. We accompany him on the Journey into Darkness, for every instance that helps police identify the unknown subject of a violent series of rapes, bombings, arsons, or murders is another trip to the dark side.
And here we travel with some of the brilliant and sensitive agent trained, and who have carried on the work: men like Jud Ray, who by phone gave Alaska the police the exact personality of the killer of a mother and her two young daughters; Gregg McCrary, who confronted an unknown killer of teenagr girls on national television and assured him he would be caught; and Steve Marfigian, who formulated a complex strategy for solving a years-old string of burglaries, rapes, and murders, and in the process helped free the wrong convicted man.
Here also we get a startling fresh look at the murders if Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, as if John had been called in by the LAPD to profile the killer. And finally we hear how his experiences have shaped his views on justice and punishment.
The Journey into Darkness is a perilous one, but ultimately hopeful as well. Not only do we see through the men and women who track the most sadistic of criminals what a powerful weapon behavioral science has become, but we also get advice on how we might better keep our children, our families, and ourselves safe from harm. By making the Journey into Darkness with John Douglas and his colleagues, we come away with an insight into the human condition that no one else can offer.
We first met John Douglas in Mindhunter, telling the story of his brilliant and terrifying career with the FBI, until his retirement in 1995. And now, working again with coauthor Mark Olshaker, acclaimed filmmaker, novelist, and journalist, John takes us even further. We accompany him on the Journey into Darkness, for every instance that helps police identify the unknown subject of a violent series of rapes, bombings, arsons, or murders is another trip to the dark side.
And here we travel with some of the brilliant and sensitive agent trained, and who have carried on the work: men like Jud Ray, who by phone gave Alaska the police the exact personality of the killer of a mother and her two young daughters; Gregg McCrary, who confronted an unknown killer of teenagr girls on national television and assured him he would be caught; and Steve Marfigian, who formulated a complex strategy for solving a years-old string of burglaries, rapes, and murders, and in the process helped free the wrong convicted man.
Here also we get a startling fresh look at the murders if Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, as if John had been called in by the LAPD to profile the killer. And finally we hear how his experiences have shaped his views on justice and punishment.
The Journey into Darkness is a perilous one, but ultimately hopeful as well. Not only do we see through the men and women who track the most sadistic of criminals what a powerful weapon behavioral science has become, but we also get advice on how we might better keep our children, our families, and ourselves safe from harm. By making the Journey into Darkness with John Douglas and his colleagues, we come away with an insight into the human condition that no one else can offer.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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About the author
John E. Douglas
33 books2,914 followersJohn Edward Douglas is a former United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent, one of the first criminal profilers, and criminal psychology author. He also wrote four horror novels in the mid 1990s. -Wikipedia
During his twenty-five year career with the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, a name he later changed to The Investigative Science Unit (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995), John Douglas became the leading expert on criminal personality profiling and the pioneer of modern criminal investigative analysis. Through his research with serial criminal’s, Douglas learned how criminals think and what makes them do the things that they do, and why. Douglas can determine many personal traits and habits of an offender just by examining the crime scene; it’s evidence and victimology (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Interviews John Douglas has conducted hundreds of interviews with some of the world’s most notorious serial offenders, which include: - Charles Manson, and three members of the Manson clan. - Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Robert F. Kennedy. - John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer that killed 33 people. - David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam”. - James Earl Ray, assassin of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Ted Bundy - Unsuccessful assassins of Gerald Ford and George Wallace (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Captured In addition, Douglas’s profiles aided in numerous arrests of serial offenders, some of which include: - Wayne Williams, the .22 caliber killer. - Carlton Gary, the stalking strangler. - Robert Hanson, the Anchorage Alaska baker who would kidnap, hunt, then kill local prostitutes. These are just a few of the cases that John Douglas aided in throughout his twenty-five year career as a profiler with the Behavioral Science Unit, which he later renamed the Investigative Science Unit (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Contributions to Psychology Douglas and his colleagues outlined in an article that explained the goals of a serial offender in the September 1980 issue of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. They are as follows: - What leads a person to become a sexual offender and what are the early warning signals? - What serves to encourage or to inhibit the commission of his offense? - What types of responses or coping strategies, by an intended victim are successful with what type of sexual offender in avoiding victimization, and - What are the implications for his dangerousness, prognosis, disposition and mode of treatment (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995)?
During his twenty-five year career with the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, a name he later changed to The Investigative Science Unit (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995), John Douglas became the leading expert on criminal personality profiling and the pioneer of modern criminal investigative analysis. Through his research with serial criminal’s, Douglas learned how criminals think and what makes them do the things that they do, and why. Douglas can determine many personal traits and habits of an offender just by examining the crime scene; it’s evidence and victimology (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Interviews John Douglas has conducted hundreds of interviews with some of the world’s most notorious serial offenders, which include: - Charles Manson, and three members of the Manson clan. - Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Robert F. Kennedy. - John Wayne Gacy, the serial killer that killed 33 people. - David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam”. - James Earl Ray, assassin of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Ted Bundy - Unsuccessful assassins of Gerald Ford and George Wallace (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Captured In addition, Douglas’s profiles aided in numerous arrests of serial offenders, some of which include: - Wayne Williams, the .22 caliber killer. - Carlton Gary, the stalking strangler. - Robert Hanson, the Anchorage Alaska baker who would kidnap, hunt, then kill local prostitutes. These are just a few of the cases that John Douglas aided in throughout his twenty-five year career as a profiler with the Behavioral Science Unit, which he later renamed the Investigative Science Unit (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995). Contributions to Psychology Douglas and his colleagues outlined in an article that explained the goals of a serial offender in the September 1980 issue of the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. They are as follows: - What leads a person to become a sexual offender and what are the early warning signals? - What serves to encourage or to inhibit the commission of his offense? - What types of responses or coping strategies, by an intended victim are successful with what type of sexual offender in avoiding victimization, and - What are the implications for his dangerousness, prognosis, disposition and mode of treatment (Douglas & Olshaker, 1995)?
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 384 reviews
August 31, 2018
The subject matter was a little too dark for me here.
Having read Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, I was intrigued enough to look into some other true crime books by John Douglas. Journey Into Darkness claims to look into the why's of criminal deviant (mainly sexual) behaviour, and offers to explain the inner workings of these criminals minds. Although going into this I knew the descriptions and details of various violent crimes would be intense, I found them a little bit too intense. Crime scenes and acts are picked over in such a way that it made me feel very uneasy - especially the lines regarding young children, although it's undoubtedly interesting if you like reading this kind of thing.
There is also a lot of repetition here. Douglas mentions various issues already discussed in his previous novels, and one particular murder (that of Marine Suzanne Collins) is dissected over three chapters in obsessive detail. There is lots of legal talk that unfortunately I just didn't find that interesting or informative. It felt very disconnected compared to previous chapters.
The book is obviously also very dated. There are no updates of cases after the mid 90s, meaning I often found myself googling things to see if there were any new leads on cases. I don't think it would have taken much effort to include a paragraph here and there with updates etc.
Not as good as his previous.
Having read Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, I was intrigued enough to look into some other true crime books by John Douglas. Journey Into Darkness claims to look into the why's of criminal deviant (mainly sexual) behaviour, and offers to explain the inner workings of these criminals minds. Although going into this I knew the descriptions and details of various violent crimes would be intense, I found them a little bit too intense. Crime scenes and acts are picked over in such a way that it made me feel very uneasy - especially the lines regarding young children, although it's undoubtedly interesting if you like reading this kind of thing.
There is also a lot of repetition here. Douglas mentions various issues already discussed in his previous novels, and one particular murder (that of Marine Suzanne Collins) is dissected over three chapters in obsessive detail. There is lots of legal talk that unfortunately I just didn't find that interesting or informative. It felt very disconnected compared to previous chapters.
The book is obviously also very dated. There are no updates of cases after the mid 90s, meaning I often found myself googling things to see if there were any new leads on cases. I don't think it would have taken much effort to include a paragraph here and there with updates etc.
Not as good as his previous.
October 21, 2019
It may seem as though I’m a morbid, death obsessed fan of the macabre when you see my book shelf, but actually I am a novice part time (and mature😉) criminal psychology student who is absolutely fascinated with this subject.... and John Douglas is undoubtedly the best behavioural scientist the world has known so far.
This book, though harrowing at times, is a fascinating insight into the dark world of criminal profiling and policing.
It features some high profile cases, some of which were solved and some of which, at the time of writing, they hadn’t managed to solve (but which have been subsequently)
I am aware that the book was written many years ago and therefore doesn’t offer any current or recent cases, but that really doesn’t matter.
I found myself reading it slowly, devouring every word, absorbing it, because I didn’t want it to end.
For those interested in the subject of true crime this is one of the best books I’ve read.
Easily worthy of 5 stars.
This book, though harrowing at times, is a fascinating insight into the dark world of criminal profiling and policing.
It features some high profile cases, some of which were solved and some of which, at the time of writing, they hadn’t managed to solve (but which have been subsequently)
I am aware that the book was written many years ago and therefore doesn’t offer any current or recent cases, but that really doesn’t matter.
I found myself reading it slowly, devouring every word, absorbing it, because I didn’t want it to end.
For those interested in the subject of true crime this is one of the best books I’ve read.
Easily worthy of 5 stars.
June 19, 2021
Pre-review: It is a re-read (I first read it when I was a teenager)! So happy to see a Taiwanese publisher republished this series after the success of the Mindhunter TV series!
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/netflix-david-...)
PS: I really like the part about Edmund Kemper although he is a mother freaking psychopath serial murderer! (The author of this book claims Ed Kemper is the serial killer with the highest IQ and most insight about himself he had encountered.)
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/netflix-david-...)
Rating: 5 full brilliant, disturbing and intriguing stars.
The first thing you should know about this book is: the author, John Douglas, a retired FBI detective and the first generation of detectives who mastered the art of criminal profiling, sure as hell knows his subjects well; and I'm both delighted and thankful to have him sharing his wealth of knowledge with the readers in such a systematical, easily understandable way; even adding in plenty of helpful hints to inform us about the signs of danger and how best to protect ourselves and the children.
What is there to say about serial killers? They are twisted and mostly unsympathetic creatures, but the author wants us to know they are not mad (at least most of them aren't insane) or entirely beyond our understanding. I like all the case studies the author and his fellow FBI detectives had done with these serial killers.
PS: when reading this book I'd gotten rather sick of hearing about pedophiles and what they had done to children. (okay, maybe not every one of them will wind up killing and raping children, but still)
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/netflix-david-...)
PS: I really like the part about Edmund Kemper although he is a mother freaking psychopath serial murderer! (The author of this book claims Ed Kemper is the serial killer with the highest IQ and most insight about himself he had encountered.)
(Link: https://giphy.com/gifs/netflix-david-...)
Rating: 5 full brilliant, disturbing and intriguing stars.
The first thing you should know about this book is: the author, John Douglas, a retired FBI detective and the first generation of detectives who mastered the art of criminal profiling, sure as hell knows his subjects well; and I'm both delighted and thankful to have him sharing his wealth of knowledge with the readers in such a systematical, easily understandable way; even adding in plenty of helpful hints to inform us about the signs of danger and how best to protect ourselves and the children.
What is there to say about serial killers? They are twisted and mostly unsympathetic creatures, but the author wants us to know they are not mad (at least most of them aren't insane) or entirely beyond our understanding. I like all the case studies the author and his fellow FBI detectives had done with these serial killers.
PS: when reading this book I'd gotten rather sick of hearing about pedophiles and what they had done to children. (okay, maybe not every one of them will wind up killing and raping children, but still)
February 25, 2022
how has this man managed to get even more egotistical since Mindhunter
June 2, 2023
I finished this yesterday, but just got around to reviewing it today. It was better than Mindhunter.
Even though Mr Douglas repeated some cases he covered there (and generally repeated some things he already mentioned in this one).
I like that this one focuses more on kids, and teaching them to spot predators in an easy way so they could understand. You can even do it sort of like a game, which I can confirm works (learning anything in the form of a game, I mean, that way you learn and don't feel like you're learning, but having fun instead).
There's still some more John Douglas books I need to check out. So far the audios have been good.
Even though Mr Douglas repeated some cases he covered there (and generally repeated some things he already mentioned in this one).
I like that this one focuses more on kids, and teaching them to spot predators in an easy way so they could understand. You can even do it sort of like a game, which I can confirm works (learning anything in the form of a game, I mean, that way you learn and don't feel like you're learning, but having fun instead).
There's still some more John Douglas books I need to check out. So far the audios have been good.
February 5, 2016
John Douglas may or may not be a great profiler, he certainly seems to think he is and doesn't mind telling the reader so ad nauseum.
But whatever his merits as a profiler are, his ability to author a coherent, interesting book is nil.
He constantly loses focus and goes off on tangents completely irrelevant to the subject at hand.
Three long and boring chapters are devoted to one murder, that of a female Marine.
He goes into excruciating detail of her family's history in the most stultifying prose it has ever been my misfortune to read.
On some of the cases, he's also a bit of a Monday morning quarterback, informing the reader that he could have picked the killer, if only he'd been asked.
So what we have here is a book about an fascinating subject that is rendered as interesting as your Aunt's gall bladder operation story, written by an egomaniac and an incompetent ghostwriter and seemingly edited by a high school teenager.
But whatever his merits as a profiler are, his ability to author a coherent, interesting book is nil.
He constantly loses focus and goes off on tangents completely irrelevant to the subject at hand.
Three long and boring chapters are devoted to one murder, that of a female Marine.
He goes into excruciating detail of her family's history in the most stultifying prose it has ever been my misfortune to read.
On some of the cases, he's also a bit of a Monday morning quarterback, informing the reader that he could have picked the killer, if only he'd been asked.
So what we have here is a book about an fascinating subject that is rendered as interesting as your Aunt's gall bladder operation story, written by an egomaniac and an incompetent ghostwriter and seemingly edited by a high school teenager.
January 15, 2022
A great followup to Mind Hunter. I did this as an audio book and really enjoyed it.
Primary focus of this one is child abduction and honestly he gives a lot of good advice on how to prepare your children for the world and ways to teach them safety without scaring them.
Highly recommended if you’re into true crime. 😎
Primary focus of this one is child abduction and honestly he gives a lot of good advice on how to prepare your children for the world and ways to teach them safety without scaring them.
Highly recommended if you’re into true crime. 😎
March 31, 2023
What some deranged people with the most sickest of evil minds can do to other people, never ceases to amaze me. Even more amazing are FBI criminal profilers who hit the nail on the head to catch these individuals by profiling them so accurately that it’s uncanny!
John Douglas is one such individual. He shares some disturbing cases, offers insight into the Nicole Brown/Ron Goldman case (which he was professionally not involved with the case but leaves NO DOUBT in the readers mind who the real murderer is), and shares important advice with parents regarding their children when it comes to protection (at least 2 different cases in this book deals with children).
As important this job is to catching monsters, it goes without saying it’s highly stressful and can take a physical and mental toll on the profiler. It did on John Douglas which he briefly discusses too.
Recommended for those who are interested in this genre.
John Douglas is one such individual. He shares some disturbing cases, offers insight into the Nicole Brown/Ron Goldman case (which he was professionally not involved with the case but leaves NO DOUBT in the readers mind who the real murderer is), and shares important advice with parents regarding their children when it comes to protection (at least 2 different cases in this book deals with children).
As important this job is to catching monsters, it goes without saying it’s highly stressful and can take a physical and mental toll on the profiler. It did on John Douglas which he briefly discusses too.
Recommended for those who are interested in this genre.
March 4, 2010
What I didn't like about this book was Douglas's tendancy to reference stories that he already explored in his first book. Like the offensive ploy he claims he used that got Richard Speck to finally speak to authorities. He also reiterated the medical condition that downed him during the Green River Killer investigation. (Way to go on that case man, you guys finally nailed him after what 20 years?)
Douglas did write about some interesting cases that I hadn't read about before, and the book held my attention.
Although, I do take issue with the way he characterized Karla Homolka as a victim of her husband Paul Bernardo. I have to wonder if at the time of the writing the videotapes depicting Karla's involvement with the murders had come out. He seems to believe that Karla was as much a victim as Kristen French or Leslie Mahaffey. Not so. Any woman who participates in the rape (literally) and murder of her younger sister, is clearly depraved. He writes at one point in the book, "we all make our choices and must be held responsible for them." So why let this woman off the hook? I just couldn't buy his logic.
Douglas did write about some interesting cases that I hadn't read about before, and the book held my attention.
Although, I do take issue with the way he characterized Karla Homolka as a victim of her husband Paul Bernardo. I have to wonder if at the time of the writing the videotapes depicting Karla's involvement with the murders had come out. He seems to believe that Karla was as much a victim as Kristen French or Leslie Mahaffey. Not so. Any woman who participates in the rape (literally) and murder of her younger sister, is clearly depraved. He writes at one point in the book, "we all make our choices and must be held responsible for them." So why let this woman off the hook? I just couldn't buy his logic.
July 30, 2022
Fin del bucle, y sí, este libro no está hecho para leerse seguido del anterior, resulta repetitivo, aunque se incorporan otros nuevos. Siempre es instructivo, y cuando enfríe un poco, seguiré con el autor.
January 17, 2020
Phew, was this a dip in quality. A massive step down from Mindhunter, this covers more of the cases that Douglas looked into, but ‘looked into’ now means ‘vaguely looked at in any fashion’. There’s some interesting cases in here still, don’t get me wrong, but they’re overshadowed by what feels like it should’ve been a separate instruction manual as to avoiding predators, three chapters dedicated to the same case, and a series of disjointed rants about the death penalty and it’s wonders. I particularly lost it at the ‘most people who have lost someone close advocate for the death penalty’ because I’ve heard very much the opposite from the families of victims- that perhaps they advocate for it initially but once it’s been carried out there’s such a sense of fruitless ness that they begin to campaign the opposite way. This book is a struggle to get through, and it feels far muddier than it’s predecessor.
October 4, 2022
Kontynuacja "Mindhuntera" to dosłownie i adekwatnie do tytułu "podróż w ciemność". Jest to lektura wręcz dojmująco przytłaczająca - głównie z powodu tego, że spora jej część dotyczy brutalnych czynów i bestialskich morderstw popełnianych na dzieciach - z której trudno się otrząsnąć. Tak więc wszyscy, pragnący sięgnąć po tę książkę winni wiedzieć na co się piszą... i, nie, nawet seans, bazującego na wątkach i przypadkach tu opisanych, serialu Netfliksa nie jest Was w stanie do końca przygotować na to, z czym zmierzycie się podczas lektury.
Publikacja zawiera interesującą część - "Jak się bronić", w której autor przedstawia szereg cennych porad i obserwacji, które mogą pomóc zapobiec tragedii, wypatrzeć symptomy problemów istniejących w naszym otoczeniu (sąsiedzi, szkoła itp.), jak również nauczyć dzieci zachowań i postrzegania sygnałów, które uchronią je przed niebezpieczeństwem ze strony chcących je skrzywdzić osób.
Na minus, nieco nazbyt rozbudowana część poświęcona Suzanne Marie Collins, marine zamordowanej brutalnie przez psychopatę, w której sprawę John Douglas jest wyraźnie mocno zaangażowany - część, która z zasady streszcza całą biografię ofiary (rozumiem, że sprawić ma to, że głębiej doświadczymy bezmiaru tragedii, jaka się dokonała, ale mimo wszystko - za długo).
Mimo wszystko, książkę polecam. Wszyscy interesujący się zagadnieniami z gatunku true crime i analizą umysłowości seryjnych morderców, oraz - w związku z częścią, która jest swoistym poradnikiem - rodzicom, pragnącym uchronić swoje dzieci przed niebezpieczeństwami z zakresu tematyki tej książki.
Publikacja zawiera interesującą część - "Jak się bronić", w której autor przedstawia szereg cennych porad i obserwacji, które mogą pomóc zapobiec tragedii, wypatrzeć symptomy problemów istniejących w naszym otoczeniu (sąsiedzi, szkoła itp.), jak również nauczyć dzieci zachowań i postrzegania sygnałów, które uchronią je przed niebezpieczeństwem ze strony chcących je skrzywdzić osób.
Na minus, nieco nazbyt rozbudowana część poświęcona Suzanne Marie Collins, marine zamordowanej brutalnie przez psychopatę, w której sprawę John Douglas jest wyraźnie mocno zaangażowany - część, która z zasady streszcza całą biografię ofiary (rozumiem, że sprawić ma to, że głębiej doświadczymy bezmiaru tragedii, jaka się dokonała, ale mimo wszystko - za długo).
Mimo wszystko, książkę polecam. Wszyscy interesujący się zagadnieniami z gatunku true crime i analizą umysłowości seryjnych morderców, oraz - w związku z częścią, która jest swoistym poradnikiem - rodzicom, pragnącym uchronić swoje dzieci przed niebezpieczeństwami z zakresu tematyki tej książki.
February 18, 2022
I don't think it is recommended to read the second book in the series before the first one but well here I am right now because I first found this one in the Library and couldn't wait for the first one to get here.
I was too impatient to wait for the first book and I just had to read this one.
This book is just cases explained from a behavior point of view and it was amazing. Nothing more to say. As far as I remember the cases were new to me and there is a deep focus on one particularly sad case that probably really touched John E. Douglas.
The author sounds a little arrogant at times but at this point in non-fiction when there are books about their lives it doesn't even bother me. Like yea, you solved crimes and you can do a behavior profile and you worked there, fuck it, you can be arrogant in my point of view. When you do great things and interesting things, I want to read about that because I don't want to read about boring lives. Mine is boring enough not needed to add to it.
Can't wait to read the first book since I did it the wrong way, but whatever, I do recommend this book to everyone.
I was too impatient to wait for the first book and I just had to read this one.
This book is just cases explained from a behavior point of view and it was amazing. Nothing more to say. As far as I remember the cases were new to me and there is a deep focus on one particularly sad case that probably really touched John E. Douglas.
The author sounds a little arrogant at times but at this point in non-fiction when there are books about their lives it doesn't even bother me. Like yea, you solved crimes and you can do a behavior profile and you worked there, fuck it, you can be arrogant in my point of view. When you do great things and interesting things, I want to read about that because I don't want to read about boring lives. Mine is boring enough not needed to add to it.
Can't wait to read the first book since I did it the wrong way, but whatever, I do recommend this book to everyone.
May 26, 2009
I liked Mindhunter better because the author stuck to what he knew and kept to a tighter structure. This work was less organized and was all over the map on subject matter and purpose.
June 25, 2023
i nearly made it but i couldn’t quite bring myself to finish this - which is saying something cause it’s rare for me to DNF a book.
How douglas managed to make such interesting subject matter so boring is beyond me. there was so much erroneous and redundant info in here that really dragged out the reading experience. like for instance the background written about the murdered marine. a page on her life and background would be relevant and provide relevant context, but a whole chapter?!?!! I also felt uncomfortable by how much her appearance was discussed. It got to the point where i was contemplating th roughing my book across the room if i had to read one more comment about her “striking figure” or beauty.
Also the advice to parents was so repetitive and boring and could easily have been articulated with about a quarter of the amount of words.
With some better editing this book had potential, busy sadly it fell short for me.
How douglas managed to make such interesting subject matter so boring is beyond me. there was so much erroneous and redundant info in here that really dragged out the reading experience. like for instance the background written about the murdered marine. a page on her life and background would be relevant and provide relevant context, but a whole chapter?!?!! I also felt uncomfortable by how much her appearance was discussed. It got to the point where i was contemplating th roughing my book across the room if i had to read one more comment about her “striking figure” or beauty.
Also the advice to parents was so repetitive and boring and could easily have been articulated with about a quarter of the amount of words.
With some better editing this book had potential, busy sadly it fell short for me.
August 20, 2019
Powtórzę za Johnem Douglasem: "(...) jeśli ktoś decyduje się odebrać życie innemu człowiekowi, powinien być gotów zapłacić za to własnym".
March 3, 2009
Heartbreaking and gripping. John Douglas recounts several horrific murder cases he helped investigate, focusing on the victims and their families. They're haunting stories, both in the impact of the killings on the families and then in the stress and grief accompanying the convoluted legal processes that sometimes followed, including a series of technical appeals, in a case cinched both by massive physical evidence and by a detailed confession, that had lasted - at the time of writing - more than two decades.
Dr. Douglas makes a compelling plea for victims' rights to be given a higher priority in the legal system, while being painstakingly clear in spelling out that he is not advocating taking away any of the rights of people accused of crimes. That last point is more emphasized by the story of one case, in which he, other FBI investigators, and police and prosecutors worked to overturn a wrongful conviction when new evidence indicated that a man who was already in prison for a murder was not the perpetrator after all.
Anyone interested in crime, psychopathology, or victims' rights needs to read this book.
Dr. Douglas makes a compelling plea for victims' rights to be given a higher priority in the legal system, while being painstakingly clear in spelling out that he is not advocating taking away any of the rights of people accused of crimes. That last point is more emphasized by the story of one case, in which he, other FBI investigators, and police and prosecutors worked to overturn a wrongful conviction when new evidence indicated that a man who was already in prison for a murder was not the perpetrator after all.
Anyone interested in crime, psychopathology, or victims' rights needs to read this book.
July 29, 2022
I am sad that I have to give this book two stars.
While it is a lot like the previous book written by John Douglas (Mindhunter), it also ... turns into a self help / how to book on protecting your children.
I can see that John is really passionate about protecting kids - since he mentions countless times throughout the book that some of the cases hit home due to him having a daughter. But, honestly, he spent more about teaching parents how to look out for danger than actually talking about the crimes / stories.
If you're looking for something that reads like a synopsis and step by step through his cases steer clear of this one.
While it is a lot like the previous book written by John Douglas (Mindhunter), it also ... turns into a self help / how to book on protecting your children.
I can see that John is really passionate about protecting kids - since he mentions countless times throughout the book that some of the cases hit home due to him having a daughter. But, honestly, he spent more about teaching parents how to look out for danger than actually talking about the crimes / stories.
If you're looking for something that reads like a synopsis and step by step through his cases steer clear of this one.
October 20, 2020
I think I have read all their books. They are all fantastic. Dark, haunting, chilling and freaking true. These are necessary reads for true crime lovers.
May 18, 2022
This book is an excellent read if you are into criminal investigations and forensics. It really does a great job of showing how serial killers think and how these top of their game FBI profilers can nail them down to a "T" without even seeing them.
This book goes over some cases that the author John Douglas has worked on in his time at the FBI and how he and his team caught the criminals. John Douglas does a great job of explaining his thought process of how he profiles these criminals and gives a great view into how he thinks they are thinking during the crime.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about homicide investigators and how they work. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because it can get pretty slow at times and can be hard to follow at others.
This book goes over some cases that the author John Douglas has worked on in his time at the FBI and how he and his team caught the criminals. John Douglas does a great job of explaining his thought process of how he profiles these criminals and gives a great view into how he thinks they are thinking during the crime.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about homicide investigators and how they work. The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because it can get pretty slow at times and can be hard to follow at others.
January 25, 2022
Some interesting parts (I especially liked the behavioral deconstruction of the Nicole Brown/Ron Goldman murders) but overall kind of forgettable.
April 11, 2013
As one famous quote states: “Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.” But what if you choose to do so? Fight the monsters and take alook into the abyss of human mind.
Very intense and gripping book on real murder cases. And maybe the worst kind of killers - serial killers. How do they think? Do they have certain traits of character? Do they have some experiences in common? And how do people like Mr Douglas feel while hunting these murderers? One can only imagine the high pressure he has to face.
What I especially enjoyed about this book is the description about how this kind of job influences the personal lives of the fbi agents. How it may torn apart families, how it may ruin your health and mind.
Highly recommended.
Very intense and gripping book on real murder cases. And maybe the worst kind of killers - serial killers. How do they think? Do they have certain traits of character? Do they have some experiences in common? And how do people like Mr Douglas feel while hunting these murderers? One can only imagine the high pressure he has to face.
What I especially enjoyed about this book is the description about how this kind of job influences the personal lives of the fbi agents. How it may torn apart families, how it may ruin your health and mind.
Highly recommended.
April 22, 2007
I've always been pretty intrigued by Serial Killers and the people who track them down. If there was a way to get a job tracking them without going through lower law enforcement and the possibility of being stuck in Robbery or Vice or another department I would have made that my career choice.
All told, this is a fascinating book... not for the faint of heart, some of the material is graphic and hard to read.
It is about as close to looking in the face of evil as most people would want to go.
All told, this is a fascinating book... not for the faint of heart, some of the material is graphic and hard to read.
It is about as close to looking in the face of evil as most people would want to go.
February 21, 2018
This was hard to read, especially to watch John suffer. It was great though, he always does a great job telling his story!
May 22, 2020
Readable. The psychology of murder. A whole new set of cases about murderers and rapists, or a combination of both. As with most of the “soft” sciences there are some foibles. Douglas consults on one case in Toronto and insists the perpetrator is a specific type and the police pursue this lead. They arrest and jail the guy. Years later he’s exonerated by the DNA evidence as technology progresses, but Douglas insists he still believes the guy is guilty and imagines there’s just an error in the DNA evidence. Hmmmm. Not likely.
He also consults on another series of rapes and murders of white women, and despite being told by surviving witnesses that it was a black perpetrator, Douglas insists that the profile supports a white rapist/murderer, because 1) black perpetrators aren’t thought to mutilate or sexually assault women with objects like white guys and 2) the victims are white, so murderers stick with their own race. Hmmmm. You need to be open to changes in your hypothesis as a scientist or the possibility that they are wrong. (i.e. not all serial killers are bedwetters). As with Mindhunter this was a fascinating read but there are certainly variables that need to be adjusted or reconsidered.
There was a short piece at the end about the behavioral profile of the murderer in the Nicole Brown trial. Needless to say, there was all the physical evidence which pointed to O.J.’s guilt; Douglas makes the case that all the behavioral evidence does as well, and outlines why the “conspiracy of racism” theory of the LAPD against O.J. is not supported by the behavioral evidence. It was eye opening. As well as additional physical evidence implicating O.J. that I’d never heard before and wasn’t included in the trial. Overall an interesting read.
He also consults on another series of rapes and murders of white women, and despite being told by surviving witnesses that it was a black perpetrator, Douglas insists that the profile supports a white rapist/murderer, because 1) black perpetrators aren’t thought to mutilate or sexually assault women with objects like white guys and 2) the victims are white, so murderers stick with their own race. Hmmmm. You need to be open to changes in your hypothesis as a scientist or the possibility that they are wrong. (i.e. not all serial killers are bedwetters). As with Mindhunter this was a fascinating read but there are certainly variables that need to be adjusted or reconsidered.
There was a short piece at the end about the behavioral profile of the murderer in the Nicole Brown trial. Needless to say, there was all the physical evidence which pointed to O.J.’s guilt; Douglas makes the case that all the behavioral evidence does as well, and outlines why the “conspiracy of racism” theory of the LAPD against O.J. is not supported by the behavioral evidence. It was eye opening. As well as additional physical evidence implicating O.J. that I’d never heard before and wasn’t included in the trial. Overall an interesting read.
December 30, 2021
I thought I'd read this before but it quickly became clear I hadn't. What a disappointment. This was meant to be a follow up to Mindhunter and it wasn't really anything like it. It still featured how they caught the perpetrators through profiling and working with the police but focuses on cases he and his colleagues might have looked at or advised on generally rather then helping on in a more focused way or developing profile which is what I enjoyed about Mindhunter.
It was based on lower profile (to the UK anyway maybe not to USA) but more deviant cases which I knew, it was quite repetitive, but thankfully not in huge amounts of detail. Three chapters were completely focused on one case, which looked at the victim from childhood right through to her being murdered and then beyond to her parents fighting for her case in court long after the perpetrator had been convicted. It felt kind of personal and broke up the flow of the book.
All in all if you enjoyed Mindhunter I would skip this one. Anatomy of Motive, which is what I initially confused this with is much better. It goes more into the hows and whys serial killers do things rather then cases generally.
It was based on lower profile (to the UK anyway maybe not to USA) but more deviant cases which I knew, it was quite repetitive, but thankfully not in huge amounts of detail. Three chapters were completely focused on one case, which looked at the victim from childhood right through to her being murdered and then beyond to her parents fighting for her case in court long after the perpetrator had been convicted. It felt kind of personal and broke up the flow of the book.
All in all if you enjoyed Mindhunter I would skip this one. Anatomy of Motive, which is what I initially confused this with is much better. It goes more into the hows and whys serial killers do things rather then cases generally.
December 12, 2023
اول كتاب من كتب المؤلف الشهير و الاسطورة وراء مسلسل نيتفلكس مايند هنتر جون دوقلاس 🤍🤍🤍
جون ياخذنا جوا عقلية محلل السلوكيات الاجرامية و كيف لها دور كبير جدا في فهم خطوات المجرم وتوقعها + تقليل عدد المشتبهين بهم و الوصول للفاعل بطريقة اسهل من خلال فهم سلوكه و افكاره والاهم بعد فهم السلوكيات و العقليات نستخدمها كمرجع في المستقبل
اسلوب الكتابة من الممكن انه مايناسب الكل بسبب كثرة المعلومات عن بناء الملف التحليلي و الغوص في تفاصيل القضايا و علم الضحايا و الجنائيات لكن الاكيد انه بيكون ممتع جدًا لاي شخص له اهتمام في هذا المجال
تم التركيز على موضوع حساس جدا وهو قضايا الاطفال من عمر ٧-١٢ سنة و فهم سلوكيات الفاعلين و التعمق بها و ايضا نصائح لفهم عقلية و مشاعر الاطفال في هذه الفترة الحساسه وطرق حمايتهم من التعرض للتحرش او ماشابه
استمتعت كثيرًا بالكتاب، نادر تلقى كاتب يقدر يوازن ما بين الاسلوب و بين طرح خبرته و معرفته من دون مايحسسك بالملل ..
جون ياخذنا جوا عقلية محلل السلوكيات الاجرامية و كيف لها دور كبير جدا في فهم خطوات المجرم وتوقعها + تقليل عدد المشتبهين بهم و الوصول للفاعل بطريقة اسهل من خلال فهم سلوكه و افكاره والاهم بعد فهم السلوكيات و العقليات نستخدمها كمرجع في المستقبل
اسلوب الكتابة من الممكن انه مايناسب الكل بسبب كثرة المعلومات عن بناء الملف التحليلي و الغوص في تفاصيل القضايا و علم الضحايا و الجنائيات لكن الاكيد انه بيكون ممتع جدًا لاي شخص له اهتمام في هذا المجال
تم التركيز على موضوع حساس جدا وهو قضايا الاطفال من عمر ٧-١٢ سنة و فهم سلوكيات الفاعلين و التعمق بها و ايضا نصائح لفهم عقلية و مشاعر الاطفال في هذه الفترة الحساسه وطرق حمايتهم من التعرض للتحرش او ماشابه
استمتعت كثيرًا بالكتاب، نادر تلقى كاتب يقدر يوازن ما بين الاسلوب و بين طرح خبرته و معرفته من دون مايحسسك بالملل ..
February 11, 2020
Darkness is right. The MINDHUNTER author examines some cases he's worked on, takes an outsiders' forensic view of the Simpson/Goldman murders, advises readers on ways they can protect their families from violent crime, and shares some of his own opinions on controversial legal topics.
Some of the crimes profiled are indeed very, very bad, and are likely to upset readers. I don't think the author does this to be shocking, but rather make readers aware of what kind of violent crime is out there--but some readers may be too taken aback to make this distinction.
Some of the crimes profiled are indeed very, very bad, and are likely to upset readers. I don't think the author does this to be shocking, but rather make readers aware of what kind of violent crime is out there--but some readers may be too taken aback to make this distinction.
February 12, 2020
I love the logical deductions made about a suspect’s personality judging purely from the crime scene they leave behind, and how law enforcement can then predict the suspect’s behaviour pre and post-offense.
Just as fascinating and grim as the first. I particularly enjoyed the chapter about the O.J. Simpson case and am thoroughly convinced about who was guilty. I can’t wait to read about Douglas’ thoughts on other ‘controversial’ or mysterious cases in his other books.
Just as fascinating and grim as the first. I particularly enjoyed the chapter about the O.J. Simpson case and am thoroughly convinced about who was guilty. I can’t wait to read about Douglas’ thoughts on other ‘controversial’ or mysterious cases in his other books.
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