The Psychology of Notorious Serial Killers: The Intersection of Personality Theory and the Darkest Minds of Our Time

by Todd Grande

What drives serial killers to commit their horrific crimes? Are sex crimes really motivated by sexual desire? Why do some killers stop killing, while others escalate?

The science of personality theory has advanced dramatically in recent years, shedding new light on the inner workings of these criminals. In this book, professional counselor Todd Grande applies personality theory to over a dozen of the most notorious serial killers in modern history, unraveling the mystery surrounding their crimes.

Serial killers are typically motivated by sexual domination, money, political ideology, or are experiencing psychosis. Dr. Grande delves into the thought processes, behaviors, and emotions of these criminals, and analyzes common personality traits as well as environmental factors such as childhood stressors and even certain kinds of injury. Empirically supported principles create a framework that offers new insight into why people do what they do and how they might recover from destructive patterns.

All human behavior exists on a continuum, and through the study of extreme behaviors, any behavior becomes a little more understandable. Learning about serial killers can enlighten us about the human condition.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Psychology, Audiobook, Crime, Science, Mental Health

ebook

First published April 6, 2021

About the author

Hello! I'm Dr. Grande. I'm a licensed professional counselor of mental health, a licensed chemical dependency professional, and have a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision. My channel is about discussing mental health topics from a scientific perspective informed by my experience as an expert. Watch my channel to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the mental health field.

Harm Reduction, a psychological thriller, is available now!

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Reviews

[Marika · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books written on the psychology of serial killers. The author doesn't delve into the murders with gory details as he focuses on the killer and how their minds work.
Fascinating.

* I read an advance copy and was not compensated

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a comprehensive overview of serial killers, but an insightful peek into personality features and motivation. A very quick and concise read

[Gabi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

definitely interesting to read

[Justin Musselman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look into different serial killers and why they were the way they were! Would highly recommend to those interested in psychology and serial killers!

[Grace Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super insightful and focuses solely on the minds and personalities of serial killers versus the details of the crimes they commit. Interesting read.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A psychological perspective of psychopathy that examines notorious serial killers by personality types. The author clearly states this is not a clinical rendering or profile as he did not examine any of the individuals discussed for psychological purposes and to apply such “armchair analytics” is a dangerous pastime. This said, he examines and evaluates based upon known data from available data and reports, demonstrating what May drive serial killers to act they way they do.

This is a not a sensational piece, but quite scientific, so those looking for gory details or terrifying tidbits should look elsewhere. Rather, this is a detailed and methodical attempt to unlock answers as to what might connect this type of behavior and how it differs. The audio recording is quite pedantic and delivered in a monotone that leaves much to be desired, but the information is quite interesting for those who seek scientific analysis.

Thank you to Libro.fm for the courtesy audio copy.

[Caley · Rating 3 out of 5]

If someone who is not familiar with both psychology and serial killers were to read this book I could see the appeal and learning that can come from this book.
However, for myself, I was a bit disappointed. I expected more of an in-depth analysis. The editing of the book was poor which took away from my experience as well.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Psychology of Notorious Serial Killers: The Intersection of Personality Theory and the Darkest Minds of Our Time" by Todd Grande offers a fascinating and in-depth exploration into the minds of some of history's most infamous serial killers. Grande, a clinical psychologist, delves into the psychological profiles of these individuals, examining the intersection of personality theory and the complex factors that contribute to their heinous crimes.

The book provides a comprehensive analysis of various aspects of serial killers' personalities, motivations, and behaviours, drawing on psychological theories and case studies to shed light on the darkest corners of human psychology. Grande's writing is both insightful and accessible, making complex psychological concepts understandable to a wide audience.

While the subject matter is inherently disturbing, "The Psychology of Notorious Serial Killers" serves as an important resource for understanding the complex interplay of factors that contribute to extreme criminal behaviour. It offers valuable insights into the psychological mechanisms behind these crimes, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in forensic psychology or true crime.

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not only was this book very poorly edited, but the psychology and personality profiles were superficial, using checklists for the big 5 personality traits: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Background and early life experiences were explored, but the conclusions about personality development were mostly tied to mother-son relationships, accusing the mothers of being dominant, insulting, or distant, but without providing specific examples. Other family relationships were sometimes explored in more depth, which I appreciated, but it's difficult to tie early childhood experiences to "causing" someone to grow up to be a serial killer. Lots of speculation but little direct evidence. This book would have gotten a 3 from me except for the seeming lack of proof reading.

[Miss Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars for this one.

A very interesting, fascinating read. For something that seems so impossible but yet is know to be explicitly possible… knowing that some of the common place accusation we give SK’s for their behaviour (example, mummy didn’t love me, I was dropped in my head) can actually be real reasons as to why they commit, such heinous acts is quite scary.
And to also think that there is actually no way of knowing who is or isn’t one is unnerving to say the least. It also gave a really good look into the disorders that were given to some SK’s both behavioural and psychological.

[Lexi Sølvhammer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally someone makes it clear that all psychopaths are not narcissistic. As an autodidact serial killer student for more than 10 yrs this topic has always been discussed so nice this was addressed.

However the writing style of the book makes it a quite dull read.

There is a lot of information especially for people who are new to this genre.

If you have read a lot about serial killers and the different personality clusters there is not much to learn from this book.

*this review is shared on different platforms

[Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being generous here. Poorly organized despite a lot of wasted pages saying how it was organized. Poor editing (who/whom), terrible list formatting. Seems self-published draft or outline for a more thorough book. Short on science/research outside of his clinical judgment. References are websites! Inconsistent and limited explanations for categorizations to fit 5 factor model, although while a psychologist not involved in forensics. Seemed like he was in a rush. Wouldn’t put much faith in his YouTube channel.

[Lavinia Darlea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's by no means a bad book, but I think I was a bit disappointed by how dry it was - maybe also because the vast majority of the book was an accurate reflection of the youtube content. I think I expected (or at least hope for) a more in-depth correlate analysis, rather than a case-by-case rundown. I missed a more profound analysis of all that was told. It sounds a bit harsh (and it is, the book is, again, not bad), but it almost felt like reading a dictionary.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I have inherited a weak stomach for matters generally associated with Serial Killers, rape, mutilation, and abuse, I am thankful to the author for keeping those details to a minimal and instead focusing on the psychology and history of some of the Serial Killers.

If you can stomach the more hideous things that appear this side of heaven and desire to understand a very complex topic a fraction of a percent better I would say this book is a good intro.

9/10 cats

[Stan Stoklasa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in a matter-of-fact, scientific style which makes a refreshing change from the usual sensational, moralistic type of writing typically associated with this subject.

However as a scientific text it is too surface-level to be of much import. It also seems not to have been proof-read, let alone edited.

With the right editor behind him, Dr. Grande could be a literary force to be reckoned with.

[kris ୨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and quick delve into some famous serial killers and their psyche. I would recommend this book for anyone getting into psychology or true crime - this offers the basics in a well structured and scientific approach.

However I found that the book could have benefitted from more depth/insight regarding the killer's formative years as well as their psyche above the 'i hate women' sentiment.

[Ashlyn Swanhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book was very interestingly structured, i found it intriguing to learn about many different serial killers in america and their story that brought them up in life. during the analysis of their psych profile i was bored at times reading that but i think that was more of a personal preference. if you have a interest in learning about the minds of serial killers then this book would be a good one for you to pick up

[M. Langlinais · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you watch his YT channel, this is very much in line with his content. High-level overviews of notorious serial killers, including psychological profiles for each. Nothing super deep, but a fair survey. Had to deduct a star for formatting and editing errors that I did find distracting—but, tbf, I used to be an editor, so I may be pickier than some readers.

[Marija · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, clear and concise summary of personality profiles of serial killers in general, as well as specific examples. Because I’ve been watching a lot of Grande’s videos on the topic, as well as true crime documentaries recently, there wasn’t much novelty for me - but if I hadn’t, it would have been a very interesting read.

Also apparently the 70th book I’ve read.

[ghost. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book that focuses on different serial killers in each chapter, as well as explaining the psychology of these individuals and what caused them to become what they’ve become. This book explains the different characteristics and personalities of serial killers in an interesting simple way.

[James Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate Dr. Grande's display of clinical and scientific rigor but the book was essentially a contemplation of whether personality theory would help explain why/how/whether a person becomes a serial killer. The answer, it does not.

Still, it was interesting to read the handful of insights that Dr. Grande shared into the behavior of these famous cases.

[Rachel Kannan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of an odd way to organize the pathology, would have expected something more likely to be understood by lay persons. It was too rigid in its application of those categories. Also was unclear how he picked the ones he did, and left out huge chunks of info on why he picked them or what they did, which is the most interesting part.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting information, but the book is so poorly written and edited that it really took away from my experience. I enjoy Dr. Grande’s youtube videos so I was quite disappointed by the quality of this book.

[Kiara Petticrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm more interested in the details of the murders BUT this was an insightful read. The likelihood of being targeted by a serial killer is so low but it's still good to know what personality traits to look for. Great read and a difference pace than I'm used to.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're into serial killers but don't know too much about them, I recommend this short read. Me, however, knows too much about them. I really didn't learn anything new.

[Daniel DeLappe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read and I loved how it was ended. Hoping the author writes more books like this. The conclusion was spot on

[Wild · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

So... it's a fast read? But I felt like the book was more of an outline for a more fleshed out book.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but not terribly in-depth. Several formatting errors.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t just a cut and dry telling of the crimes, and instead took a more in depth look at the mental issues of the killers.