Jak człowiek staje się mordercą. Mroczne opowieści psychiatry sądowego

by Richard Taylor, Andrzej Goździkowski (Translator)

'An intricate and brilliantly written psychiatric perspective on the most perplexing of crimes' Kerry Daynes, author of The Dark Side of the Mind

'Beautifully written and very dark' Nimco Ali OBE

'Whodunnit' doesn't matter so much, not to a forensic psychiatrist. We're more interested in the 'why'.

In his twenty-six years in the field, Richard Taylor has worked on well over a hundred murder cases, with victims and perpetrators from all walks of life. In this fascinating memoir, Taylor draws on some of the most tragic, horrific and illuminating of these cases - as well as dark secrets from his own family's past - to explore some of the questions he grapples with every day:

Why do people kill?
Does committing a monstrous act make someone a monster?
Could any of us, in the wrong circumstances, become a killer?

As Taylor helps us understand what lies inside the minds of those charged with murder - both prisoners he has assessed and patients he has treated - he presents us with the most important challenge of all: how can we even begin to comprehend the darkest of human deeds, and why it is so vital that we try?

The Mind of a Murderer is a fascinating exploration into the psyche of killers, as well as a unique insight into the life and mind of the doctor who treats them.For fans of Unnatural Causes, The Examined Life and All That Remains.

MORE PRAISE FOR THE MIND OF A MURDERER:

'A fascinating insight into what drives criminality - and a punchy polemic against mental-health service cuts' Jake Kerridge, Sunday Telegraph

'A dark, fascinating and often surprising glimpse into the minds of those who kill, from a forensic psychiatrist who's seen it all' Rob Williams, writer of BBC's The Victim

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Psychology, Crime, Audiobook, Science, Reportage

584 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2021

About the author

After graduating in medicine from University College London Richard went to work in the emergency room of a London teaching hospital. While dealing with major trauma, cardiac arrests and the walking wounded Richard found himself drawn to the narrative behind the clinical cases. Not so much how do we surgically remove a six-inch nail? Rather why did the patient hammer it into their own skull in the first place?

Richard trained in psychiatry at the Bethlem and Maudsley Hospitals and was inspired to specialise in forensic psychiatry after meeting his first patient charged with murder. Since that first case Richard has dealt with over 150 murder cases of all types as expert witness or as treating psychiatrist including those with multiple victims and a group of terrorists charged with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction.

It was these experiences that formed the basis of his first book, ‘The Mind of a Murderer’ which has received critical acclaim. ‘Chilling…. unsettling’ - The Sunday Times. ‘A fascinating insight into what drives criminality’ -The Sunday Telegraph. ‘An intricate and brilliantly written psychiatric perspective on the most perplexing of crimes’ - Forensic psychologist and author Kerry Daynes. ‘Beautifully written and very dark' Nimco Ali, Home Office advisor on violence against women and girls.'

It was published in January 2021 in the UK and Australia by Hachette Press. Translation rights have been sold for Polish, Russian, and Chinese (complex and simplified). Film and TV dramatisation rights have been optioned. Richard continues his work in forensic psychiatry facilitating treatment for those with mental disorder who either make or pose a threat in one way or another.

Reviews

[Nikola · Rating 4 out of 5]

*pominęłam rozdział o terroryzmie*
Bardzo dobra książka! Widziałam wiele zarzutów wokół tego, że autor często opowiada o swoim życiu prywatnym (podróże rowerem) i chciałabym się zabawić szybko w adwokata diabła. Nie dziwi mnie taka decyzja, w końcu w niektórych rozdziałach chodziło o to, żeby spojrzeć na osoby chore psychicznie jak na równego sobie człowieka, bo lata stygmatyzacji z nas to wypłukały. Jednocześnie lekarz przyjmujący na siebie emocje związane z morderstwem i dochodzeniem, a przede wszystkim leczeniem, też jest człowiekiem. Przejażdżki rowerem pomagały mu w jakiś sposób powrócić do rzeczywistości po różnych, ciężkich sprawach.
Nie jest to suchy podręcznik i warto być przygotowanym na życie samego lekarza (którego specjalizacja była pokierowana doświadczeniami rodzinnymi).
Najbardziej zainteresowały mnie początkowe rozdziały, bo są mi niejako najbliższe. Należy się również pochwała za zrozumiałe tłumaczenie pojęć z zakresu medycyny.

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review I had a reading crisis. This book is a 10 star plus, it's one of the best books I have ever, ever read and I was on the last chapter....How to make it last? The last time I was felt like this was Love in the Time of Cholera, years ago. Back then, I could discipline myself, only ten minutes reading, only x no. of pages, but I don't have the self-discipline now, besides I have the audio book (sadly, I couldn't get the print book fast enough!) Well I succumbed and finished it in a few hours, couldn't resist it.
__________

This book was fantastic. I've read a lot of psychology/crime books but none as full as this covering all kinds of murderers, their reasons, their mental issues in detail, the victim, what brought them to it, the legal and court side, the verdict, the sentence, the consequences for the murderer and society. Amazing!
__________

In the UK, over the last 10 years, an average of 80 women a year were killed by their partner or ex-partner. Almost all of them victims of domestic abuse. Only 2% of men died at the hands of their partners, almost all of them abusers of the women. Other women were killed during or after rape or other sexual violence. Most murders are committed by men, except for infanticide of a baby under one year old - then it is most often the mothers. (Out of 79,514 prisoners in the UK in 2020, only 4% were women). The author has discussed this in the introduction, and I am hoping that he is going to go into much more detail in the body of the book.

In the world, 19% of women in Eastern Europe and Central Asia have suffered sexual or physical abuse by their partner, in Western Europe the figure is 22%, North America 32% and in the Middle East and North Africa, 45%.

Figures are being skewed in the UK at least by sexual and violent crimes committed by transwomen being included with women meaning that a) women look like they are committing more sexual assaults, rapes and murders and b) not being able to see the true figures of violent crimes and murders committed against transwomen because they are trans and that is obviously a thing. Planning for reduction of risk, punishment or treatment and rehabilitation of offenders, possible changes in the law, and other issues including children, need accurate statistics. No one is winning by conflating these figures. Police in the UK have been asked to stop doing this and have, apart from Scotland, agreed to comply.

[Ruthy lavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could well be the best written and most informative book I have read about forensic psychiatry.
It was very long but still not long enough!
Fascinating and highly interesting, yet honest and at times harrowing, it has given me a new found respect for the incredible people who work in this field.

[Ola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liczyłam na więcej!
Tematyka ciekawa, ale podana w chaotyczny i średnio przystępny sposób, ze zbyt dużą rolą autora. Wydaje mi się, że zdecydowana większość sięga po tą książkę, żeby poznać powód popełniania przez ludzi zbrodni, a nie aby dowiedzieć się co autor je w weekendy na obiad (spaghetti z owocami morza).

[Caroline]

I'm not going to rate this book, as the more I read the more I realised that the book is fine, but I am not the right reader for it. I've discovered something. I find books about murderers boring. I like watching who dunnits on television - fiction, or even factual documentaries about detectives working on a case, but generally I don't like reading about murders and murderers. I did however keep going, as there were snips about psychology and psychiatric services provision that kept me going.

Anti-social personality disorder and psychopaths.

How does someone become antisocial? This is the subject of extensive research, but rather than being a product of birth, much antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) can be explained in terms of nurture or childhood experience. The diagnosis requires evidence of disordered conduct before fifteen, and adult behaviours such as unlawful behaviour, impulsivity, recklessness and irresponsibility. ASPD is common, with as many as two thirds of male prisoners fitting the description..... But there is a small subset of those with ASPD who have a more severe disturbance and who also meet the criteria for psychopathy (or who have high scores on the psychopathy checklist). It's in this group that there is increasing evidence of a more heritable set of biological traits.

James Blair, an American researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health, as suggested that the neurobiology of the brain explains the reduced 'moral reasoning' in psychopaths. The amygdala, a part of the brain deep in the temporal lobe, has been shown in research to be a key structure in the processing of memory, decision-making and emotional responses, such as disgust, fear, anxiety and aggression. In psychopaths the amygdala fails to send the correct signals to the decision-making brain structures ... But this does not explain everything, we need to understand how life experiences may provide a link between brain and behaviour.

The PCL-R, or 'psychopath test'

The PCL-R consists of twenty 'scoring items'. These include abnormal personality traits and deviant behaviour patterns such as glib/superficial charm, need for stimulation, pathological lying, lack of remorse or guild, parasitic lifestyle,callous lack of empathy, failure to accept responsibility, impulsiveness, irresponsibility, poor behaviour controls, juvenile delinquency and criminal versatility.

For the psychopaths at the severe end of the spectrum, the hospital-based units for dangerous severe personality disorder (DSPD) have all been subsequently abandoned, as at least half the psychopaths refused to even engage in the therapy, never mind make any progress. They are also adept at putting up a false front and 'pseudo cooperation', of course. The management of this group has, in recent years, been moved back into the high-security prison system.

Self-Harm

We were asked not to reward the behaviour but also not to punish it. In other words, you couldn't be too consoling, and so provide positive attention, while on the other hand, you couldn't be overly harsh and dismissive. This is because the motives for self-harm are complex: the shedding of blood, the experience of pain, the wish for punishment and the response of others can all be 'reinforcing'. Instead, what was needed was a 'just right' approach, which meant maintaining a calm, neutral attitude while diligently repairing the damage done.

Psychiatric care

While the NHS rhetoric is about care in the community, the reality is financial savings. Inpatient beds do cost money as they require staff around the clock, but we have gone way below the critical mass needed to provide safe care.

Cycles of dysfunction

You can't change your own childhood, but you can try and learn from it and give your children a different experience.

As a forensic psychiatrist, i was hearing accounts of far more damaging experiences than mere separations and house moves. Severe neglect and abuse were the norm in the back-stories of most prisoners and patients....It seemed clear to me that there is an inter-generational transmission of abusive and neglectful parenting.

Domestic violence

Domestic violence in a relationship can start all too quickly, with the short period of blissful contentment cut brutally short. Anger fuelled by jealousy degenerates into rows, beatings and even rape, and ultimately murder. It is common to see accusations of infidelity, even by those who are themselves being unfaithful. In other words, 'I can have what I want, including you, but you must be loyal to me.' The egocentricity of narcissism is a common them that we find in many types of killers, from domestic abusers to spree killers and school shooters.

The excess of male aggression is not a new problem, but it can't be ignored as men make up ninety-five per cent of the prison population in the UK. Neither is it just down to testosterone-fuelled, biological differences as, of course, social and cultural expectations and poor 'modelling' of paternal behaviour all clearly play a part.

Borderline Personality Disorder

This is a common diagnosis in Holloway (Prison). It involves unstable and intense relationships; unstable self-image; impulsivity; recurrent suicidal behaviour, threats or self-mutilating behaviour, affective (mood) instability. BPD almost always arises after serious childhood abuse of one form or another..

Borderline patients have often been turned away by psychiatric services or deemed 'untreatable' (although treatment is much more widely available now.) Trying to help can be a challenge, as they have an unfortunate knack of provoking an inconsistent reaction, and sometimes even rejection from therapists, which the patient's disturbed development has taught them to expect from others......

(Because of abuse) they become convinced, in later life, that everyone will always let them down or take advantage of them, and so may act in a way that provokes the worst reaction in others, ironically fulfilling their pessimistic expectation.....

It is essential that I monitor my reaction or 'counter-transference' to patients. If a patient makes me irritated, exasperated or angry, I have to make use of what this tells me rather than react to it blindly.

If a therapist treating a patient with BPD lets them down by being late, cancelling a session or going on holiday, this can precipitate severe denigration of the therapist, catastrophic thinking, vociferous complaints and recurrence of self-harm. If you want to treat this group you have to be consistent and reliable, as they often struggle to cope with unexpected events.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Narcissists tend to require constant attention and excessive admiration, and they expect to be recognised as superior. They exaggerate their own achievements are are preoccupied with fantasies about success, power and beauty. They can be exploitative or manipulative to get what they want, and they have an inability or unwillingness to recognise the needs and feelings of other above their own. They may insist on having the best car or the best office; they may demand the most comfortable bunk in the prison cell; or they may be come angry if they're not the first patient to be seen.....

People with narcissistic personality disorder also have trouble handling anything they perceive as criticism, and they may have difficulty regulating emotions and behaviour. It has been suggested that narcissists lose sight of their 'true self', replacing it via grandiosity with a 'false self', which has the function of shielding themselves from narcissistic injury through feelings of omnipotence.

This means that the narcissist may take what they think they deserve through fraud or deception, lacking compunction or guilt, and disregarding the impact of their behaviour on others. When thwarted or challenged, they might then react impulsively.

Narcissism is intimately connected to the concept of the psychopath, as the narcissistic traits of grandiosity and lack of empathy are items on the psychopathy checklist, and it has been said that if you take a narcissist and add antisocial behaviour and sadism, then you end up with a psychopath. Narcissism is also a thread that runs through many areas of forensic psychiatry, as it helps us to understand the behaviour of fraudsters, con men, murderers of intimate partners, stalkers, querulants and spree shooters.

In extreme examples, the false self of the narcissist can be expressed through pathological lying....and adopting a completely new identity as an imposter.

Machiavellianism.

This is a bit of a fringe notion and not an official psychiatric diagnosis. Machiavellianism refers to the use of self-interest strategies, such as deceit, flattery and emotional detachment, to manipulate social and interpersonal interactions. The combination of Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy is referred to as the 'dark triad' of personality traits and is thought to be associated with adverse workplace behaviours and financial misbehaviour.

Child-rearing

Research has shown that harsh discipline doesn't actually work as a child-rearing strategy, especially with the most anti-social kids. Fledgling psychopaths with callous-emotional traits often make excellent bullies, choosing skilfully how best to hurt their victims without caring about the impact, and they are notably impervious to punishment.

Child psychiatrist Stephen Scott studied video recordings of child-parent interactions and found that really effective parents use far more carrot than stick. Praise and incentives. Improve parent-child interaction through relationship-building. Set clear expectations and use non-violent management strategies as a consequence for non-compliance or problem behaviour.....

Judicial approaches like 'scared straight', boot camp, short, sharp shocks or youth imprisonment may seem plausible, and are often espoused by populist politicians looking to impress voters with their law-and-order credentials, but the evidence is that they don't produce any benefits.

Family interventions that that the other tack have been shown to reduce youth-offending rates by a third to a half. These interventions aim to help parents develop the right carrot/stick combination, promote time with a pro-social peer group, sort out after school activities and empower the family to be assertive in dealing with neighbourhood problems. Admittedly that last item is a tough nut to crack on a London housing estate.

How much carrot and how much stick?

In research, the best foster parents - those who repeatedly turn around behaviourally disturbed kids - give positive praise or neutral feedback thirty times more frequently than negative criticism.

With this empirical evidence in mind, I have found myself consciously trying to use more positive re-enforcement of good behaviour than telling-off for bad with my own kids

Feltham Young Offenders Institution

Young offenders will find themselves somewhere such as Feltham, a troubled place where violent incidents, high levels of self-harm and assaults against staff are rife. As a result, it's more intimidating than many adult prisons I visit, where many inmates just want a quiet life on a settled wing.

This book has had excellent reviews though, and my idiosyncratic dislike of it is I think just that.

[marieska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Myślę, że jest to idealna książka dla każdego kto interesuję się psychiatrią sądową, kryminologią czy nawet kryminalistyką – polecam z całego serca ^^

[Flapper72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book. I am a hospital consultant but we get so caught up in our own specialities that we loose any knowledge/insight into the working of others in healthcare. This book was astounding, reeducating me and opening my eyes to the the stress, challenges of all that work in healthcare. I thought my job could be stressful but to make decisions about planning reintroducing forensic patients back into the community? Then to have to defend those decisions when the trajectory of that person doesn't go to plan. Wow. I really was taken aback by that level of responsibility and stress. Anyway, that's obviously what has stuck with me but the information about bad v mad. The assessment of people to work out whether they are mentally unwell and actually lack capacity or whether their mental health is just part of the bigger pictures was amazingly interesting. Dr Taylor shared the interface with his family (a relative who had killed her own child) as well as living a normal life with a wife and children and then have to interview a serial murderer. This made the book and Dr Taylor feel real with out taking away from the integrity of the book. He also brought to my attention how governments have to accept responsibility for the desecration of in patient care for psychiatry patients and how we, as a society, need to make big decisions for communities and societies to try and and reduce individuals learnt behaviour and try and stop them entering the spiral of deprivation, mental ill health and for some crime. He's not suggesting that these are easy decisions but the people in this book are products of our society. It's not acceptable for it to be 'them' and 'us'. They do bad things, are bad people. How have they come to that? How can we stop people committing such awful crimes? Are they really 'just mad' even 'just bad' or is it far more complex than that?

[Lizzie S · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mind of a Murderer is a fascinating non-fiction book by Richard Taylor, a forensic psychiatrist based in London. Part memoir and part research overview, The Mind of a Murderer takes the reader through a variety of motivations for murder - financial gain, anger, psychosis, terrorism - and walks the reader through the steps leading up to the murder. There is also some discussion of rehabilitation and prisoners' rights and of determination of incarceration or hospitalization. This is a fascinating read for anyone, but, as a mental health professional in an outpatient setting, I enjoyed this quite a lot. It's always good to have a reminder to take it seriously when there are signs of risk of harm to others.

[Tanja Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good! The author is a forensic psychiatrist and he takes us through the different kinds of murders and murderers. Men who kill because they are mentally ill, men who kill their partners, women who kill their partners, sexual deviants, murders for financial gains. It’s thoughtful and personal, highly recommended!

[madzia · Rating 1 out of 5]

nie, nie i jeszcze raz nie. w książce jest więcej informacji o samym autorze niż interesujących faktów na temat morderstw.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[melisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

[booksbytheboats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating… and disturbing! This is one of the best non fiction books I’ve ever read. Totally absorbing as Dr Richard Taylor recalls cases he’s worked on there include some of the worst murders committed by some of the worst people… and also some of the saddest murders caused by unresolved issues, e.g postpartum psychosis.

Unlike other NF I’ve read of a similar calibre, this doesn’t focus too much on the scientific side of things. Of course it explains the inner workings of the brain but there is a much heavier focus on the cases rather than the causes.

Perfect for true crime lovers… but do approach with caution as some of the sections such as Women who kill their Children can be hard to read.

[agnieszka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Milion informacji z zycia autora ktore nic nie wnosiły, niby mozna sie dowiedziec wiele ciekawych rzeczy ale jednak ksiazka moglaby by byc ze 100 stron krotsza gdyby wyjac te bezsensowne opowiesci o autorze.

[Ewa (humanizmowo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Przez dłuższy czas czytałam tą książkę po kilka stron w dużych odstępach czasu. Jednak ostatnio udało mi się ją skończyć w dwa wieczory. Była całkiem dobra, ale liczyłam na większą wnikliwość i mniej wątków z życia.

[Diane in Australia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars = It definitely held my interest.

Richard is a forensic psychiatrist based in London. This book is a collection of case studies that take us through the many reasons folks commit murder. He also delves into how difficult it is to make decisions about reintroducing patients back into society. If all doesn't go as hoped for, the weight of those decisions can be devastating.

[Cozytimebooks_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Najciekawsza ze wszystkich

[Sarah Faichney · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Mind of a Murderer" is the best book I've read of its kind. Dr Richard Taylor gives us a real, invaluable insight into forensic psychiatry. I particularly appreciated the ways in which he illustrates the impact on the practitioner, whilst delving into the minds of those who have committed the most heinous crimes. Dr Taylor humanises murderers, which is important because we can't possibly begin to understand and address issues if we dismiss killers as monsters. On the surface they're often normal, everyday people like you and I. 

What strikes me most about Dr Taylor is his uncompromising humanity and compassion. He speaks of his own family and the driving force behind his work. We learn about ingrained societal problems, such as toxic masculinity and poor nurturing in childhood, and receive a reasoned response to the nature/nurture debate. Dr Taylor has a strong sense of justice and fair treatment for patients in custody. He effectively demystifies the court process and highlights issues with the current punitive system. "The Mind of a Murderer" is an eclectic collection of anecdotes and case studies which demonstrate various motivations for murder. I listened to the audiobook which was narrated very well by the author. An outstanding work of non-fiction. Highly recommend!

[karolina]

Nie mam pojęcia, na ile gwiazdek to ocenić😭😭

Ogólnie książka na pewno nie jest dla osób, które oczekują suchych faktów o psychice morderców. Jest w niej pełno „ciekawostek” z życia autora, które nie są nam w żadnym stopniu potrzebne - można się na przykład dowiedzieć, gdzie autor był na miesiącu miodowym, co robił w sylwestra danego roku lub jaką szerokość końcówki ma jego ulubiony cienkopis (❗️spojler❗️ : 0,3mm).

Jak na 580 stron naprawdę duża część z nich była zbędnymi informacjami, przez które męczyłam się niemiłosiernie samym czytaniem niektórym rozdziałów.

Mimo wszystko szanuje bardzo pracę pana autora (to wcale nie tak, że ją hejtowalam 5 sekund temu🤪) i nadal czytelnicy otrzymują od niego masę ciekawych informacji i historii!!
Aczkolwiek w momencie zaczęcia tej książki musicie mieć w 100% ochotę na jej przeczytanie, bo inaczej prowadzi ona do zastoju czytelniczego😀

[KaruzelaNaKoparce · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF 75% Całkiem ciekawe historie psychiatry sądowego tonące jednak w morzu detali z życia autora - jak to sobie przyciął drzwiami palec, albo jak testował stołówki więzienne i która jest najlepsza, o zajęciach pozalekcyjnych i treningach sportowych swoich dzieci, jaki lubi nosić krawat. Ostatnie 25% książki nie było warte, żeby przebijać się przez tego typu duperele.

[Aleksandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

Doszłam do połowy książki?, ale już dalej nie dałam rady. Autor większość czasu poświęca nie mordercom i morderstwom, których dokonują, ale własnym rozmyślaniom. I przeżyciom, pod tytułem wtedy pojechaliśmy z rodziną tu, a wtedy tam. Super. Tyle że to nie o tym miało być.

(O morderstwach jest po pare zdań, także super, dziękuję ALE NIE).

[Iga Nesterowicz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Można się sporo dowiedzieć, plusem jest tez to ze niektóre sytuacje są na podstawie prawdziwych nazwisk. Minusem to, że 1/4 książki to życie autora, które nic nie wnosi do książki

[Wiktoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

podoba mi się to że jest to pisane z perspektywy autora, historie jego rodziny i fragmenty jego życia były bardzo ciekawe

[Aellirenn Czyta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dlaczego ludzie zabijają?

Psychiatra sądowy Richard Taylor pracował nad ponad setką spraw dotyczących morderstw. W swojej książce mocno skupia się na motywach dokonanych zbrodni.

Ta książka jest naszpikowana informacjami. Szczęśliwie autor potrafi je przekazać w sposób łatwy do zrozumienia, nawet jeśli pisze o swojej profesji, o której zwykły Kowalski nie ma pojęcia. Pomiędzy warstwami informacyjnymi, Taylor dodaje nam odrobinę prywaty i pokazuje swoje życie. To było dobre zagranie, bo choć tych fragmentów nie ma wiele, to dają wytchnienie między jedną sprawą a drugą.

Autor mocno dał mi do myślenia. Okazuje się bowiem, że nikt nie rodzi się mordercą, za to wcale nie aż tak trudno się nim stać. Czasem są to zaburzenia psychiczne, czasem sposób wychowania, czasem po prostu lawina przypadków. Właściwie dwie ostatnie przyczyny też przeważnie kończą się zaburzeniami. I to jest clou tej książki - warto korzystać z pomocy psychiatrycznej, kiedy dzieje się z nami coś nie tak. Warto też obserwować bliskich i zaoferować im pomoc, kiedy coś w ich zachowaniu wyda nam się nietypowe w negatywnym znaczeniu.

Brawo też dla autora za nieocenianie zbrodniarzy. Tak wygląda dobra literatura faktu - autor przedstawia fakty, ale opinię pozostawia czytelnikowi.

Polecam.

[Clary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miałam w tym semestrze na studiach przedmiot psychologia kryminalna, co zainspirowało mnie do przeczytania w końcu tej książki. Z mojej perspektywy była naprawdę dobra -solidna i rzetelna. Dało się dostrzec ogrom wiedzy i doświadczenia autora, a jednocześnie fajny styl pisania, sprawiający że szybko i łatwo się to czytało. Pojęcia i teorie były wytłumaczone w sposób prosty, ale dokładny. Zwróciłam uwagę na duże skupienie wokół kwestii prawnych, co może być plusem albo minusem w zależności od perspektywy. Tym, co mi naprawdę przeszkadzało było nadmierne wdawanie się w szczegóły (czy naprawdę potrzebuję wiedzieć, co gotował na sylwestra albo jak wygląda jego samochód, kiedy niczego to nie wnosi?) oraz momentami "skakanie" z tematu na temat.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Ta książka nie byla dla mnie zaskoczeniem pod względem tego ile się od niej naucze. Jednak sprawiła ze inaczej patrzę na tego typu sprawy. Prawdziwość pokazana w tej książce bardzo mi się podobała. To jak autor przeplata swoje życie z zawodem uswiadomila mnie w fakcie ile czasu ludzie potrafią poświecić swojej pracy.

[sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

very fascinating! contrary to many reviews i’ve read, i actually really liked the fact that the author put himself in the book a lot, it made the read more interesting to me
the only minus to me is that it kinda dragged on towards the end but to be fair that might just be a me problem

[Czarixi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Niesamowita książka, ale jedynie dla osób o mocnych nerwach i nie wrażliwych. Mocno przeżywałam te historie. Jednak jest to pierwsza książka o takiej tematyce, którą przeczytałam, więc na pewno zapadnie mi na długo w pamięci

[Nick Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. Different from several of the other forensic science memoirs I have read in that the author takes a more academic and low-key look at a number of cases in which he has been involved as a forensic psychiatrist, most of which are less well-known cases which haven’t caught public attention quite as much as the headline cases of some books I have read. Which isn’t to say they are any less interesting as a consequence, in fact the tone and content makes for some very well argued points and a thorough introduction to the work determining whether criminals are responsible for their actions and to what extent (mad, sad or bad).

At times I found the prose slightly rambling where the author diverted from his point and went on biographical tangents, and I think perhaps the book could have been a little shorter and more focussed, but this certainly was an interesting introduction to a more medically based area of the criminal psychology field.

[ksiazkowe.portale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bardzo dobrze edukująca książka!

Przybliżyła mnie do wielu ważnych i niejasnych dotąd spraw.

Nie jest chaotyczna, a dokładna, dosadna.

Jeżeli lubicie takie tematy sądzę, że to dobry tytuł na wgłębienie się bardziej w system sądownictwa i psychiatrii sądowej!