The Psychopath Test by Ron Jonson follows Jonson on his “journey through the madness industry.” An awarding winning journalist, Jonson leaves no stone unturned while investigating psychopaths and their effects on society. This book looks at how to identify psychopaths, the “cures” that have been believed to remedy psychopathy, and where in society that psychopaths can be found. This nonfiction book manages to snatch your interest and be informational at the same time. Jonson starts his adventure with a neurologist named Deborah Talmi. She had been included in a list of other neurologists ho received a copy of the book “Being or Nothingness.” The search for the author leads Jonson to the topic of psychopaths. He decides he wants to research the effect that psychopaths have on society. He first learns what a psychopath is and what sets them apart from the rest of the population. On this journey he meets with a young man in an asylum for the criminally insane, an old war lord, and interestly enough the old CEO of Sunbeam. He chases after the thought that there is a higher percentage of psychopaths in the realm of business executives. Most people wouldn’t accuse a CEO of being a psychopath, but Jonson isn’t new to controversy, as his other books such as “The Men Who Stare at Goat” have caused some debates. Jonson’s in-depth research makes this book stand out. His mastery of language allows him to cover a wide range of topics in few words without leaving the reader confused. He combines fact, humor, and eloquence to create a book that is both factual and entertaining. It is a New York Times Bestseller for a reason. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this book is when Jonson decides to investigate psychopaths that hold jobs at the top of the business world. He happens on this topic when world-renowned psychiatrist Bob Hare tells him that, “Serial killers ruin families. Corporate and political and religious psychopaths ruin economies. They ruin societies.” The way he presents the information that he finds is slightly terrifying. He suggests that psychopaths are quite common and are everywhere. This book is truly a great read. It grabs your attention and keeps it throughout the entire book. Like all good books it makes you think for hours after you’ve finished it. It makes you question your own sanity and that is why I think that everyone should embark on this journey with Jonson.
Jonson starts his adventure with a neurologist named Deborah Talmi. She had been included in a list of other neurologists ho received a copy of the book “Being or Nothingness.” The search for the author leads Jonson to the topic of psychopaths. He decides he wants to research the effect that psychopaths have on society. He first learns what a psychopath is and what sets them apart from the rest of the population. On this journey he meets with a young man in an asylum for the criminally insane, an old war lord, and interestly enough the old CEO of Sunbeam. He chases after the thought that there is a higher percentage of psychopaths in the realm of business executives. Most people wouldn’t accuse a CEO of being a psychopath, but Jonson isn’t new to controversy, as his other books such as “The Men Who Stare at Goat” have caused some debates.
Jonson’s in-depth research makes this book stand out. His mastery of language allows him to cover a wide range of topics in few words without leaving the reader confused. He combines fact, humor, and eloquence to create a book that is both factual and entertaining. It is a New York Times Bestseller for a reason.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this book is when Jonson decides to investigate psychopaths that hold jobs at the top of the business world. He happens on this topic when world-renowned psychiatrist Bob Hare tells him that, “Serial killers ruin families. Corporate and political and religious psychopaths ruin economies. They ruin societies.” The way he presents the information that he finds is slightly terrifying. He suggests that psychopaths are quite common and are everywhere.
This book is truly a great read. It grabs your attention and keeps it throughout the entire book. Like all good books it makes you think for hours after you’ve finished it. It makes you question your own sanity and that is why I think that everyone should embark on this journey with Jonson.