The Wisdom of Psychopaths: What Saints, Spies, and Serial Killers Can Teach Us About Success Paperback – September 3, 2013

This is a review from someone who's opinion counts..I am a psychopath. This is one of the first books I have ever read that has not labelled us all as kinds of inhuman monsters lurking along the outskirts of life, looking for our next "victims" - and it's the first volume I have ever read which made me understand that I do not have a "personality disorder"...Psychopath's do not have "disorders", we are a different breed of human being. I suppose just as there are different breeds of wolves, or antelopes, etc. all which fall under the same broad stroke species..Our brains are formed, wired and function very differently than the brains of non-psychopathic people. This book is chock full of studies, tests and social experiments which confirm this; and more than that which show in many instances that the right amount of psychopathology in a personality can actually be a very valuable asset, especially when it really counts in life.This is a totally impartial, insightful, and incredibly well written (and humorous) work of literature, which finally takes a slant on psychopathology which is not stained with automatic negativity and disdain toward us as human beings. We are different yes, less fit for normal society in many ways than our non - psychopathic counterparts in life (normal people); Yet more fit and ept in many ways and for the newer society emerging before us, the fast pace, cut throat, capitalistic feeding frenzy which is becoming the world. This book does an amazing job of pointing this out, and trying to discover what "our" psychopathic purpose and origin may be on earth, and among the human race.Finally people may begin to understand that some of the bravest, successful, and outright phenomenal people on this earth are psychopaths. Unfortunately some of us with the psychopathic "dials" turned all the way up (as Dr. Dutton so perfectly puts it) have also been responsible for some of the worst atrocities ever recorded in history...In my humble opinion, this is a matter of choice. We as psychopaths are basically capable of doing whatever we want to do, without any "internal" turmoil, guilt or remorse attached.That does not mean however that we do not have a free will, and do not have a choice as to the actions we take or how we utilize that gift (if we can call it that). This book does an excellent job of illustrating this point very subtly and reminding us of the fact that people choose their own paths, and that a psychopath can be anything from a top CEO, to a firefighter, to an SAS agent - right down to a notorious serial killer. It may be harder for a psychopath to be a "good person" as defined by society due to our limitations and lack of conscience..But it is possible for us to integrate and do the right things. I do it everyday, its a choice I make.It is very, very difficult to put this book down, and the information within is relayed in such a way that it leaves you thinking much more deeply than when you picked it up...You will certainly never think of psychopaths the same way again..Personally I can't wait to read it again..A very big thumbs up from this psychopath Dr. Dutton...Thank you.

Kevin Dutton has accomplished that rare combination of scientifically informed, well-referenced and narrative-rich adventure characteristic of top quality non-fiction. He has succeeded in crafting a compelling and thought-provoking ride through the psyche, populated with fascinating characters that are at turns chilling and intriguing. Dutton has transcended the reductionist thinking that so often attends his subject matter to raise important existential, moral and scientific questions that will linger with the reader long after the last page has been turned. That this book functions as part mystery, part research review, part travelogue and part personal adventure is one notable component of its enduring relevance. Highly recommended, particularly for psychologists who are bored with the shoddy lack of empiricism in many popular science books. Dutton is a psychologist's psychologist, weaving his tale from a hearty base of peer-reviewed scientific evidence and a spirit of intellectual and moral curiosity, even volunteering himself as experimental participant along the way. Dutton's critical evaluation of research findings in his field of enquiry, his astute contextualisations and his frequent links between disparate studies were a pleasure. This book challenges much conventional psychological wisdom on monsters and saints, revealing what James Bond, a serial killer, a Christian apostle and a Buddhist monk have in common with literary flair. One minor gripe is that Dutton did not substantively critique the Five Factor model of personality, despite his insightful critiques of constructs such as "the psychopath". Non-psychologists who read this book may benefit from a reminder that Dutton uses terms like 'empathy' in their scientific rather than colloquial sense, so his definitions of familiar words may seem unfamiliar to readers not familiar with the peer-reviewed literature. Overall, one of the best books I've read in a while.