A chilling and provocative scientific dissection of the psychopath's brain

Are psychopaths 'evil' and untreatable, or do they suffer from a form of mental illness comparable to schizophrenia? Do they have free will? Do we?

'A fascinating and terrifying book, and a potential life saver.' The New Yorker

Fact: A psychopath is 6 times more likely to commit a new crime after release from prison.

Fact: Some forms of group therapy make psychopaths more likely to commit a new crime compared to no treatment at all.

Fact: A psychopath is born every 47 seconds.

In this terrifying and exhilarating account, neuroscientist Kent Kiehl guides us through the dark world of a psychopath's mind, a disconnected place where emotion is dead and guilt is absent. Drawing on groundbreaking research, including personality surveys and brain imaging scans of thousands of criminals, Kiehl pinpoints the biological machinery of psychopathy and offers a radical new perspective on identifying and treating the psychopaths in our midst.

'Absorbing and accessible... compelling... a staggering study into the minds of those without a conscience.' Daily Mail