The Psychopath Whisperer

The Science of Those Without Conscience

By: Kent A. Kiehl

Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau

We know of psychopaths from chilling headlines and stories in the news and movies - from Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy to Hannibal Lecter and Dexter Morgan. As Dr. Kent Kiehl shows, psychopaths can be identified by a checklist of symptoms that includes pathological lying; lack of empathy, guilt, and remorse; grandiose sense of self-worth; manipulation; and failure to accept one’s actions. But why do psychopaths behave the way they do? Is it the result of their environment - how they were raised - or is there a genetic component to their lack of conscience?

This is the question Kiehl, a protégé of famed psychopath researcher Dr. Robert Hare, was determined to answer as he began his career 20 years ago. To aid in his quest to unravel the psychopathic mind, Kiehl created the first mobile functional MRI scanner to study psychopaths in prison populations. The brains of more than 500 psychopaths and 3,000 other offenders have been scanned by Kiehl’s laboratory - the world’s largest forensic neuroscience repository of its kind. Over the course of The Psychopath Whisperer, we follow the scientific bread crumbs that Kiehl uncovered to show that the key brain structures that correspond with emotional engagement and reactions are diminished in psychopaths, offering new clues to how to predict and treat the disorder.

In The Psychopath Whisperer, Kiehl describes in fascinating detail his years working with psychopaths and studying their thought processes - from the remorseless serial killers he meets with behind bars to children whose behavior and personality traits exhibit the early warning signs of psychopathy.

A compelling narrative of cutting-edge science, The Psychopath Whisperer will open your eyes on a fascinating but little-understood world, with startling implications for society, the law, and our personal lives.

©2014 Kent A. Kiehl (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Ev'thing you wanted to know but were afraid to ask

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This book is a mostly entertaining, first hand account of Kiehl’s professional experiences studying criminal psychopaths. It is informative without getting too technical (though there is a heavy focus on Kiehl’s brain imagining work) and the listener will come away with both a sense of who/what constitutes a psychopath as well as the somewhat unsettling notion that there are still more unknowns than knowns about its causes and treatments. Kiehl relates all this in a breezy, informal narrative that includes many fascinating case studies of youth and adults he has worked with over several decades. The title is probably misleading – Kiehl makes no claims to having any great gifts or abilities to relate to psychopaths but what the book does admirably is to shed light on the many falsehoods, misconceptions, and unknowns we have about this (thankfully) small sub-set of humankind. The narration is good in conveying Kielh as the “kind of guy you would like to go out with for a beer” while also subtly reminding the listener that these are real people we are hearing about. My only complaint is that the narrative occasionally diverges too much from the topic or digresses into detailed tangents (e.g. the procuring of various MRI machines) that could have either been edited down or out. Still, as long as you are neither scared off or repulsed by the topic, TPW is worth a read.

Excellent data.

Great insight, in the debate of "nature vs nurture" it gives a clear point to nature.

Excellent!

One of the best books I have read in a long time! Extremely engaging!

Amazing clarity and explanation of topic

I've been listening to many books regarding psychopathy for years, but this one is the first to help the general public understand the quantifiable metrics an MRI generates that can support the checklist with actual science. Riveting!

Absolutely fascinating

This was an incredible read...extremely fascinating to dive into Kent Kiehl’s career and research.

Excellent

I think this book was a little more formal and detailed than what I expected I thought it would be in more of a story form. However, it was very good, very educational, and enlightening. It had some comical moments and was well-read.

Science book with a good story

Very interesting, but I maybe want more scientific facts and research compared to personal facts about the author (but maybe those nudges about all those steaks just pisses me as a vegetarian... ). Also the title is somewhat confusing and probably made just for marketing purposes.

Enjoy every minutes and words

I truly enjoy every minutes listening and words reading this book. Informative yet good sense of humor.

Insightful and Intriguing

I was assigned this book for a class I am taking on Serial Killers and Mass Murderers. It was extremely insightful and educational. Dr. Kiehl is so intelligent, I appreciate the way he explained the complex material that would otherwise be difficult for the average citizen to understand. I had just finished taking psychology prior to this book so it was very interesting to hear the relation between these crimes and human behavior and the mind!

Excellent

Absolutely one of the most riveting audiobooks I have ever listened to. The author was knowledgeable about his subject and also picked the most entertaining anecdotes to tell. Very much recommend.