The Psychopath Whisperer

“By primate standards, humans are intensely social, affiliative, and empathic. Thus, we are fascinated with the rare individuals who lack those traits…. In this superb book written by one of the pioneers in this field, Kent Kiehl explores what is different about the brains of psychopaths. This is a clear, accessible account of the science and, in addition, an appealing personal story of how Kiehl has gone about his unique science.” – Robert Sapolsky, Professor of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University

 
Psychopaths have been in the spotlight for many years due to headlines and stories in the news and in movies. But why do psychopaths behave the way they do? Is it the result of their environment or is there a genetic component to their lack of conscience?
 
This is the question Dr. Kent Kiehl, a protégé of famed psychopath researcher Dr. Robert Hare, was determined to answer as he began his career twenty years ago. To aid his quest, Dr. Kiehl created the first mobile functional MRI scanner to study psychopaths in prison populations. More than five hundred psychopaths and three thousand other offenders have been scanned by Dr. Kiehl’s laboratory—the world’s largest forensic neuroscience repository of its kind.
 
In The Psychopath Whisperer, we follow the scientific trail that Dr. 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. Dr. Kiehl describes in detail his years working with and studying psychopaths—from remorseless serial killers to children whose behavior and personality traits exhibit the early warning signs of psychopathy.