by Jon Ronson
This book is completely fascinating.
I was especially interested about madness in the media. It's completely true. I love watching trashy reality TV shows because they're just mad enough. I can watch and judge and feel content in the fact that I'm not as crazy as those people. We are a society of schadenfreude.
The people Ronson interviewed are remarkably interesting, from Scientologists to psychologists to psychopaths. I mean the man interviewed Toto Constant! Just about everything I read in this book was a shock. And Ronson's writing style makes the complex accessible to the average reader. I am now a fan. I plan to read "Them" next. I appreciate Ronson's open mindedness about the subjects and the people her pursues.
"The Psychopath Test" is like nothing else I've picked up. The only word I have to describe it is "fascinating." The people who devote their lives to psychology or fighting psychology, they are all so convinced of how right they are. And truly, I believe that everyone is mad. I do think that society on the whole is over diagnosed. We all have madness in us and it's better to accept that and live in a way that makes it work for us, without harming ourselves or others, rather than trying to curse ourselves of our mad tendencies. But, as for psychopaths, I don't know that there is much hope of curing their madness. All I know is that putting them in facilities together and giving them LSD is not the way to do it. Maybe they really are a completely different breed. Maybe there is nothing that can be done for them.
This book will make you question and consider psychology, medication, the people around you. I think reading this book will help anyone feel sane.
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