SUBCLINICAL PSYCHOPATHS

Book excerpt: It is estimated that psychopaths make up about 1 percent of the general population. They do everything that a normal person does, with the exception that they possess no empathy and/or conscience toward others, are highly skilled in the art of manipulation, and they have no compunction using others to get what they want and are masters at it. This book is intended for mental health professionals who want to know more about a phenomenon that is both fascinating and scary and who seek to gain information about a topic that, thus far, has received scant attention from researchers. The authors focus on a number of different areas concerning subclinical psychopathy, with some chapters being more technical than others primarily due to the nature of the data reported. Chapters include: An Introduction to Subclinical Psychopathy; A Short History of Psychopathy; What is Subclinical Psychopathy?; The Psychopathic Brain; Child and Adolescent Psychopaths; Interpersonal Relationships; Personality Factors—How to Detect Psychopaths; Treatment for Psychopathy; and How to Deal with the Psychopath in Your Life. While the book is not a treatise on subclinical psychopathy, after reading it, readers will walk away with a better understanding of the subject.