Update: I just finished
The Psychopath Test. After hearing Megan and Kaye rave about it, I had to give it a try. And I loved it. It was a very hard book to put down. I know I say that about virtually every book I read (Except for
The Magus--that book was easy to put down), but in this case it was particularly true. It made me laugh out loud in many places. The author is such a good writer, I've decided to read his other books! I thought the nuanced look at the Madness Industry was great too. It seems like most authors are either thoroughly for modern psychiatry or thoroughly against, but Ronson seemed pretty openminded. It made for fascinating, thought provoking reading. I guess I don't have much else to add to Megan's review, just that I concur. Great, thoroughly interesting book.
-Kristin
I really enjoyed
The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson! A few things in the book were old news thanks to This American Life. I knew one of the stories of the psychopaths he met (which I could hear about repeatedly, so that's ok) and knew all about the test after a whole episode dedicated to it. But Ronson is an excellent storyteller. The book starts with a fun mystery at the beginning, not related to the test, but which eventually led him to discovering its existence. He then goes to a workshop to learn about the test and starts spotting psychopathic behavior everywhere, even in himself! There are interviews with very scary psychopaths. And a bit of the history of psychiatry. There are even some Scientologists in this book! A very fun read, indeed!
- Megan Leigh
10 comments:
I LOVED this book. It made me chuckle outloud several times. It is fun to spot the psycopaths now, although, deep down you knew without the book. Quite a few bosses and CEO's fit the bill at places I have worked. I thought he was a great story teller too.
You didn't like The Magus? The book by John Fowles? I thought that was his best.
I think you just failed the psychopath test.
Could it have been a book that only men like, Anonymous? I have heard people rave about it, but they are all men.
I think it was the time and the place - the zeitgeist of the '70s.
I don't think I'd like to read anything he wrote now.
This is the first time in my life I've written the word zeitgeist. I've never said it out loud. But I will in a moment.
For a really long time I thought zeitgeist meant ghost. I think we learned its definition as 'the spirit of an era' or something to that effect and I just took away 'spirit'. And it makes sense. poltergeist. zeitgeist. One day Krugs set me straight.
I'm glad you liked the book too Kris. I was reading it when we were at Tablerock and I would laugh out loud, which would make my friend raise her eyebrows and look at me. It just tickled me. I thought he was really good at not taking a sides on anything too. He was really great. I too want to read his other stuff.
geist is German for ghost, so it makes sense.
I just picked up "THEM" by the same author. I hope it is as good as this book!
What is "Them" about??
About all the different conspiracy, neo-nazi, terrorist leaders. How their beliefs kind of boil down to the same thing. It had me laughing in the first chapter.
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