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The Psychopath Test

A Journey Through the Madness Industry

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The Psychopath Test

By: Jon Ronson
Narrated by: Jon Ronson
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Summary

Uncover the madness at the heart of society in this Sunday Times bestseller.

'The belly laughs come thick and fast' – The Observer
'Chirpy, inquisitive, funny' - Craig Brown

What if society wasn't fundamentally rational, but was motivated by insanity? This thought sets Jon Ronson on an utterly compelling adventure into the world of madness.

Along the way, Jon meets psychopaths, those whose lives have been touched by madness and those whose job it is to diagnose it, including the influential psychologist who developed the Psychopath Test, from whom Jon learns the art of psychopath-spotting. A skill which seemingly reveals that madness could indeed be at the heart of everything . . .

Combining Jon Ronson's trademark humour, charm and investigative incision, The Psychopath Test is both entertaining and honest, unearthing dangerous truths and asking serious questions about how we define normality in a world where we are increasingly judged by our maddest edges.

 Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Psychology & Interactions Social Sciences Mental Health Crime Thought-Provoking Funny Health
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Critic reviews

I began The Psychopath Test late at night, tired, dispirited and ill – then found myself laughing like the proverbial loon for page after page. (Will Self)
The belly laughs come thick and fast – my God, he is funny . . . Ronson’s new book is provocative and interesting, and you will, I guarantee, zip merrily through it.
All stars
Most relevant
I've long been a fan of Ronson's work. He's a rare breed of journalist these days - one who will spend years researching a topic - and this commitment shows. The Psychopath Test is about his investigations into what a psychopath is and how psychopaths have been perceived. Characteristically, the investigation leads Ronson to question his own behaviour as an investigator and the integrity of journalism in general. It's a thoughtful and humane book.

My only criticism is that Ronson repeats some points several times throughout the book. My suspicion is that this might have been more necessary in print than it is in audio. It's mildly annoying in an audiobook, but hardly a dealbreaker.

Ronson isn't an actor and this is evident from his reading. I think this adds to the charm of the book: its nice to hear him describe his own anxieties in his own slightly anxious voice. That's what the book's about, after all.

Deft storytelling, good observations

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His reading style is very monotonous and stunted but the book is fascinating and disturbing.

Should have got someone else to read it...

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A quick warning: the subject - psychopathy - naturally leads the book down some pretty dark alleyways at times - this probably isn't a book to listen to in earshot of the kids. That said, Ronson brings typical deadpan wit to the writing, skilfully avoiding letting things get too bleak.

It's an entertaining book, then, despite its unsettling subject matter, but Ronson neither goes for the jugular in skewering some of the more unpleasant people he meets, nor reaches any real insight of any sort. He also does a brilliant job of disguising what is actually a series of medium-length anecdotes about the generalities of madness as a coherent exploration of his subject - tangents are followed at length, and I frequently suspected he'd either lost his direction or at last found a really meaty angle to pursue, only for him to steer back to the safety of the middle ground.

A lot of conclusions are left for the reader/listener to draw, but there's little you'll find out that you wouldn't already know merely by virtue of being a human being who's lived long enough to read this review - we're all a bit mad, and how we define that madness is pretty mad too.

Still, it's a fun journey, and Ronson's reading of it - while not remotely thespian (he voices other people's words the same way he voices his own, which is absolutely fine, but can make it sound a bit like a neurotic having an argument with himself) helps drive home the absurdity of some of the situations and conversations he finds himself in.

Creepy, funny, entertaining fodder

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a fantastic read and an incredible insight into some potentially dangerous psychopaths. would highly recommend and now considering other books by the same author.

Great

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Loved it...... ........... ....... ................ ... . ...... .. ........ . .. ... .. ..

Well worth the read..

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