This book gave me insight and understanding of people that have crossed in and out of my Life-affecting my emotions and realizing I need to avoid these types of humans.

This helped explain and break down the mind is the sociopath in terms that are easily understood. Very well done

For me, this book was gripping, chilling, and ultimately empowering. One of the professional reviews on the main page says that the book is somewhat alarmist, or something like that. I'd counter that facing difficult truths is inherently alarming. I'm writing this review largely as a way to process the information in the book. I read the book in a 24-hour period. I would've read it one sitting if other obligations didn't interfere. In addition, it's refreshingly well written; ideas are well presented.Background: I'm not one to bash our country or western society and I don't like it when people do. There is a place for self-reflection, however, in the interest of growth, and I'm startled to realize that our country as a whole does value many sociopathic traits, like being ruthless without a twinge of conscience, and winning at any or all costs. Movies/shows like "House of Cards" and "The Godfather" glorify, and maybe even celebrate, sociopathic behavior. (I know that "antisocial" is the new PC term, but whatever.) Labels aside, if the shoe fits .

This text is a lucid study of those individuals who seem to be born without a moral conscience, and as Stout elegantly points out throughout this narrative, one in twenty-five Americans are considered sociopath, causing havoc, heartache, destroyed careers, and the death of many people either directly or indirectly.

To gain the benefits of "sociopath insurance" there are three portions of the book I believe are crucial for you to read: (1) the discussion of what is a sociopath along with her stories illustrating the different types of sociopaths, (BTW, those stories would make fine literary short stories with Stout's descriptive language and suspense building.) (2) Stout's "Thirteen Rules For Dealing With Sociopaths in Everyday Life", and (3) the discussion of how good people with consciences end up allowing sociopathic leaders to rise to power and do horrific acts. If you read just these sections and skip all the philosophical discussions about sociopaths, you will still gain a lot from this book.