In this engrossing journey into the lives of psychopaths and their
infamously crafty behaviors, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton
reveals that there is a scale of "madness" along which we all sit.
Incorporating the latest advances in brain scanning and neuroscience,
Dutton demonstrates that the brilliant neurosurgeon who lacks empathy
has more in common with a Ted Bundy who kills for pleasure than we may
wish to admit, and that a mugger in a dimly lit parking lot may well, in
fact, have the same nerveless poise as a titan of industry.
Dutton argues that there are indeed "functional psychopaths" among
us--different from their murderous counterparts--who use their detached,
unflinching, and charismatic personalities to succeed in mainstream
society, and that shockingly, in some fields, the more "psychopathic"
people are, the more likely they are to succeed. Dutton deconstructs
this often misunderstood diagnosis through bold on-the-ground reporting
and original scientific research as he mingles with the criminally
insane in a high-security ward, shares a drink with one of the world's
most successful con artists, and undergoes transcranial magnetic
stimulation to discover firsthand exactly how it feels to see through
the eyes of a psychopath.
As Dutton develops his theory that we all possess psychopathic
tendencies, he puts forward the argument that society as a whole is more
psychopathic than ever: after all, psychopaths tend to be fearless,
confident, charming, ruthless, and focused--qualities that are
tailor-made for success in the twenty-first century. Provocative at
every turn, The Wisdom of Psychopaths is a riveting adventure that
reveals that it's our much-maligned dark side that often conceals the
trump cards of success.
