The Psychopath Inside

What would you do if you discovered you had the brain of a psychopath? A neuroscientist investigates why he turned out differently from the serial killers he studies in this fascinating deep dive into psychopathy, criminal behavior, genetics, and the human brain.

“Compelling, essential reading for understanding the underpinnings of psychopathy.” — M. E. Thomas, author of Confessions of a Sociopath

In 2005, over a decade before true crime became a cultural obsession, fifty-eight-year-old neuroscientist and medical school professor James Fallon uncovered a lead that caused him to embark on a detective-style case of his own.

While studying the brain scans of serial killers, Fallon exposed a shocking truth: his own brain looked strikingly similar to the cold-blooded murderers he researched. A few months later he learned that he was descended from a family with a long line of murderers, which hinted that Fallon’s own brain pattern wasn’t a fluke. Not only would this realization disrupt his personal and professional life, but it would also lead him to interrogate the very nature of his identity.

The Psychopath Inside tells the fascinating story of Fallon’s discovery and the questions it arose. Despite their matching brain structures, he had very little in common with psychopaths on the surface: he was close with his loving, supportive family, married his high school sweetheart, and had three kids and lots of friends. So how do some people with psychopathic traits become violent, while others lead successful, ordinary lives?

Fallon intended to find out. In a combination of personal story and groundbreaking research, The Psychopath Inside reveals more about psychology’s most misunderstood condition than ever before explored, and Fallon’s ultimate diagnosis will forever change the way we view the disorder.