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Aftermath: Personal stories

The following books are stories or memoirs written by or about those who have lived through experiences with individuals they either believe to be or who have been diagnosed psychopathic.

One or more members of Aftermath have read each of these and feel that there is something valuable in these stories. We are not endorsing these books, but rather, indicating that they may prove interesting or helpful in the recovery process. Many of these books present information about experiences people have had in relationships with people they think are high in psychopathic traits. For current information about what has been learned through scientific investigations of psychopathy, we encourage you to read the Resources on the Aftermath Foundation website.

 

 

Born to Destroy … Psychopathy in Females, a Life Story

by Winifred Rule. Foreword by Carl B. Gacono, PhD, ABBP. With additional analyses by Tom Karski, JD. Published by The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 2013 (English version), 2014 (Russian version). ISBN-13: English: 978-0692208199; ISBN-13: Russian: 978-5768811006. Winifred Rule’s Born to Destroy, the story of her psychopathic mother and psychopathic sister, is not only a masterful fusion of intimate memoir, scholarlycommentary, and compelling narrative, it is a literary achievement, a tour deforce.” Sidney Offit, Member of the Faculty, New School University and Hunter College

“This book is a compelling and unforgettable reminder that not all psychopaths are men. The female psychopath walks among us. She may charm like a songbird, but will sting like a scorpion.” – J. Reid Meloy, Ph.D., author of The Psychopathic Mind; Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego

 

 

Transforming Darkness To Light, for Giving, Travis F. Vining, Bella Rosa Books, 2011, 216 pp. (ISBN-13: 978-1933523477)This is a true story about a father and his son. It is about a journey through hell that led to heaven. It is about faith, miracles, courage, forgiveness and overcoming tragedy. It is about the freedom that can always be found in our darkest moments.
Evil Eyes: A Daughter’s Memoir, Cherylann Thomas, Xlibris Corporation, 2011, 302 pp. (ISBN-13: 978-1465335937)“This book is a must read for anyone with psychopathy in the family and for professionals who work with psychopathic individuals, victims and family members. As an expert in psychopathy and the family, I can attest to the importance of this work.” – Liane J. Leedom, M.D
The Butterfly Garden: Surviving Childhood on the Run with One of America’s Most Wanted/em>, Chip St. Clair, HCI; First Edition edition, 2008, 304 pp. (ISBN-13: 978-0757306952)With chilling detail and a riveting, lyrical narrative, The Butterfly Garden reveals St. Clair’s struggle to piece together his haunted past before it consumes him and shares his inspiring metamorphosis from victim to victim’s advocate.
Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer’s Daughter, Melissa G. Moore (Author) , M. Bridget Cook (Author), Cedar Fort, Inc, 2009, 250 pp. (ISBN-13: 978-1599552385)Shattered Silence is an astonishing, true narrative of personal and spiritual transformation. From her secret life as “the daughter of The Happy Face Serial Murderer” to a woman that bared her soul and inspired millions, Melissa leads the reader on the vulnerable, compelling, and sometimes very raw journey of what it took to shatter the silence, and claim her own life.

 

General Audience (Psychopathy and Healing/Recovery)

Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us, Robert D. Hare, Ph.D. New York: Guilford Press, 1999, 236 pp. (ISBN 1-57230-451-0)

 

“The world’s most renowned psychopathy researcher has leavened sharp scientific insights with page-turning case descriptions in a rare publishing feat: a book that is both highly readable and highly reputable.”

—John Monahan, Ph.D.

 

 

The Sociopath Next Door, Martha Stout, Ph.D., Broadway Books, NY, 2005, 256 pp. (ISBN 978-0-7679-1581-6)

 

“A fascinating, important book about what makes good people good and bad people bad, and how good people can protect themselves from those others.”

—Harold S. Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People

Just Like His Father? A Guide to Overcoming Your Child’s Genetic Connection to Antisocial Behavior Addiction & ADHD, Liane J. Leedom, M.D., Health and Well-Being Publications, Fairfield, CT, 2006, 245 pp. (ISBN 978-0977801305

 

From the book jacket: “Do either of your child’s parents have alcoholism or another addiction or ADHD? Do these problems exist in your extended family? Is your child adopted? Do you know the birth parents’ genetic background? If you answered yes to any of the questions, you may be caring for a genetically at risk child. . . . Just Like His Father presents the latest scientific advances in parenting in an easy to read format.”

Snakes In Suits: When Psychopaths Go To Work, Paul Babiak, Ph.D. and Robert D. Hare, Ph.D., HarperCollins, New York, 2006, 352 pp. (ISBN 978-0061147890)

 

From the book jacket: “Only a fraction of psychopaths are in prison. The rest thrive in the many target-rich environments that make up society, including business, religious, political, and social organizations, and the internet. Snakes in Suits blows their cover and arms the reader with knowledge and insight. This book is a must read for those in the criminal justice system and will impact economic crime investigations worldwide.”

—Staff Sergent Matt Logan, PhD, criminal and investigative psychologist, Royal Canadian Mounted Police

 

 

Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of violence—from domestic abuse to political terror, Judith Herman, M.D., Basic Books, 1992, 290 pp. (ISBN 10 0-465-08730-2)

 

“A stunning achievement . . . a classic for our generation.”

—Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D., Harvard Medical School

“Herman’s brilliant insights into the nature of trauma and the process of healing shine through in every page of this rich and compassionate book.”

—Lenore Walker, Ed.D., Director, Domestic Violence Institute, author of Terrifying Love

 

 

Hidden Agendas: What’s Really Going On in Your Relationships—in Love, at Work, in Your Family, Marlin S. Potash, Ph.D. Delacorte Press, 1990, 268 pp. (ISBN 0-385-29997-4)

 

From the book jacket: “In this highly readable book, Marlin Potash helps us to understand how we get trapped in repetitive conflict by our own hidden agendas and those of others. Readers will find that Dr. Potash’s tips on recognizing when they’re being manipulated by others and how to short-circuit those manipulation are particularly helpful.”
—Harry Levinson, Ph.D., President, The Levinson Institute; clinical professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School

 

 

Stalking the Soul, Marie-France Hirigoyen, Ph.D. Helen Marx Books; Tra edition (April 1, 2000), 213 pp. (ISBN 978-1885586995)

From the book jacket: “Discusses the “hidden” phenomenon of emotional abuse and how, though not as visible as physical abuse, it is equally violent and perhaps even more widespread. The subject is described within the context of the workplace and in couple and family life, and case histories from the author’s own therapeutic practice and popular examples ranging from the films of Alfred Hitchcock to the works of Ovid, Kafka, and Freud are used to illustrate the author’s points. The psychology of abusers and their victims and the dynamics between them are analyzed, and the various stages of emotional abuse are delineated and discussed. Practical abuse on how to break free from emotional abuse is also provided.”

Although Stalking the Soul does not specifically address psychopathy, I believe it has the potential to be tremendously helpful and is relevant to those who have had relationships with psychopathic individuals. This book accurately captures the nature and stages of emotional abuse from start to finish. Once I began reading it, I could not put it down. Not only does Dr. Hirigoyen acknowledge that this type of abuse is extremely harmful, but she describes the means by which individuals fall deeper and deeper into the abuser’s “traps,” thus allowing the abuser to gain and maintain momentum. Step by step, she illustrates what the abuse looks like, the forms it takes, the relationship dynamics, as well as some typical traits both abusers and victims tend to possess. Additionally, she discusses the costs of failing to address the abuse we encounter. Finally, she offers practical advice for healing and recovery. Armed with the information Dr. Hirigoyen shares, victims can lessen their anxiety and confusion, as their experiences are validated. A must read for anyone dealing with or who has dealt with emotional abuse.
—Linda S. Hartoonian-Almas, Treasurer, The Aftermath: Surviving Psychopathy Foundation

 

 

Students, Researchers and Clinicians:

The Psychopath: Theory, Research, and Practice
Edited by Hugues Herve, Ph.D., and John C. Yuille, Ph.D., R. Psych., Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Mahwah, NJ, 2007, 578 pp.

The Psychopath: Emotion and the Brain
by James Blair Ph.D., Derek Mitchell, Ph.D., and Karina Blair, Ph.D., Blackwell Publishing, Malden (MA), Oxford, Carlton (AUS), 2005.

Unmasking the Psychopath: Antisocial Personality and Related Syndromes (1986) Edited by William H. Reid, Ph.D., Darwin Dorr, Ph.D., John I. Walker, Ph.D., and Jack W. Bonner III, Ph.D., W. W. Norton & Company, New York, London, 1986.

The Clinical and Forensic Assessment of Psychopathy: A Practitioner’s Guide (Personality and Clinical Psychology Series)
Edited by Carl B. Gacono, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah (NJ), London, 2000.

Psychopathy: Antisocial, Criminal, and Violent Behavior
Edited by: Theodore Millon, Erik Simonsen, Morten Birket-Smith, Roger D. Davis, The Guilford Press, New York, 1998.

The Antisocial Personalities
by David T. Lykken, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc., New Jersey, 1995, 259 pp. (ISBN 0-8058-1974-6)

Handbook of Psychopathy
(Hardcover), Christopher J. Patrick Ph.D. (Editor), The Guilford Press, 2005, 639 pp. (ISBN 1-59385-212-6)

 

Criminal Justice Professionals:

Games Criminals Play: How You Can Profit by Knowing Them
by Bud Allen and Diana Bosta, Rae John Publishers, 1981 (ISBN-13: 9780960522606)

Game over: Strategies for Redirecting Inmate Deception Bill Elliott Ph.D. and Vicki Verdeyen Ph.D., American Correctional Association, 2002.

Seductions of Crime
Jack Katz, Ph.D., New York: Basic Books, 1990.

 

Biographies and Fiction:

The Match King: Ivar Kreuger, The Financial Genius Behind a Century of Wall Street Scandals
Frank Partnoy, PublicAffairs 266 pp., April 2009 (ISBN 9781586487430) From the book jacket: “The Match King is a skillfully told tale of the romance and the corruption involved in attempting to be on top of the world. How did Kreuger enlist the loyalty of the people essential to him? Yes, some he bought, but most—he beguilded.”

—Robert A.G. Monks, author of Corpocracy and The New Global Investors

Duke of Deception: Memories of My Father
Geoffrey Wolff, Vintage Books USA 304 pp., 1979 (ISB0-679-72752-3)

From the book jacket: “Duke Wolff was a flawless specimen of the American clubman—a product of Yale and the OSS, a one-time fighter pilot turned aviation engineer. Duke Wolff was a failure who flunked out of a series of undistinguished schools, was ‘passed up for military service, and supported himself with desperately improvised scams, exploiting employers, wives, and, finally, his own son.

The Stranger Beside Me (Ted Bundy – His Shocking True Story) : The Book on Two Cassettes
Ann Rule, W.W. Norton & Company USA

From the book jacket: “The most fascinating killer in modern American history. . . . Ann Rule has an extraordinary angle that makes The Stranger Beside Me as dramatic and chilling as a bedroom window shattering at midnight.”

—Thomas Thompson, New York Times

Heart Full of Lies: A True Story of Desire and Death Ann Rule, Mass Market Paperback, 480 pp., September 2004 (ISBN 9780743410137)

From the book jacket: “A convincing portrait of a meticulous criminal mind.”

—The Washington Post