Cheapest The Sociopath Next Door

I read this book a couple of years ago, and I decided to post my own review after reading some of the other comments here. I disagree with some of the reviewers who say that Stout exaggerates or that she's trying to crate paranoia in the reader. But I also disagree that anyone should think of this book as some kind of ultimate guide to spotting and rooting out the sociopaths in their world. (Yes, the book's title kind of suggests that, but publishers are in the business of selling books, after all.)

Stout's book is not a scholarly analysis, and it really only brushes the surface of the subject. Nor is it really a self help book, although it's quite readable and even entertaining. For me, its primary value is this:

Many of us, at one time or another, have been tormented or damaged by someone in our life... a coworker, a family member, a spouse, etc. And even years afterwards, we can't figure out what happened. Why did he act that way? What did I do to make her want to treat me that way? Why couldn't anyone else see how badly I was being manipulated? For that matter, why didn't I see it?

This book will make you think back on some of those situations, and possibly consider them in a different light. Perhaps you were dealing with a person who simply did not have a conscience, and who was incapable of caring about others. Stout explains that sociopaths are not unusual in our society, and they're not necessarily crazed serial killers and criminals. They come from all walks of life, and have varying degrees of success in their lives. Many live relatively ordinary lives and do not stand out much, except by their uncanny tendency to use and manipulate others. As you read some of Stout's composite examples of sociopaths in action, you will no doubt recognize behavior you have encountered before.

The book is light on advice for dealing with sociopaths, other than to keep them at as much of a distance as possible. Still, even this advice has been helpful to me. In the past, when I'd encounter an individual who was deceitful, passive aggressive, manipulative, and just plain mean to me, I'd worry about what I could do to "fix" the relationship. Now I stop and think, "Maybe this person is just a sociopath," and I focus on limiting the damage and moving on. That alone makes this book worth the read.Get more detail about The Sociopath Next Door.