The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Very, very interesting, but kind of short and repetitive. I think the author could have done a lot more research. At a couple of points she contradicts herself (like about how many sociopaths are in jail), and it seems like there are big sections missing from the description of sociopathy. The main thing I felt was missing was a discussion of gender. Are more men than women sociopaths? From what I see on TV and the examples in the book I would guess yes, but no statistics are ever brought up, and while the section on socialization and culture seems like the perfect place to discuss gender, it’s not even mentioned. Whether I’m right or wrong in my assumptions about gender and sociopathy, I’d really like to know! I have to wonder if the author left that out to avoid controversy–and if she left out that aspect that is so glaring to me, what else is missing for fear of controversy? Race? Ability? Sexual preference?
I was also disappointed by the “Groundhog Day” chapter. The author stated in the beginning that it was entirely fictional, leading me to expect a short story about a sociopath. I was looking forward to it the whole book. But when I reached it, it turned out to be a very brief (five or so pages) fictional case study about a neighborhood tormented by a nasty, sociopathic old woman. There was no plot and the sociopath’s motivations were never really explored. I doubt I’ll be reading anything else by this author.
