Bad Boys, Bad Men: Confronting Antisocial Personality Disorder [Paperback]

Black (psychiatry, Univ. of Iowa Coll. of Medicine) claims that ample new evidence from genetics and neuroscience supports a biological cause for antisocial personality disorder (ASP), lending truth to the adage "some people are simply born bad." ASP is intimately connected to many of society's ills, including crime, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and even rape and murder. For men with severe ASP, life becomes an opportunity to break all social and moral rules without remorse. But there are ways of detecting warning signs in troubled children, and there are proceduresAvarious combinations of medication, psychotherapy, and social institutional interventionsAto prevent and treat ASP. Black emphasizes the fundamental need for a healthy moral conscience by analyzing a wide variety of case studies. An excellent companion title is Adrian Raine's The Psychology of Crime: Criminal Behavior as a Clinical Disorder (Academic, 1993). An eye opener suitable for all libraries.AChogollah Maroufi, California State Univ., Los Angeles
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

"A clear and thorough account of the current scientific understanding of a baffling condition, Bad Boys, Bad Men will appeal to those interested in the origins of repetitive criminal behavior. The book will be of especial use to the families of the antisocial."--Peter D. Kramer, author of Listening to Prozac and Should You Leave?

"Donald Black's Bad Boys, Bad Men tackles an issue that leaps off the front pages of our newspapers and enters our living rooms from the nightly news broadcasts--that of criminal behavior, delinquency and antisocial personality disorder.... By describing noted antisocial murderers such as Jeffrey Dahmer and John Wayne Gacy, as well as hidden antisocials who obtain power and fame, this book brings to life the true impact of the disorder, and even proposes ways to cope with it. This book is essential reading for the curious, the fearful and the scholarly observer of such behavior and its consequences."--Eric Hollander, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

"An eye-opener suited for all libraries."--Library Journal

"Presenting compelling case studies, including histories of young ASP patients traced into middle-age, Dr. Black explains the melange of biologic, psychologic, and sociologic factors that shape the behaviors of those with ASP. His writing is utterly accessible to all interested readers, and his expertise and wisdom shine from each page."--Marc D. Feldman, M.D., Co-author of Stranger Than Fiction: When Our Minds Betray Us and Patient or Pretender

"A sobering estimate of the amount of harm done not only to the lives of the men with these behavior problems but to all those with whom they have contact. Though Dr. Black recognizes the poor success rate so far in treatment of this disorder, he has many suggestions about new ways of approaching the problem and offering help both to those affected and their families."--Lee N. Robins, Professor Social Science in Psychiatry, Washington University, and author ofDeviant Children Grown Up

"Bad Boys, Bad Men is a tour de force. Don Black has distilled decades of his clinical experience and a comprehensive review of research on antisocial personality disorder into the definitive vade mecum on the topic."--John H. Greist, M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin Medical School

"For a fascinating and insightful journey inside the criminal mind one could not find a better guide than Dr. Donald Black, one of the world's leading authorities on the classification of aberrant behaviors. In Bad Boys, Bad Men, he clearly explains the critical features of antisocial personality disorder, thereby shining the light of wisdom into the dark crevices inhabited by some of human kinds' most dastardly villains. A magnificent achievement."--Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., author of Brain Lock and A Return to Innocence

"Clearly written, informative, and filled with intriguing stories of real people, Bad Boys, Bad Men tells us what we need to know about antisocial personality disorder. A wonderful book."--John M. Oldham, M.D., Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Columbia University

"This will be an essential resource for psychiatrists, psychologists, criminologists, victims of crime, families of individuals afflicted with ASP and anyone else interested in understanding antisocial behavior."--MenStuff