Listen free for 30 days

  • The Psychopath Inside

  • A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain
  • Written by: James Fallon
  • Narrated by: Walter Dixon
  • Length: 4 hrs and 58 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (114 ratings)

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Psychopath Inside cover art

The Psychopath Inside

Written by: James Fallon
Narrated by: Walter Dixon
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $22.80

Buy Now for $22.80

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

The memoir of a neuroscientist whose research led him to a bizarre personal discovery, James Fallon had spent an entire career studying how our brains affect our behavior when his research suddenly turned personal.

While studying brain scans of several family members, he discovered that one perfectly matched a pattern he’d found in the brains of serial killers. This meant one of two things: Either his family’s scans had been mixed up with those of felons or someone in his family was a psychopath. Even more disturbing: The scan in question was his own. This is Fallon’s account of coming to grips with this discovery and its implications.

How could he, a happy family man who had never been prone to violence, be a psychopath? How much did his biology influence his behavior? Fallon shares his journey to answer these questions and the discoveries that ultimately led to his conclusion: Despite everything science can teach, humans are even more complex than we can imagine.

©2013 James Fallon (P)2013 Gildan Media LLC

What the critics say

“As comprehensive as it is compelling, essential listening for understanding the genetic and neuroscience underpinnings of psychopathy.” (M. E. Thomas, author of Confessions of a Sociopath)

What listeners say about The Psychopath Inside

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    55
  • 4 Stars
    34
  • 3 Stars
    18
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    46
  • 4 Stars
    35
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    47
  • 4 Stars
    29
  • 3 Stars
    21
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

a little overwhelming

I love psychology. but, when I'm listening to audiobooks I ten to be in a relaxed mode, usually doing some other simple chore at the same time (driving, cutting grass, house chores)...the narrator read this book so fast I actually had to check that I hadn't accidentally increased the speed on my settings.. being a strongly science based book, it's easier to absorb with a more regular cadence

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not recommended

Not surprisingly, a memoir written by a "psychopath light" is overly self involved. The details of brain function were hurried over, and therefore confusing. The three legged stool analogy got tiresome. The anecdotes were too long. The multiple genetic factors were overly simplified to imply "this is why I do this". I felt like personality descriptions were no better than horoscopes where anyone can say "sounds like me". I was disappointed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Disturbing and Very Interesting

I've always wondered why psychopaths have to exist. This books does give some resolution to this question. The narrator's style is perfect for the story. You feel that the speed and fluidity of his voice represents the brain that had these thoughts. We all brush up against psychopaths in our day to day. Recognizing that person's potential might just save you a world of pain. His story feels soooo honest but you have to remember the source. He warns against being close to a psychopath. That is the truth I would take from this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very technical, brutally honest self evaluation.

Great narration and very interesting. Some of it went over my head but I still learned alot. Makes me question my own social tendances.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

It's okay

The writer is pretentious, and the narration is a bit fast. It is just okay.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A very technical read

I do think the book was good, not necessarily reader captivating great though. So at times it can seem dry to the average, non PhD reader. but some other parts are in normal, non dictionary required 🙄 language.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

WoW I am feeling more relieved

The further along we get that is. I am not alone and explains so much.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Informative

You have to get through a lot of chapters that have a lot of scientific information, that will confuse you, in order to get to the end, the last chapter which is more concise and tells you whatt you want to know about a psychopath. The writer is very much proud of himself and self-absorbed as the reader will find out. The narrator seems to have a manic personality and maybe is a psychopath himself. However, he is an effective narrator for this story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Would probably be better to read than listen to.

I found the subject matter very interesting, but the narrator raced through it so fast that I really couldn't catch most of the technical explanations. I am currently going through it for the second time without much more success.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting and provocative

Good background in neuroscience.
The audiobook is read as a very fast speed, too fast (does he care?!?).
The author clearly shows narcissic behavior.
However globally very interesting and well written

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!