Editorial Review:

Have you ever met a person who left you wondering, "How could someone be so twisted? So evil?" Prompted by clues in her sister's diary after her mysterious death, author Barbara Oakley takes the reader inside the head of the kinds of malevolent people you know, perhaps all too well, but could never understand.

Starting with psychology as a frame of reference, Oakley uses cutting-edge images of the working brain to provide startling support for the idea that "evil" people act the way they do mainly as the result of a dysfunction. In fact, some deceitful, manipulative, and even sadistic behavior appears to be programmed genetically--suggesting that some people really are born to be bad. But there are unexpected fringe benefits to "evil genes." We may not like them--but we literally can't live without them.

Oakley deftly ties together the big picture implications of revolutionary neuroscientific and genetic discoveries, showing the eerily similar behavioral tics of Mao, Stalin, Hitler, and Slobodan Milosevic. The dramatic recent scientific findings presented in Evil Genes shed light not only on dictators far afield, but on politics at home, as well as business, religion, and everyday life. In fact, history itself has been shaped by the strange confluence of genes and environment that science is just now beginning to understand.

Oakley links the latest findings of molecular research to a wide array of seemingly unrelated historical and current phenomena, from the harems of the Ottomans and the chummy jokes of "Uncle Joe" Stalin, to the remarkable memory of investor Warren Buffet. Throughout, she never loses sight of the personal cost of evil genes as she unravels the mystery surrounding her sister's enigmatic life--and death.

Evil Genes is a tour-de-force of popular science writing that brilliantly melds scientific research with intriguing family history and puts both a human and scientific face to evil.

Customer Reviews:

Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Controversial yet helpful diagnosis and prognosis:

Evil Genes provides a solid presentation of some of the issues that presently attend the prospects or desirability of intentionally altering behavior genetically. As important, the author goes through the science and engineering that is becoming available to do just that. Finally, she fleshes out (esp. with her own sister's story) how the disturbed personality can function for virtually his/her entire life as "successfully sinister;" she gives us several signs for knowing a borderline when we encounter... more info

a must read:

I'm a psychologist who works with narcissists, so I wasn't sure I'd learn much from this book. In fact, it put so much in perspective. This book is especially a must-read for understanding that tyranny will only be stopped in this world if we recognize evil folks. Successful tyrants such as Iran's leader are often very smart. They know how to con folks into thinking they are harmless--as Putin conned Bush and as Stalin conned Churchill into thinking they were lovely gentlemen.

Science Made Sensible:

Dr. Oakley does a great review of the research, enriching it with her personal anecdotes and relating it to well known villains. Recommended for those who wonder how "anyone could do that terrible thing!"

Understanding Mean People:

This is a good book, and it is based on abundant scientific studies. While I don't buy into the "strong programme" of sociobiology -- whereby behavior is 100% genetically determined -- this book helped me understand a family member and various colleagues with deep psychological problems.
Note that Machiavellianism is not equivalent to Machiavelli as a historic character. The "-ism" as acquired cultural meaning that transcends M's intentions. That's how it is: ideas are like babies we raise and turn... more info

Similar Products:

Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things by Madeleine L. Van Hecke (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours

Stop Walking on Eggshells: Taking Your Life Back When Someone You Care about Has... by Paul T. Mason, Randi Kreger (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours

Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad... by Carol Tavris, Elliot Aronson (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours

The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature by Steven Pinker (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely (Hardcover) - Usually ships in 24 hours

The Mind of the Market: Compassionate Apes, Competitive Humans, and Other Tales... by Michael Shermer (Hardcover) - Usually ships in 24 hours

The Essential Family Guide to Borderline Personality Disorder: New Tools and... by Randi Kreger (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours

The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil by Philip Zimbardo (Paperback) - Usually ships in 24 hours

The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder by Vincent Bugliosi (Hardcover) - Usually ships in 24 hours