Books on serial killers, psychopaths, and other assorted nut jobs...

[Dan]

Hey everyone - i need to brush up my knowledge on the inner workings of such people.

Anyone know any good non-fic books on the subject. Can be general psychology, interviews with a killer etc etc

Cheers!

[phathm]

Got the goods on nut jobs!

Hi, I'm newbie phathm, a two day old doomster. But I've been writing awhile and I may have just the book you need.

Will give title author and ISBN. I got mine thru Writer's Digest Book Club, but you may find a better price, used at Amazon.com

Title-- Howdunit

(subtitle)How Crimes Are Committed and Solved

Edited by John Boertlein

ISBN 1-58297-015-7

Example Chaps:

Street Cops
The American Criminal Justice System
An Overview of Murder
Mass Murders
Serial Murders
Bizarre Murders
The Autopsy
Larceny, Burglary, Robbery and Assault
The Con /Elements of the Con
Crime Tools Guide
Crime-Scene Search
Interrogations
Forensic Psychology
Profiling the Criminal
Street Gangs
Terrorist
Vice Enforcement
Child Molestors
Sexual Predators
Drug Enforcement
Surveillance
Information Sources

This is somewhat incomplete on chaps but Does it look like something that will help? It's helped me. Very professional and informative.

TY
phathm

[Prabe]

I have read and can recommend a handful of books by John Douglas (one of the founders of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit) and Mark Olshaker: 
Mindhunter
Journey Into Darkness
The Anatomy of Motive

And a couple by Robert Ressler (another of that same unit's founders) and Tom Shachtman:
Whoever Fights Monsters
I Have Lived in the Monster

In my heart, I lust after the FBI's Crime Classification Manual.  It's kinda like the DSM-IV but it's strictly about criminals of all sorts, including the "nutjobs."  And the DSM-IV is the best reference of all if you speak the language of the shrinkologist.

Hope that helps.

[SharonBell]

Another gem:

Douglass, Burgess, Burgess & Ressler Crime Classification Manual.

I think it might be what you're lusting after Prabe and it's on Amazon. Very accessible to all audiences, whether you speak shrinkese or not. 

[Prabe]

Oh, I'd expect the CCM to be easy to understand--it's written for cops, for the luvva . . .  And yes, that's the one I lust after.  While it may be available on Amazon, I wouldnt' want to attract any attention to myself by actually buying it, online, to boot, and using a credit card. 

It's the DSM-IV that's in the hardcore shrinkese.  I might be able to understand it, but I've not looked in a recent copy.

[SharonBell]

I have the DSM IV, paperback. It's not that much gibberish. Think of it as a guide to how to get paid. Very controversial, some women feel that it's a Bible to lable assertive women (see Paula Caplan's "They Say You're Crazy."

Oh, and btw, I'm probably on every "watch that nut" list in the US. I used to be on the NRA and tobacco hit list. Damn shame when they took me off....

[Geoff_N]

I'm probably on every "watch that nut" list in the US. I used to be on the NRA and tobacco hit list.

You're definitely my kinda gal 

Geoff

[Dan]

That's some excellent suggestions there
Thanks to everyone 

Now Sharon if you'd kindly wait at home there's some people on their way round to see you...

[Ed]

I went to a gun exhibition at the NIC a few years ago, before they banned handguns, and I had to laugh at the number of book stands selling topics such as 'The Anarchist's Cookbook', and many other titles dealing with sniper tactics, home made weapons and explosives, etc., etc.  There was probably a copy of the hitman's guide book that got its publishers locked up for encitement to commit murder, too

According to the FBI, many of the serial killers they capture have bookshelves full of profiling and CSI books, so I suppose there's a good reason why some of the books are on watchlists (not that these lists are supposed to exist).

I bet your local library would have quite an extensive collection on the subject of serial killers and their psyche, Dan.  Maybe you could nick your first victim's library card before you really get started?