The Psychopath Test, By Jon Ronson

 

Arifa Akbar
Friday 06 January 2012 01:00 GMT
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Continuing in his quirky vein of Gonzo journalism, Ronson exchanges the study of US military probes into the paranormal (The Men Who Stare at Goats) for a study of psychopathy which interrogates not just what it means to be a psychopath but also the psychiatric professionals who measure the term and the sliding scale of psychopathy in society.

Ronson's usual levity and self-deprecating wit sits alongside his serious-minded absorption. His journey is weird, fearless, original and hugely gripping, taking him from Scientology to Broadmoor to a code-cracking quest in Sweden.

The ground shifts, the grey area expands and the neat, complacent distinctions between sanity, eccentricity and psychopathy are left a little more unhinged.

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