By some estimates, there are as many as twelve million psychopaths in the United States alone. Cold-blooded, remorseless, and strangely charismatic, they commit at least half of all serious and violent crimes. Supposedly, most serial killers are psychopaths, as, surprisngly, are large numbers of corporate executives. They seem to be an inescapable, and fascinating, threat in our midst.

But is psychopathy a brain disorder, as many scientists now claim? Or is it just a reflection of modern society's deepest fears? The Myth of the Born Criminal offers the first comprehensive...

By some estimates, there are as many as twelve million psychopaths in the United States alone. Cold-blooded, remorseless, and strangely charismatic, they commit at least half of all serious and violent crimes. Supposedly, most serial killers are psychopaths, as, surprisngly, are large numbers of corporate executives. They seem to be an inescapable, and fascinating, threat in our midst.

But is psychopathy a brain disorder, as many scientists now claim? Or is it just a reflection of modern society's deepest fears? The Myth of the Born Criminal offers the first comprehensive...