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    Inside the Criminal Mind: Revised and Updated Edition
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    Inside the Criminal Mind: Revised and Updated Edition
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    Inside the Criminal Mind: Revised and Updated Edition
    Audiobook14 hours

    Inside the Criminal Mind: Revised and Updated Edition

    Written by Stanton Samenow

    Narrated by Mark Bramhall

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Long-held myths defining the sources of and cures for crime are shattered in this ground-breaking book--and a chilling profile of today's criminal emerges.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateNov 4, 2014
    ISBN9780553398564
    Unavailable
    Inside the Criminal Mind: Revised and Updated Edition

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    Reviews for Inside the Criminal Mind

    3.5/5

    66 ratings19 reviews

    What did you think?

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    • 3/5
      More of a sociology book than was expecting. Didn't finish it.
    • 4/5
      I only read this because I won a copy as LT early reviewer. This was both fascinating and depressing. Fascinating because Dr. Samenow really gives us a glimpse of how criminals must think and react to life, that criminals are not made by society or parents, but by their own decisions and choices. Depressing because much of what we offer to rehabilitate criminals is ineffective. Samenow says that it is possible to "habilitate" criminals (not rehabilitate, because we don't want them returning to their original state), but that it requires lengthy and intensive work. Many criminals will not be able to achieve a law-abiding life. The book concludes, as earlier editions have, with the case study of Leroy who eventually learns to hold down a respectable job and mend his family relationships after years of lawlessness and incarceration.
    • 2/5
      As a reader of crime fiction and mysteries, and with a fondness for anti-heroes and antagonists rendered with accurate realism, Inside the Criminal Mind by Stanton E. Samenow has strong appeal. I didn't have any preconceptions about the book and haven't read earlier editions. With an almost hardline approach, Samenow skirts around the complexities of the topic of criminality and instead offers a very simplistic, dumbed down look. I wasn't expecting a dissertation or academic treatise but the book is strives for nothing more ambitious than a cursory literature review on case studies and examples that support select theories. Samenow rarely cites his own research and never cites opposing research, even to at least, attempt to debunk it. Examples and references are self-serving and cherry-picked. Which is sadly a perfectly legitimate, if lazy, way to write a book. Readers should read with caution. There is some validity to a few of his ideas particularly for families coping with relatives who have been in and out of the criminal justice system and are just looking for some solace. Samenow's suggestion for families to focus on damage control rather than figuring out 'why' is particularly insightful.Samenow doesn't believe in external or biological factors (upbringing, socioeconomic status, educational achievement, genetic factors, or mental illness) playing any significant, direct role in determining whether someone turns to crime. For Samenow, crime seems to be a deliberate and very individualistic choice; criminals are just different from you and me. In some ways, I agree, but Samenow doesn't explore that darker pathology in great enough detail where I can say, so *this* is a criminal mind. Instead, most of the book is devoted to debunking mainstream theories instead of establishing strong counter theories. What's particularly disturbing is that there is no sense of criminality by degrees; Samenow makes no distinction between a rapist or a serial killer and a someone who shoplifts. The one redeeming factor is that he does call in question the current corrections/prison system. It's little consolation though. Overall, Inside the Criminal Mind is very simplistic analysis of criminality. If you're looking for some intellectual sophistication in the content and panache in the writing, look elsewhere. There is only right and wrong thinking, and choice, and we all, in his view, stand in the same place and have all these same choices.
    • 3/5
      Somewhat disappointing... I found the book to be simple, it just doesn't dig deep enough into the criminal mind that lets me know why people commit these horrific offenses. There isn't enough research to back up what the author says. There are examples of crimes and interviews with the perps but I'm not sure they understand the why of their actions. Overall, the book is interesting... I just wish it went deeper.
    • 5/5
      Although I am a huge reader, I rarely reads books like this one. I picked it because I thought it sounded interesting. Now that I an done, I'm so glad that I decided to read this book. I feel like I was both educated and entertained at the same time!Inside the Criminal Mind is a book about how criminals think, why they think like that and how society can change/rehabilitate them. The author thew out a lot of facts that dispelled some of my per-conceived notions about criminals. For example, the author makes the assertion over and over again that economic disparity does not force/cause a person to become a criminal. He backs up these types of statements with facts and examples. He also writes that bad parenting does not cause a person to become a criminal. Once again he states many facts and examples backing up his assertion. The author makes the argument that criminals commit crimes because they make bad choices. Often these bad choices are made because of the excitement they provide to the criminals. He also discusses how you can change a criminal and make them a productive member of society.If you are a counselor, prison official or more importantly a parent of a criminal, I feel like this book is a must read for you. The book is very well researched over a period of 40 years. I consider it a manual for how to understand and deal with criminals in our society.This reprint of the book is the third one that the author has done over the last 40 years. He keeps adding/updating the book because of the new things that he learns about how criminals think. He also updates it for new technologies that criminals use to break laws.Overall, great book that I give 5 stars!
    • 5/5
      Excellent book. The author is an expert and has developed a logical plan to criminal habilitation. He has spent years of effort in this area and has compiled his knowledge and experience in this book. I strongly recommend the book to anyone with an interest or an interaction with crime or criminals.
    • 3/5
      I was excited to receive this book from the Early Reviewers list. It was originally published back in 1984, this version has recently been updated to include criminal behavior such as domestic violence, school shootings and terrorism. Although some readers have stated they got bored while reading it, I did not. The author argues that the traditional methods we have of trying to rehabilitate criminals does not work. He believes that throughout the years, crimes may have evolved but the criminal mind remains the same.I would recommend this book to anyone who loves watching shows like Criminal Minds. It's well researched and well written. I feel I walked away with a better understanding of the criminal mind.
    • 4/5
      This book explains such a different view of the criminal personality that I can't believe it was first published so long ago! It really opened my eyes to the fact that criminals just think differently than the rest of us, and they really believe they are good people even though they commit serious crimes. I'm so glad some of the methods explained in this book are finally being put to use, but I hope more changes soon. This was pretty easy to read and covered a wide variety of topics. It was one of those books that makes you want to get out and do something to change the way the world works, and I'm very glad I read it!
    • 1/5
      This is one of the worst books - if not the absolute worst - I've read on criminal behavior. The short version of my thoughts is that the writing is repetitive, the passages often lead nowhere aside from self-serving examples, and the tone is arrogant and judgmental. So much is wrong here that I'm not even sure where to begin. Samenow criticizes the neuroscience approach to studying psychopathy, making the claim that criminals have "errors in thinking" rather than specific brain anomalies. Yet his examples of these errors in thinking are almost exact carbon copies of neuroscience's examples of psychopathic thinking. Samenow's claim is that traits like a lack of empathy are choices, rather than being rooted in brain chemistry. There is no such thing as psychopathy. All those people can choose to empathize with victims, but they simply don't want to.Samenow believes that parenting and/or abuse plays little to no role in how a person turns out. He downplays biology, claiming that our brain chemistry has nothing to do with our actions. And he also states that poverty has virtually nothing to do with crime. All our actions are choices we make freely, regardless of genetics, environment, and/or upbringing. Samenow makes the broad and absurd statement that all criminals are highly intelligent. They are a conniving bunch of equal status. He makes no distinction between a criminal who is a con artist and one who is a sadistic killer. One of the most disturbing passages comes in the section on sex crimes. Samenow tells us about one man who has sexually abused dozens of children, calling his crime an "irresponsibility". He then goes on at length about another man who was arrested and imprisoned for possession of child pornography. Samenow actually defends this man, telling us that his crime was simply "a relief from boredom". Samenow goes on to authoritatively state that this man should not have received such a harsh prison sentence because he would not have gone on to actually harm children. In making such an assumption disguised as fact, Samenow commits an egregious error in his own thinking. First, this insinuates that 'merely looking' at child pornography is harmless. Here, Samenow is completely ignoring the fact that those children were victimized, not only by the person who took those photographs, but also by each person who then downloads and looks at them. Second, Samenow's defense of this man is based on his belief that this man's interest is merely a way to relieve boredom and has nothing to do with actually wanting to have sex with a child. Samenow completely fails to acknowledge that perhaps the only reason this man's crime never escalated to physical assault was because he was confined to a wheelchair. Samenow perpetuates the myth of marijuana as a gateway drug, and he states without question that drug abuse is a choice. Once the drug addict is caught committing a crime, he/she conveniently cries about the addiction being a disease and causing his/her actions. The criminal is, in Samenow's opinion, conning the system in order to get away with crime. In this respect, Samenow ignores all the science of addiction, instead choosing to further his own opinion of addicts as worthless (but smart!) criminals choosing drugs over sobriety simply because they're having more fun. Throughout this entire book, Samenow offers no research of his own. At the same time, he ignores any and all research that contradicts his beliefs. In his world, there is no such thing as cause and effect. There is only right and wrong thinking, and choice, and we all, in his view, stand in the same place and have all these same choices.
    • 4/5
      Inside the criminal mind, by Stanton Samenow is an informative and eye opening read. It is easily accessible, no mumbo jumbo talk here. Mr. Samenow describes how the criminal mind thinks, and takes a somewhat cognitive approach to habilitation. I.E. the criminal must learn how to change his thought patterns to achieve rehabilitation. Very interesting read.
    • 5/5
      I received this book in exchange for a review from LibraryThing.Inside The Criminal Mind was originally published in 1984. Since then, the author has continued his study of criminals and why they do the things they do. I read the updated and revised edition.This book is filled with short examples of criminal activity, and what the perpetrator revealed about his thought processes.The thing that struck me most was that in most cases, the criminal began to offend long before he was ever caught. There were small crimes leading to larger ones. Many criminals begin as children and are exposed to the legal system at an early age. I was shocked to read the accounts of young men and women who exhibited no concern for the people they hurt with their behavior. I was amazed at the lengths their parents went to in supporting their children and trying to get them 'help' for their actions. That help was rejected in most cases.Many times, it is reported that drugs led to criminal behavior, but these examples and the author's extensive study prove that drug abuse began prior to the criminal activity. After reading this, I believe that no amount of intervention or punishment will stop a criminal until that person wants to change himself. It may give him better coping skills, but people will lie to cover their activity and say whatever the court system or psychologist or family member wants to hear in order to 'get out of trouble'. It's really scary to consider the number of people who walk the streets with us every day and have no desire to change their behavior.
    • 2/5
      This was not was I was hoping for. There is so much oversimplification, and I boiled down the message to: you are either a criminal or you're not, and there are lots of thoughts or behaviors that make you a criminal mind. It's clear that the author wants criminals to take more responsibility for their actions.Is there lots of research in this book to support? No. There aren't citations. There are a few examples from interviews or via storytelling that are supposed to serve as broadly applicable examples of the criminal thought process and experience. Sure, there are some aspects that ring true to me, but this could have been much more successful. Easy enough reading, but tedious to get through.
    • 4/5
      Some really good ideas, but you can sense the burnout of a thankless job
    • 5/5
      Fantastic and informative read. Insightful. Criminals Will Hate This Book.

      I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Blogging for Books and I wasn't disappointed.
      First off, I hesitated reading this book. So often, books about criminals praise criminals and make excuses trying to excuse their crimes. There is no excuse for a crime; just someone wanting instant gratification without paying for it.
      This book, however is a refreshing read. The author, a respected psychologist says what most rational thinking people knew all along: Criminals commit crimes because they want to. There is no extra chromosome; no poor, abusive environment, or bully in the criminal’s past that caused the criminal to commit a crime. Committing a crime is a voluntary action and the author does an excellent job in demonstrating that. Responsibility belongs to the criminal in both committing a crime and really wanting to change. As this book illustrates, there is no magic formula that will change an inmate. Give him all the education and support and all a criminal will do is use it to commit his next crime. In other words, don't pit a criminal. Don't think you can change one. Learn how they really think. Protect yourself and your loved ones by reading this book.
      Overall, this is a well written and informative book that goes inside the criminal’s mind. Sorry, criminals and all those that believe their excuses: There are no excuses; no justifiable reasons to commit crimes. It is simply a matter of choice. To commit or not commit a crime is up to you, and this book does a fantastic job of proving that.
    • 3/5
      As a law enforcement professional with a master's degree in criminal justice, I was especially interested to read this book, as it was not one I had come across previously. Samenow writes with a no-nonsense style and his observations and conclusions are easy to understand, to wit, criminal behavior is the result of wrong (criminal) thinking and the only way to "habilitate" criminals is for them to want to change and to seek out methods of changing the way they think. Every form of crime -- from pedophilia to white collar crime to terrorism -- is discussed here. What you won't find is a discussion of the causes of crime. Samenow dismisses the search for the root causes of crime as futile and a waste of time. Crime is the result of poor choices by criminals. The factors which cause the criminal to make these choices are not relevant to the discussion or the solution.Samenow supports his various positions with anecdotes from his many years of clinical treatment, research, and expert testimony. While these are very interesting and enlightening, I am always skeptical of drawing conclusions from anecdotal evidence that is not then supported by a larger study. If there are larger studies available which support Samenow's conclusions, he does not cite them. He is also occasionally guilty of inane generalities. For example, when discussing the criminal's approach to school, he writes, "In terms of academic performance, there are three basic patterns. Some of these students drop out or flunk out within the first three years. Others limp through and graduate. And there are others who excel." Doesn't this describe pretty much ALL students, criminals or otherwise?These shortcomings notwithstanding, I did enjoy Samenow's book and found it's approach refreshing and novel. It would appear the solutions for change which he proposes have merit, but implementing such intensive therapy seems almost impossible to provide on a large scale for the millions of today's incarcerated prisoners. Nevertheless, for the fortunate few, this book offers hope of correcting a criminal's way of thinking, allowing him to function in normal, law abiding society.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This is a thought-provoking book, which is well worth reading. The thesis is that most of the traditional methods of rehabilitating criminals don't work. This is because they focus on what caused the criminal to commit the crime. According to Samenow, this emphasis doesn't do anything to rehabilitate prisoners. Instead, it merely affords them additional ways to EXCUSE their crimes, including future crimes. Samenow argues that criminals engage in criminal conduct because they make bad choices. The pattern of making these choices often begins very early in their lives. One of the more interesting findings --at least to me--is that substance abuse doesn't cause crime. Most addicts who commit other crimes had already committed serious crimes BEFORE they became addicts. Using illegal substances or abusing booze was just one more bad choice they made. Thus, even if addicts get "clean," it doesn't mean that they won't commit other crimes.Another example of this is illiteracy. While Samenow doesn't oppose programs to improve prisoners' ability to read, he doesn't see them as an effective deterrent to future crimes. Instead, we may simply transform illiterate criminals into criminals who can read well. He notes that while many criminals can't read at all, most have no trouble learning in prison. He suggests that they CHOSE not to learn to read in school. In prison, with fewer distractions, they turn to classes and learn to read. This doesn't mean that when they are released they won't go back to a life of crime.Samenow is also very critical of anger management programs, which he sees as particularly ineffective. This book offers a very different perspective than most.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 1/5
      DNF - I couldn't finish this, I just got so bored. My Kindle says I made it 34%. There was nothing wrong with the writing or the material; it just seemed such common sense to me. He just repeatedly over and over explains how criminals are the way they are because of, to put it simply, personality and neurological reasons, though it's more complicated than that. The book is to drum into people's minds that a criminal does not become a "bad" person because someone wrecked his life, nurture does not a criminal make. I guess some need to be told this, to me it's just common sense and got boring reading over and over. I'm not a professional by any means. I just read about neuroscience (behavioural), psychology and criminology for fun. The only credentials I have is that I like to read clinical and research articles in my spare time.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      I think this book is just as relevant today as it was when it was first published back in 1984, and it ought to be required reading for counselors, psychiatrist, corrections officers, and others who have to deal with dysfunctional and criminal individuals on a regular basis. Samenow takes a no-nonsense approach to crime: Criminals become criminals because they want to be. A bad upbringing, no education, antisocial friends and drugs and alcohol don't make a criminal act the way he does -- his own choices do, and the only way to get him to change is to change his way of thinking. In the last chapter, Samenow outlines an intensive treatment program pioneered by a psychiatrist colleague that he says works with even the most hardened criminals, turning them into productive and responsible members of society.I found myself agreeing with much of Dr. Samenow has to say, and also recognizing the criminal traits in a lot of people I know well. I only wish he had included more information about his program and any long-term studies on the outcome.
    • 3/5
      Stanton Samenow’s Inside the Criminal Mind is a clearly written book that rarely trails off or reads dry. It is an interesting read, and no doubt contains many truths about criminals in our society. That said, Samenow’s presentation and portrayal of the criminal mind often seems overly simplistic and stereotypical. In his introduction, Samenow states that he was criticized for this in earlier editions of the book, yet seems to make no effort to lessen any of his stereotypes. He defends against such criticisms by saying, “It is important to bear in mind that, as with so much else in life, the characteristics described exist by degree. Thus, there is a spectrum...” However, through his wording and presentation throughout the book, Samenow doesn’t offer much room for degrees; his delivery is very opinionated. Constantly throughout the book he infers that a certain behavior is exhibited in all criminals, not in degrees. For instance, he states that, “Criminals utilize jobs directly for crime.” Not “some criminals utilize jobs directly for crime”, and “Criminals want to be number one sexually, just as they do in other aspects of their lives.” Well, who doesn’t? Perhaps it’s a pedantic point, but it seems over generalized to me.Inside the Criminal Mind appears to be a well-researched book, and Samenow clearly interviewed several “criminals” during his research, and he quotes them often. Sadly though, he tends to present their stories merely as anecdotes to control the pacing of his prose; rarely does the reader get to learn anything about the people presented, at least nothing that lets the reader feel anything about them other than what the author wants us to feel. When he quotes the criminals directly, it’s done in a way that allows Samenow to deliver his point, or to confirm a hypothesis, often citing only one criminal’s response as incontrovertible evidence that the author is correct in his assertions. Nevertheless, I found Inside the Criminal Mind to be an easy, informative, and interesting read, which I feel has provide me with a little better understanding of the workings of the criminal mind.