Okay, so, today I want to talk about my little adventure digging into books on serial killer psychology. It’s kind of a dark topic, I know, but I’ve always been super curious about what makes people tick, especially those who do really messed up stuff.
First, I hit up the internet, just to get a feel for what’s out there. I typed in “books on serial killer psychology” into the search bar and, boom, tons of stuff popped up. Lots of lists of the “best” books on the subject. I scrolled through a few of them, jotting down some titles that sounded interesting. There were mentions of these books being available on Amazon, and even one in Spanish talking about paying in cash at OXXO, which is cool, I guess. There was also this one site that listed a book called “A Need to Kill: Confessions of a Teen Murderer,” which sounded super intense.
Then, I remembered that a friend of mine is really into true crime, so I shot her a text. I asked her if she had any recommendations, and she came back with a couple of titles that weren’t on the lists I found online. Score! That’s why I love bouncing ideas off people – you always stumble upon something new.
After that, I decided to check out my local library. Yeah, I know, libraries are kind of old school, but they’re great for this kind of stuff. I wandered over to the psychology section and started browsing. I found a few of the books I had on my list, plus some others that looked interesting. The one thing I noticed, though, is that a lot of these books are pretty heavy on the academic side of things. Not exactly light reading, you know?
My Reading List
I ended up grabbing four books to start with. I was reading some info online about how most serial killers show antisocial tendencies, lack empathy, and don’t care about laws or other people’s rights. A lot of them could be considered psychopaths or sociopaths. There was also this genealogical theory suggesting that growing up in illegal environments, committing crimes, and experiencing abuse in childhood could lead to serial murders. I also learned that serial killers differ in their motivations and behaviors, but some common traits include sensation seeking, lack of remorse or guilt, impulsivity, and the need for control.
- The first one is a classic. It’s pretty dense, but it goes deep into the different types of serial killers and their motivations. This is one of those books that really makes you think.
- The second one is more of a case study. It focuses on a specific serial killer and tries to understand their background and what led them to do what they did. It’s a bit disturbing, but also super fascinating, as far as the info I found online.
- The third one is written by a former FBI profiler. He shares his experiences working on some of the most famous serial killer cases. This one is probably the most accessible of the bunch, from what I can tell.
- The fourth is more recent, and it looks at the latest research on the psychology of serial killers. I’m curious to see how much things have changed over the years. I haven’t read it yet, but the information I found seems interesting.
I’ve started reading the first book, and it’s definitely a lot to take in. I’m taking it slow, just reading a few pages here and there. It’s not the kind of thing you can just breeze through, at least not for me. I’ll keep you guys posted on how it’s going. Maybe I’ll do a review of each book once I’m done. We’ll see. Wish me luck!
