The Psychopath Test: Jon Ronson

Grade: A+

It really wasn't until college that I delved into the world of non-fiction, and it took me a few more years to realize that the genre extended way beyond Kennedy biographies. I'm just going to put it out there - this is one of the best non-fiction books I've ever read.

I first stumbled on The Psychopath Test when Jon Ronson was on the Daily Show. He was making the usual author rounds, which included some bits on This American Life, (if you'd like to hear a chapter from this book, I highly recommend checking it out here).

Since reading this book, I've read a good deal of Ronson, but Psychopath is the British journalist at his best. His humor is crisp, and in covering a centralized topic, (some of his other books tend to get a little unfocused), he hones in on the most fascinating aspects of psychopathy. What makes someone a psychopath? How do you spot a psychopath? Do I know one? And of course, the ever-narcissistic question, could I be one? (Don't worry, narcissism is only one characteristic on Robert Hare's Hare Psychopathy Checklist).

Ronson combines history, psychological research, personal interviews, and acute observations to create a book that is a strange combination of delightful and disturbing reading. I will warn you, however: once you start this book, you will begin to analyze everyone around you.