Dangerous Minds: A Forensic Psychiatrist's Quest to Understand Violence

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What drives someone to commit murder What makes some people lash out on those that they love Why do the majority of people with disorders such as schizophrenia live completely non-violent lives, but a very small number cause harm to others How can we predict whether a child will grow up to be cruel or sadistic, and what can we do to prevent it

These are just some of the questions that forensic psychiatrist Dr Taj Nathan interrogates every day. Violence and violent behaviour are always in the headlines, and most of us will fall victim to some kind of crime in our lives, but understanding what makes people commit these acts is complex and deeply nuanced. And even though neuroscience has improved our understanding of human behaviour, offering some answers about how the mechanics of our brains produce our thoughts and actions, it has failed to explain why we act.

Drawing on the latest research, on years of psychiatric experience and on dozens of interviews, as well as some of the most famous criminals in history, in Dangerous Minds Dr Nathan sets out on an investigation into what drives violent behaviour - from psychotic to domestic to sadistic. Using key cases that show how forensic psychiatry has developed over the last 200 years, Dr Nathan explores what working with violent offenders has taught him about human nature. From the impact of traumatic events in childhood to the evolutionary and cultural influences on the emergence of the social mind, via a detour into the world of psychopaths, this book is an insider's account of the origins of violence.

Reviews

'Exceptional' * The Times *
'An eye-opening journey into dangerous minds [that] explores what drives people to commit reprehensible acts . . . Thoughtful and engrossing' * The Times *
'A unique text in explaining to a lay readership what a forensic psychiatrist does - clinical and medicolegal, and within the clinical hospital and prison work . . . A great service to the profession and to the public' -- Professor Keith Rix, Honorary Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Visiting Professor of Medical Jurisprudence, Mental Health and Intellectual Disability Lead, Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians
'Not only a fascinating read but it was one of the most compassionate, thoughtful and thought-provoking books I have read in a long time' -- Kristina Reed, Barrister

Author Bio

Taj Nathan is a medical doctor who has worked for over two decades as a forensic psychiatrist. In his clinical practice, he continues to assess and treat the perpetrators and victims of violence who reside in secure hospitals, prisons and the community. Alongside his clinical work, he has carried out extensive research in many areas of forensic psychiatry (including aggression and its causes), and he has led the development of innovative services for offenders with psychiatric difficulties. Drawing on both his clinical and academic expertise, he is frequently asked to provide expert evidence in criminal and family law courts. Having authored numerous scientific papers and academic book chapters, he turned to writing for a wider audience and in 2018 he won the John Murray and Spectator Essay Prize for a piece on the origins of violence. This is his first book.