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The Murderer Next Door: Why the Mind Is Designed to Kill Audiobook
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(3.04) - 210 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
As acclaimed psychological researcher and author David Buss writes, "People are mesmerized by murder. It commands our attention like no other human phenomenon, and those touched by its ugly tendrils never forget." Though we may like to believe that murderers are pathological misfits and hardened criminals, the vast majority of murders are committed by people who, until the day they kill, would seem to be perfectly normal.
David Buss's pioneering work has made major national news in the past, and this provocative book is sure to generate a storm of attention. The Murderer Next Door is a riveting look into the dark underworld of the human psyche- an astonishing exploration of when and why we kill and what might push any one of us over the edge. A leader in the innovative field of evolutionary psychology, Buss conducted an unprecedented set of studies investigating the underlying motives and circumstances of murders, from the bizarre outlier cases of serial killers to those of the friendly next-door neighbor who one day kills his wife.
Reporting on findings that are often startling and counterintuitive-the younger woman involved in a love triangle is at a high risk of being killed-he puts forth a bold new general theory of homicide, arguing that the human psyche has evolved specialized adaptations whose function is to kill. Taking readers through the surprising twists and turns of the evolutionary logic of murder, he explains exactly when each of us is most at risk, both of being murdered and of becoming a murderer. His findings about the high-risk situations alone will be news making.
Featuring gripping storytelling about specific murder cases-including a never used FBI file of more than 400,000 murders and a highly detailed study of 400 murders conducted by Buss in collaboration with a forensic psychiatrist, and a pioneering investigation of homicidal fantasies in which Buss found that 91 percent of men and 84 percent of women have had at least one such vivid fantasy-The Murderer Next Door will be necessary reading for those who have been fascinated by books on profiling, lovers of true crime and murder mysteries, as well as readers intrigued by the inner workings of the human mind.
Based on a wealth of groundbreaking research, a leading psychologist's fascinating investigation of why we are all "wired to kill"
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"This book was really interesting; it pulls from a lot more scientific studies than I thought it would. Also, it is really a primer on why we act the way we do in relationships, sometimes to the point of murder, so be prepared for a lot of biological-mating talk."
— Davida (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A new view: murder is the product of evolutionary forces and that the homicidal act, in evolutionary terms, conveys advantages to the killer…Buss sets out to dispel what he terms some misperceptions about murder, misperceptions based largely on the media’s focus on serial killers. Well argued and unsettling.”
— Booklist
The Murderer Next Door Listener Reviews
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" This book made me appreciate the fact that I am a lesbian. Buss put a lot of emphasis on the evolutionary track of males throughout history and gave a great deal of impressive theories as to why more murders are male rather than female. The only part in the book that really made me uneasy was the section on parents and stepparents killing their children/stepchildren. There's something absolutely heinous about such an act. Interesting and informational read! "
— Ashley, 2/16/2014 -
" A highly useful book that leaves you considering the history of Murder from an evolutionary perspective. "
— Tim, 2/11/2014 -
" A very interesting look at what makes people kill. I don't know a lot about evolutionary psychology, but it raises some interesting points. "
— Heather, 1/7/2014 -
" This was a really interesting look into evolutionary psychology, specifically how it relates to murder but Buss did a fair bit of general, easy to understand explanation. My one complaint is that he did repeat himself a fair bit in both ideas and expression. "
— Marge, 1/5/2014 -
" Good book, My second book from Buss his writing has a good pace and is more entertaining than most psychological textbooks. This book did not cover Serial killers just your common neighbor justification for killing. "
— Larry, 12/5/2013 -
" Only provided the very basic principles but I expected more case examples. "
— Brandy, 12/4/2013 -
" If you believe the findings and assumptions of this book, you will never look at your neighbor in the same way again "
— Josh, 12/3/2013 -
" Interesting insight to the primitive motives that drive us all. "
— Bernie, 12/3/2013 -
" No one knows better than David Buss that Jack the Ripper is inside all of us just looking for an exit sign.... "
— Todd, 11/24/2013 -
" Interesting case studies that seemed overly simplified to prove his point. A lot of statistical information and repetitive material. "
— Lee, 10/25/2013 -
" It didn't feel entirely insightful - if you have the self awareness of a cat you would know that sometimes you think about murder but if you are normal in normal situations, you don't act on it. "
— Catherine, 7/31/2013 -
" Excellent study of the human mind and the dark side that is present within us all. I won't give any of this away, but I recommend it very highly. "
— J.F., 6/30/2012 -
" My basic complaint with this book is the extreme overload of psycho-babble. I should've noticed that from the book jacket before I started. I suppose I was looking for something more than the authors over-explained theories. "
— Katie, 3/7/2012 -
" I was surprised that this book was more about relationships than murder. Maybe that was the point. I recommend this to those interested in human behavior. "
— Robert, 2/25/2012 -
" One of my favorite evolutionary psychologist. This is a great read if you are in to the thought of evolution. "
— Courtney, 1/4/2012 -
" Why do people kill other people? What kind of person kills other people? This book is a serious, scientifically informed discussion of these and similar questions. The author contends that "the mind is designed to kill" and then proceeds to amplify and modify that and other statements. A good book. "
— P., 12/10/2011 -
" We are all capable of killing. "
— Rachel, 12/1/2010 -
" It read like a textbook -- very dry. "
— Lauren, 10/3/2010 -
" My basic complaint with this book is the extreme overload of psycho-babble. I should've noticed that from the book jacket before I started. I suppose I was looking for something more than the authors over-explained theories. "
— Katie, 8/2/2010 -
" We are all capable of killing. "
— Rachel, 8/13/2009 -
" It read like a textbook -- very dry. "
— Lauren, 4/18/2009 -
" One of my favorite evolutionary psychologist. This is a great read if you are in to the thought of evolution. "
— Courtney, 2/14/2009 -
" This was a really interesting look into evolutionary psychology, specifically how it relates to murder but Buss did a fair bit of general, easy to understand explanation. My one complaint is that he did repeat himself a fair bit in both ideas and expression. "
— Marge, 2/9/2009 -
" Only provided the very basic principles but I expected more case examples. "
— Brandy, 2/6/2008 -
" A very interesting look at what makes people kill. I don't know a lot about evolutionary psychology, but it raises some interesting points. "
— Heather, 9/18/2007
About David M. Buss
David M. Buss, one of the founders of the field of evolutionary psychology, is a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches courses in evolutionary psychology and the psychology of human mating. He is the author of several books, including The Evolution of Desire, Evolutionary Psychology, and The Dangerous Passion. His and Cindy M. Meston’s article “Why Humans Have Sex” garnered international attention when it was published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.
About Michael Prichard
Michael Prichard is a Los Angeles-based actor who has played several thousand characters during his career, over one hundred of them in theater and film. He is primarily heard as an audiobook narrator, having recorded well over five hundred full-length books. His numerous awards and accolades include an Audie Award for Tears in the Darkness by Michael Norman and Elizabeth M. Norman and six AudioFile Earphones Awards. He was named a Top Ten Golden Voice by SmartMoney magazine. He holds an MFA in theater from the University of Southern California.