The Anatomy of Motive: The FBI's Legendary Mindhunter Explores the Key to Understanding and Catching Violent Criminals

by Mark Olshaker, John Edward Douglas, John E. Douglas

Book Overview

From the internationally bestselling authors of Mindhunter, a riveting exploration of the root of all crime. Every crime is a mystery story with a motive at its heart. Understand the motive and you... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684845989
• ISBN13: 9780684845982
• Release Date: June 1999
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Great for the profiling junkie

Perfect book for anyone interested in serial offender profiling. Concise and full of information, and a good read.

Making a game of the misfits of society

Some people believe that John Douglas comes off as a bit arrogant in his writing, and I could not agree more. However, once the reader is able to get past the author's arrogance, the author compiles a very interesting read.Douglas takes into account all of the types of killers including arsonists, assasins, poisoners, bombers, serial, killers, mass murders, and spree killers. He goes into detail to explain who is likely to commit the specific crime and what makes them snap to go on their murderous rampage. Once the author gets into a specific story it is hard to put this book down.The final chapter allows the reader to try some profiling of his/her own on some specific case. For this reason, the last chapter is called "you make the call."Overall, I enjoyed this book and would suggest it to all true crime fans. Just for the record, I do intend to read some of Douglas's other books in the future, based on my enjoyment of this book and the other book I have read and reviewed by him.

Outstanding!

This was the first book I've read that specifically focused on criminal profiling and furthered my interest on the subject. Wonderful read, couldn't put the book down until I finished. Anyone aspiring for a career in criminology has to read Douglas' books. Amazing author and profiler! Furthers your knowledge of types of killers, profiles them and predicts the most likely suspect through physical, educational, marital backgrounds, etc. I'm hoping to read his others! 5 stars for me, no doubt about that. My favorite True Crime book yet. Nothing boring about it.

Engrossing and enlightening.

Douglas has trod this ground before, but never so well as this book. It's my favorite of his writings. Some critics claim that Douglas is unbearably arrogant about his work, but with his track record, who can blame him? Criminal profiling has got to be one of the most fascinating subjects; a science combining intuition, detective work, and common sense. Douglas gives overviews of different types of killers: serial, mass, spree, and tells how they differ from each other. Those profiled include Andrew Cunanan and the Tylenol poisoner. Douglas also profiles two of the most intriguing killers, in my opinion, John List and Charles Whitman. Two more different people could not exist, and yet they both resorted (chose, in Douglas' opinion) to murder. Douglas main refrain is that these people, through a combination of physiological and psychological factors, environmental conditions, and situation stressors, choose to take the course they do. That is, lots of people may have a brutal upbringing and negative life situations, but do not kill people. So, it is a choice, and not a compulsion they cannot avoid (as Douglas puts it, none of these killers would murder while a uniformed policeman stood nearby). At the end of the book, Douglas gives us four scenarios and gives us an opportunity to figure out whodunit. If you've been reading carefully, he says, you should be able to tell. I got three out of the four, so I guess I'm headed for the FBI academy! If you like Douglas' work and writing, you will enjoy this book.

Good book from a master writer in this genre.

I actually enjoyed this book more than his first, The Mindhunters. Douglas is an excellent writer, and even though some have complained about his discussion of these men as cowards, I think it is only fair to say that most people having been in his position and have his job would also have strong emotional opinions about what he saw of these very disturbed people. As a neuroscientist who understands that brain patterns may be different, and knowing people who were raised in less than ideal situations, I am afraid that I agree with him about the statement he made concerning 'choices'. Many people have had difficult lives but CHOOSE not to take it out on other people. It is like someone who has familial alcoholism in their families. If they know that the family has addictive tendencies toward alcoholism, then they make the choice to never take that first drink. If they choose to drink, then more choices are taken away from them, like being able to drive without endangering the lives of others. Yes, there is a point where families should be on the lookout for certain behaviors from children, and then get the psychiatric help they need...but there is no excuse for most of these men who choose to hurt animals and then later people. I thought Mr. Douglas' statements about choice and about violence in the schools, are something that educators need to hear. By the time that these men have reached the point where they are killing through whatever means, the time for compassion is over. They offered no compassion, and mostly no thought to their victims except for how it would make them feel. They deserve no compassion from the rest of society. My compassion is saved for the victims and people like the brother of the Unabomber who turned his brother in. He is deserving of our compassion, not his embittered brother who made the choices along the pathway of his life that led him to do what he did. He didn't even have the excuse of bad parenting. As an educator and a parent, I am tired of excuses being made for these people by psychiatry. Even if there is physical proof of illness, there are still choices involved. To take medication, and stay under control, or go off the medication and hurt others. Douglas merely echoes how many of us feel and think concerning these cases, and does it in an organized manner. I understand more about motive now and how the brains of these men deviate from the norm. Karen Sadler, Science Education,University of Pittsburgh

The Low Down On Motive

John Douglas has provided the insight to the criminal mind like none other has ever done. As a Law Enfocement officer I can say his experience as detailed in this book has made it exciting and fun to read. Those of you who are looking for the inner eye of a serial killers mind this is the book for you. Two thumbs way up.