50 Books like A Criminal History of Mankind

A Casebook of Murder

by Colin Wilson • 1969

Gin soaked London bred one kind of killer. Chicago later produced a man who built a murder castle.

3.63

🕰️ Murder History 🧠 Criminal Psychology 🔬 Forensic History 🚨 Sex Crimes 🔪 Serial Murder

A Casebook of Murder 96%

Gin soaked London bred one kind of killer. Chicago later produced a man who built a murder castle.

by Colin Wilson 1969

3.63

41 ratings

🕰️ Murder History 🧠 Criminal Psychology 🔬 Forensic History 🚨 Sex Crimes 🔪 Serial Murder

Inside the Criminal Mind

by Stanton E. Samenow • 1984

The criminal is not a victim; he is a calculating architect who genuinely sees himself as decent.

3.77

2k+

🧠 Criminal Psychology ⚖️ Forensic Psychology 🎭 Psychopathy 💭 Cognitive Biases 🔄 Cognitive Therapy

Inside the Criminal Mind 94%

The criminal is not a victim; he is a calculating architect who genuinely sees himself as decent.

by Stanton E. Samenow 1984

3.77

2k+ ratings

🧠 Criminal Psychology ⚖️ Forensic Psychology 🎭 Psychopathy 💭 Cognitive Biases 🔄 Cognitive Therapy

The Gates of Janus

by Ian Brady • 2001

From prison, the Moors Murderer argues morality is rigged, and his own crimes are the proof.

3.61

511

🧠 Criminal Psychology 🔪 Serial Murder 🎭 Offender Profiling ⚖️ Crime And Power 📺 Media Sensationalism

The Gates of Janus 94%

From prison, the Moors Murderer argues morality is rigged, and his own crimes are the proof.

by Ian Brady 2001

3.61

511 ratings

🧠 Criminal Psychology 🔪 Serial Murder 🎭 Offender Profiling ⚖️ Crime And Power 📺 Media Sensationalism

The Better Angels of Our Nature

by Steven Pinker • 2010

Violence has plummeted for centuries. The numbers prove it. So does the danger it could reverse.

4.16

30k+

🗡️ History Of Violence 📊 Quantitative History 🏛️ State And Violence 🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 🧩 Cognitive Biases

The Better Angels of Our Nature 94%

Violence has plummeted for centuries. The numbers prove it. So does the danger it could reverse.

by Steven Pinker 2010

4.16

30k+ ratings

🗡️ History Of Violence 📊 Quantitative History 🏛️ State And Violence 🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 🧩 Cognitive Biases

Behave

by Robert M. Sapolsky • 2017

Trace any human act through neurons, hormones, and evolution. Free will disappears at every scale.

4.38

33k+

🧬 Behavioral Biology 🧪 Neurochemistry 💉 Hormones And Behavior 🌱 Nature Nurture 🔗 Free Will Debate

Behave 94%

Trace any human act through neurons, hormones, and evolution. Free will disappears at every scale.

by Robert M. Sapolsky 2017

4.38

33k+ ratings

🧬 Behavioral Biology 🧪 Neurochemistry 💉 Hormones And Behavior 🌱 Nature Nurture 🔗 Free Will Debate

The Psychopath Whisperer

by Kent A. Kiehl • 2014

Psychopaths share a brain deficit visible by childhood, discovered inside prison with a mobile MRI.

4.07

4k+

🏛️ Forensic Psychology 🧠 Neurocriminology 🎭 Antisocial Personality 💔 Empathy Deficits 🧬 Affective Neuroscience

The Psychopath Whisperer 94%

Psychopaths share a brain deficit visible by childhood, discovered inside prison with a mobile MRI.

by Kent A. Kiehl 2014

4.07

4k+ ratings

🏛️ Forensic Psychology 🧠 Neurocriminology 🎭 Antisocial Personality 💔 Empathy Deficits 🧬 Affective Neuroscience

The Profiler

by Pat Brown • 2010

Exposing the DC sniper case and a staged suicide by reading crime scenes the FBI refuses to.

3.08

2k+

🕵️ Criminal Profiling 🧠 Forensic Psychology 👹 Psychopathy 🔍 Crime Scene Analysis ⚖️ Justice System Flaws

The Profiler 93%

Exposing the DC sniper case and a staged suicide by reading crime scenes the FBI refuses to.

by Pat Brown 2010

3.08

2k+ ratings

🕵️ Criminal Profiling 🧠 Forensic Psychology 👹 Psychopathy 🔍 Crime Scene Analysis ⚖️ Justice System Flaws

Unforgiving Places

by Jens Ludwig • 2025

Most shootings begin as arguments. The neighborhood, not the motive, determines who dies.

4.21

237

🧠 Behavioral Economics 🏙️ Urban Violence 🔫 Gun Policy 🤔 Cognitive Biases 🗣️ Conflict De-Escalation

Unforgiving Places 93%

Most shootings begin as arguments. The neighborhood, not the motive, determines who dies.

by Jens Ludwig 2025

4.21

237 ratings

🧠 Behavioral Economics 🏙️ Urban Violence 🔫 Gun Policy 🤔 Cognitive Biases 🗣️ Conflict De-Escalation

Buddhism

by Damien Keown • 1996

Buddhism has no god, no bible, no pope. What holds its many traditions together?

3.74

3k+

📖 Introductory Buddhism ☸️ Buddhist Philosophy 🛕 Theravada Buddhism 🪷 Mahayana Buddhism 🧘 Meditation Practice

Buddhism 93%

Buddhism has no god, no bible, no pope. What holds its many traditions together?

by Damien Keown 1996

3.74

3k+ ratings

📖 Introductory Buddhism ☸️ Buddhist Philosophy 🛕 Theravada Buddhism 🪷 Mahayana Buddhism 🧘 Meditation Practice

La psicopatia

by Robert D. Hare • 2018

Rational, not psychotic: the clinical tool that separates true psychopaths from ordinary offenders.

4.21

🏛️ Forensic Psychology 📋 Clinical Assessment 🧠 Psychopathy 🎭 Personality Disorders ⚠️ Antisocial Behavior

La psicopatia 93%

Rational, not psychotic: the clinical tool that separates true psychopaths from ordinary offenders.

by Robert D. Hare 2018

4.21

28 ratings

🏛️ Forensic Psychology 📋 Clinical Assessment 🧠 Psychopathy 🎭 Personality Disorders ⚠️ Antisocial Behavior

Written in Blood

by Colin Wilson • 1989

How science replaced luck and torture in crime detection, from arsenic tests to DNA.

3.92

233

🧬 Forensic Science 🕰️ Crime History 🔍 Trace Evidence 🩺 Forensic Pathology 🆔 Criminal Identification

Written in Blood 93%

How science replaced luck and torture in crime detection, from arsenic tests to DNA.

by Colin Wilson 1989

3.92

233 ratings

🧬 Forensic Science 🕰️ Crime History 🔍 Trace Evidence 🩺 Forensic Pathology 🆔 Criminal Identification

The Dark Side of the Mind

by Kerry Daynes • 2019

A forensic psychologist spends her career studying stalkers, until one starts hunting her.

4.02

8k+

🧠 Forensic Psychology 🔍 True Crime Memoir 🧸 Childhood Trauma 😈 Criminal Motivation 🚶 Stalking

The Dark Side of the Mind 92%

A forensic psychologist spends her career studying stalkers, until one starts hunting her.

by Kerry Daynes 2019

4.02

8k+ ratings

🧠 Forensic Psychology 🔍 True Crime Memoir 🧸 Childhood Trauma 😈 Criminal Motivation 🚶 Stalking

The Psychopath Inside

by James Fallon • 2013

A neuroscientist studied killers' brain scans and found one that matched his own.

3.50

6k+

🧠 Psychopathy Research 🔍 Forensic Psychology 💔 Empathy And Emotion 🌱 Nature Vs Nurture 📖 Neuro-Memoir

The Psychopath Inside 92%

A neuroscientist studied killers' brain scans and found one that matched his own.

by James Fallon 2013

3.50

6k+ ratings

🧠 Psychopathy Research 🔍 Forensic Psychology 💔 Empathy And Emotion 🌱 Nature Vs Nurture 📖 Neuro-Memoir

The Human Zoo

by Desmond Morris • 1969

Urban anxiety, status obsession, and self-destruction: a zoologist traces them back to captivity.

4.00

3k+

🏙️ Urban Anthropology 🐒 Human Ethology 🦒 Captivity Analogy 👑 Dominance Hierarchies 📊 Status Signaling

The Human Zoo 92%

Urban anxiety, status obsession, and self-destruction: a zoologist traces them back to captivity.

by Desmond Morris 1969

4.00

3k+ ratings

🏙️ Urban Anthropology 🐒 Human Ethology 🦒 Captivity Analogy 👑 Dominance Hierarchies 📊 Status Signaling

Without Conscience

by Robert D. Hare • 1993

They process death and paper identically. The deficit that defines a psychopath.

4.06

13k+

🧠 Clinical Psychology 🔬 Forensic Psychology 🎭 Antisocial Personality 💼 White Collar Crime 🕵️ Manipulation Detection

Without Conscience 92%

They process death and paper identically. The deficit that defines a psychopath.

by Robert D. Hare 1993

4.06

13k+ ratings

🧠 Clinical Psychology 🔬 Forensic Psychology 🎭 Antisocial Personality 💼 White Collar Crime 🕵️ Manipulation Detection

Last Chance in Texas

by John Hubner • 2005

At a Texas juvenile prison, violent offenders reenact their crimes. Only one in ten reoffends.

4.29

828

⚖️ Juvenile Justice 🔄 Offender Rehabilitation 🫂 Restorative Justice 📚 Correctional Education 🧠 Trauma-Informed Care

Last Chance in Texas 92%

At a Texas juvenile prison, violent offenders reenact their crimes. Only one in ten reoffends.

by John Hubner 2005

4.29

828 ratings

⚖️ Juvenile Justice 🔄 Offender Rehabilitation 🫂 Restorative Justice 📚 Correctional Education 🧠 Trauma-Informed Care

Our Kind

by Marvin Harris • 1989

Built for a lost world: why we crave, worship, and wage war, from an anthropologist.

4.17

672

🧬 Human Evolution 🏺 Prehistory 🏛️ Cultural Evolution 🗣️ Origin Of Language 📊 Social Hierarchy

Our Kind 92%

Built for a lost world: why we crave, worship, and wage war, from an anthropologist.

by Marvin Harris 1989

4.17

672 ratings

🧬 Human Evolution 🏺 Prehistory 🏛️ Cultural Evolution 🗣️ Origin Of Language 📊 Social Hierarchy

Criminal Psychology

by Ray Bull • 2006

A research-based tour of criminal justice: what works, what fails, and why television gets it wrong.

3.67

302

🧠 Criminal Psychology 🕵️ Offender Profiling 👁️ Eyewitness Testimony 🤥 Deception Detection 🔒 Correctional Psychology

Criminal Psychology 92%

A research-based tour of criminal justice: what works, what fails, and why television gets it wrong.

by Ray Bull 2006

3.67

302 ratings

🧠 Criminal Psychology 🕵️ Offender Profiling 👁️ Eyewitness Testimony 🤥 Deception Detection 🔒 Correctional Psychology

When a Killer Calls

by John E. Douglas • 2022

FBI profiler John Douglas chased a killer who phoned a family to claim their daughter's soul.

4.04

7k+

🧠 Criminal Profiling 🔪 Serial Murder Cases 🔬 Forensic Psychology 🕵️ Fbi Investigations 💔 Community Trauma

When a Killer Calls 92%

FBI profiler John Douglas chased a killer who phoned a family to claim their daughter's soul.

by John E. Douglas 2022

4.04

7k+ ratings

🧠 Criminal Profiling 🔪 Serial Murder Cases 🔬 Forensic Psychology 🕵️ Fbi Investigations 💔 Community Trauma

A Natural History of Human Emotions

by Stuart Walton • 2005

Six universal feelings evolved to keep us alive. Culture twisted each one.

3.61

🧬 Evolutionary Psychology 🏛️ Cultural History 💭 Philosophy Of Mind 🏗️ Social Construction 😇 Moral Emotions

A Natural History of Human Emotions Summary

A Natural History of Human Emotions 92%

Six universal feelings evolved to keep us alive. Culture twisted each one.

by Stuart Walton 2005

3.61

23 ratings

🧬 Evolutionary Psychology 🏛️ Cultural History 💭 Philosophy Of Mind 🏗️ Social Construction 😇 Moral Emotions

The Infernal Machine

by Steven Johnson • 2024

Dynamite was meant to destroy governments. It built the most powerful one: the surveillance state.

4.03

2k+

🏴 Anarchist History 💣 History Of Terrorism 🔬 Forensic History 🕵️‍♂️ Surveillance History 🏭 Labor History

The Infernal Machine 92%

Dynamite was meant to destroy governments. It built the most powerful one: the surveillance state.

by Steven Johnson 2024

4.03

2k+ ratings

🏴 Anarchist History 💣 History Of Terrorism 🔬 Forensic History 🕵️‍♂️ Surveillance History 🏭 Labor History

Predators

by Gregory M. Cooper • 2007

An ex-FBI profiler reveals what predators look for in a victim, and how to stop being one.

4.20

🧷 Personal Safety 🧠 Predator Psychology 🔍 Criminal Profiling 👀 Situational Awareness 👶 Child Safety

Predators 92%

An ex-FBI profiler reveals what predators look for in a victim, and how to stop being one.

by Gregory M. Cooper 2007

4.20

46 ratings

🧷 Personal Safety 🧠 Predator Psychology 🔍 Criminal Profiling 👀 Situational Awareness 👶 Child Safety

Bad Men Do what Good Men Dream

by Robert I. Simon • 1996

The monsters in the news are not a different species: they are you, minus restraint.

3.77

230

🧠 Forensic Psychiatry 🔍 Criminal Psychology 💔 Empathy Deficits 👹 Dehumanization 🌑 Human Darkness

Bad Men Do what Good Men Dream 92%

The monsters in the news are not a different species: they are you, minus restraint.

by Robert I. Simon 1996

3.77

230 ratings

🧠 Forensic Psychiatry 🔍 Criminal Psychology 💔 Empathy Deficits 👹 Dehumanization 🌑 Human Darkness

When Men Behave Badly

by David M. Buss • 2021

Men misread smiles, women freeze: the evolutionary logic of sexual conflict.

4.09

1k+

🔬 Evolutionary Psychology 💞 Mating Psychology ⚔️ Sexual Aggression 🚨 Intimate Partner Violence 🖤 Dark Personality Traits

When Men Behave Badly 92%

Men misread smiles, women freeze: the evolutionary logic of sexual conflict.

by David M. Buss 2021

4.09

1k+ ratings

🔬 Evolutionary Psychology 💞 Mating Psychology ⚔️ Sexual Aggression 🚨 Intimate Partner Violence 🖤 Dark Personality Traits

Forensics

by Val McDermid • 2014

How maggots, burn patterns, and DNA turn invisible traces into courtroom proof.

4.09

13k+

🧬 Forensic Science 🕵️ Criminalistics 🔍 Crime Scene Analysis 💀 Death Investigation 🩺 Forensic Pathology

Forensics 92%

How maggots, burn patterns, and DNA turn invisible traces into courtroom proof.

by Val McDermid 2014

4.09

13k+ ratings

🧬 Forensic Science 🕵️ Criminalistics 🔍 Crime Scene Analysis 💀 Death Investigation 🩺 Forensic Pathology

The Ten Types of Human

by Dexter Dias • 2018

Your brain runs ten minds. One feels another's pain. One learns to enjoy causing it.

4.16

2k+

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 🔬 Behavioral Science 🤝 Social Bonding 💕 Empathy 💔 Psychological Trauma

The Ten Types of Human 92%

Your brain runs ten minds. One feels another's pain. One learns to enjoy causing it.

by Dexter Dias 2018

4.16

2k+ ratings

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 🔬 Behavioral Science 🤝 Social Bonding 💕 Empathy 💔 Psychological Trauma

The Violence Project

by Jillian Peterson • 2021

Mass shootings are not random. They follow a pattern, and a layered defense can break it.

4.45

1k+

🔫 Mass Shootings 🛡️ Violence Prevention 🧠 Childhood Trauma 🆘 Crisis Intervention 🦠 Social Contagion

The Violence Project 92%

Mass shootings are not random. They follow a pattern, and a layered defense can break it.

by Jillian Peterson 2021

4.45

1k+ ratings

🔫 Mass Shootings 🛡️ Violence Prevention 🧠 Childhood Trauma 🆘 Crisis Intervention 🦠 Social Contagion

I, Mammal

by Loretta Graziano Breuning • 2011

Your brain is a mammal's, chasing status not happiness. You can stop the war inside.

4.24

134

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 👑 Social Dominance ⚗️ Brain Chemistry 🔄 Rewiring The Brain 🎯 Reward Systems

I, Mammal 92%

Your brain is a mammal's, chasing status not happiness. You can stop the war inside.

by Loretta Graziano Breuning 2011

4.24

134 ratings

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 👑 Social Dominance ⚗️ Brain Chemistry 🔄 Rewiring The Brain 🎯 Reward Systems

Confessions Of A Cannibal

by Robert Keller • 2015

A detective planted a lie in the newspaper. The cannibal mailed back his recipe.

3.99

374

🔪 Serial Killers 🍖 Cannibalism 📰 Classic True Crime 🧠 Criminal Psychology ⚖️ Insanity Defense

Confessions Of A Cannibal 92%

A detective planted a lie in the newspaper. The cannibal mailed back his recipe.

by Robert Keller 2015

3.99

374 ratings

🔪 Serial Killers 🍖 Cannibalism 📰 Classic True Crime 🧠 Criminal Psychology ⚖️ Insanity Defense

The Art Thief

by Michael Finkel • 2023

History's most prolific art thief never stole for money. He stole to possess beauty itself.

3.92

103k+

🖼️ Art Theft 🎨 Aesthetic Obsession 🧠 Collector Psychology 🕵️ Amateur Criminals 💔 Love And Crime

The Art Thief 91%

History's most prolific art thief never stole for money. He stole to possess beauty itself.

by Michael Finkel 2023

3.92

103k+ ratings

🖼️ Art Theft 🎨 Aesthetic Obsession 🧠 Collector Psychology 🕵️ Amateur Criminals 💔 Love And Crime

The World Until Yesterday

by Jared Diamond • 2012

What hunter-gatherers knew about raising children, avoiding danger, and ending feuds we forgot.

3.78

11k+

🏕️ Traditional Societies 👶 Child Rearing ⚠️ Risk Perception 🤝 Restorative Justice 🛡️ Traditional Warfare

The World Until Yesterday 91%

What hunter-gatherers knew about raising children, avoiding danger, and ending feuds we forgot.

by Jared Diamond 2012

3.78

11k+ ratings

🏕️ Traditional Societies 👶 Child Rearing ⚠️ Risk Perception 🤝 Restorative Justice 🛡️ Traditional Warfare

Blueprint

by Nicholas A. Christakis • 2019

Goodness is our default setting. Evolution built us for love, friendship, and cooperation.

3.95

2k+

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 🌐 Human Universals 🏛️ Cultural Anthropology 📜 Cultural Evolution 🕸️ Social Networks

Blueprint 91%

Goodness is our default setting. Evolution built us for love, friendship, and cooperation.

by Nicholas A. Christakis 2019

3.95

2k+ ratings

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 🌐 Human Universals 🏛️ Cultural Anthropology 📜 Cultural Evolution 🕸️ Social Networks

The Social Leap

by William Von Hippel • 2018

We're savannah apes in skyscrapers: cooperative, self-deceiving, and never satisfied for long.

4.23

2k+

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 🧬 Human Evolution 👥 Social Cognition 🎭 Self-Deception 🦚 Sexual Selection

The Social Leap 91%

We're savannah apes in skyscrapers: cooperative, self-deceiving, and never satisfied for long.

by William Von Hippel 2018

4.23

2k+ ratings

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 🧬 Human Evolution 👥 Social Cognition 🎭 Self-Deception 🦚 Sexual Selection

The Empathic Civilization

by Jeremy Rifkin • 2009

Every energy revolution expanded human empathy. Now that same engine threatens to undo us all.

4.03

937

🏛️ Big History 🫂 Empathy Studies 📈 Moral Progress ⚡ Energy And Civilization 🌍 Ecological Philosophy

The Empathic Civilization 91%

Every energy revolution expanded human empathy. Now that same engine threatens to undo us all.

by Jeremy Rifkin 2009

4.03

937 ratings

🏛️ Big History 🫂 Empathy Studies 📈 Moral Progress ⚡ Energy And Civilization 🌍 Ecological Philosophy

Human Instinct

by Robert Winston • 2002

Your brain was built for the savannah. Why ancient instincts still steer every choice you make.

4.00

464

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 🧬 Sociobiology ⚡ Mismatch Theory 💕 Mate Preferences 👨‍👩‍👧 Kin Selection

Human Instinct 91%

Your brain was built for the savannah. Why ancient instincts still steer every choice you make.

by Robert Winston 2002

4.00

464 ratings

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 🧬 Sociobiology ⚡ Mismatch Theory 💕 Mate Preferences 👨‍👩‍👧 Kin Selection

Nonzero

by Robert Wright

History bends toward cooperation, not because we're good, but because interdependence pays.

3.97

3k+

📜 Big History 🧬 Cultural Evolution 🤝 Evolution Of Cooperation 🏛️ Social Complexity 🧠 Evolutionary Psychology

Nonzero 91%

History bends toward cooperation, not because we're good, but because interdependence pays.

by Robert Wright

3.97

3k+ ratings

📜 Big History 🧬 Cultural Evolution 🤝 Evolution Of Cooperation 🏛️ Social Complexity 🧠 Evolutionary Psychology

The Social Instinct

by Nichola Raihani • 2021

Cooperation built life from genes to nations. The bill always lands on someone else.

3.90

670

🧬 Evolutionary Biology 🦴 Human Evolution 🤝 Cooperation 👥 Collective Action 🧠 Evolutionary Psychology

The Social Instinct 91%

Cooperation built life from genes to nations. The bill always lands on someone else.

by Nichola Raihani 2021

3.90

670 ratings

🧬 Evolutionary Biology 🦴 Human Evolution 🤝 Cooperation 👥 Collective Action 🧠 Evolutionary Psychology

The Ape that Understood the Universe

by Steve Stewart-Williams • 2018

You don't own your desires. They belong to your genes and the ideas colonizing your mind.

4.23

2k+

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 📜 Cultural Evolution 💘 Mating Strategies 👶 Parental Investment 🤝 Altruism

The Ape that Understood the Universe Summary

The Ape that Understood the Universe 91%

You don't own your desires. They belong to your genes and the ideas colonizing your mind.

by Steve Stewart-Williams 2018

4.23

2k+ ratings

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology 📜 Cultural Evolution 💘 Mating Strategies 👶 Parental Investment 🤝 Altruism

The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee

by Jared Diamond • 1991

How a species 98% chimp invented language, farming, and the means of its own ruin.

4.09

29k+

🦴 Human Evolution 🦍 Primate Behavior 📜 Cultural Evolution 💑 Mating Strategies 🌾 Origins Of Agriculture

The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee Summary

The Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee 91%

How a species 98% chimp invented language, farming, and the means of its own ruin.

by Jared Diamond 1991

4.09

29k+ ratings

🦴 Human Evolution 🦍 Primate Behavior 📜 Cultural Evolution 💑 Mating Strategies 🌾 Origins Of Agriculture

Supernormal Stimuli

by Deirdre Barrett • 2010

Giant fake eggs fool geese. Junk food, screens, and porn pull the same trick on you.

3.69

391

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology ⏳ Evolutionary Mismatch 🎣 Instinct Hijacking 🍔 Consumption And Craving 📺 Media Effects

Supernormal Stimuli 91%

Giant fake eggs fool geese. Junk food, screens, and porn pull the same trick on you.

by Deirdre Barrett 2010

3.69

391 ratings

🧠 Evolutionary Psychology ⏳ Evolutionary Mismatch 🎣 Instinct Hijacking 🍔 Consumption And Craving 📺 Media Effects

Ultrasociety

by Peter Turchin • 2015

War did not just destroy. Over ten millennia, it built the greatest cooperators on Earth.

4.11

464

🧬 Cultural Evolution 📜 Big History 👥 Group Selection ⚔️ Warfare And Society 🏛️ State Formation

Ultrasociety 91%

War did not just destroy. Over ten millennia, it built the greatest cooperators on Earth.

by Peter Turchin 2015

4.11

464 ratings

🧬 Cultural Evolution 📜 Big History 👥 Group Selection ⚔️ Warfare And Society 🏛️ State Formation

The Sociopath Next Door

by Martha Stout • 2005

One in 25 people have no conscience. The most charming are the most dangerous.

3.77

39k+

🧠 Personality Disorders ⚖️ Moral Psychology 🎭 Manipulation Tactics 🕳️ Absence Of Conscience 💔 Emotional Empathy

The Sociopath Next Door 91%

One in 25 people have no conscience. The most charming are the most dangerous.

by Martha Stout 2005

3.77

39k+ ratings

🧠 Personality Disorders ⚖️ Moral Psychology 🎭 Manipulation Tactics 🕳️ Absence Of Conscience 💔 Emotional Empathy

Civilized to Death

by Christopher Ryan • 2018

Agriculture made us sicker, more unequal, and less free. The hunter-gatherer way holds the clues.

4.12

5k+

🏹 Hunter-Gatherer Studies 🚫 Myth Of Progress ⚠️ Civilization's Costs 🧬 Evolutionary Mismatch 🤝 Forager Egalitarianism

Civilized to Death 91%

Agriculture made us sicker, more unequal, and less free. The hunter-gatherer way holds the clues.

by Christopher Ryan 2018

4.12

5k+ ratings

🏹 Hunter-Gatherer Studies 🚫 Myth Of Progress ⚠️ Civilization's Costs 🧬 Evolutionary Mismatch 🤝 Forager Egalitarianism

Sex, Lies, and Handwriting

by Michelle Dresbold • 2006

What your handwriting betrays: a profiler's guide to spotting liars, psychopaths, and hidden selves.

4.01

1k+

📝 Graphology 🕵️ Criminal Profiling 🤥 Deception Detection 📋 Personality Assessment 🧠 Self-Awareness

Sex, Lies, and Handwriting 91%

What your handwriting betrays: a profiler's guide to spotting liars, psychopaths, and hidden selves.

by Michelle Dresbold 2006

4.01

1k+ ratings

📝 Graphology 🕵️ Criminal Profiling 🤥 Deception Detection 📋 Personality Assessment 🧠 Self-Awareness

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much

by Allison Hoover Bartlett • 2009

A thief, a detective, and $100,000 in rare books stolen for something money can't buy: status.

3.45

14k+

📚 Rare Book Collecting 📖 Bibliophilia 🧠 Criminal Psychology 🔍 Collector's Obsession 💼 White Collar Crime

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much Summary

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much 91%

A thief, a detective, and $100,000 in rare books stolen for something money can't buy: status.

by Allison Hoover Bartlett 2009

3.45

14k+ ratings

📚 Rare Book Collecting 📖 Bibliophilia 🧠 Criminal Psychology 🔍 Collector's Obsession 💼 White Collar Crime

The Art of Making Money

by Jason Kersten • 2009

His counterfeits were nearly flawless. The people in his life were not.

4.01

2k+

💵 Counterfeiting 🕴️ Organized Crime 🧑‍🏫 Criminal Mentorship 🏚️ Poverty And Crime 🔬 Technical Obsession

The Art of Making Money 91%

His counterfeits were nearly flawless. The people in his life were not.

by Jason Kersten 2009

4.01

2k+ ratings

💵 Counterfeiting 🕴️ Organized Crime 🧑‍🏫 Criminal Mentorship 🏚️ Poverty And Crime 🔬 Technical Obsession

War and Peace and War

by Peter Turchin • 2005

Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.

4.17

928

🌀 Imperial Cycles 📉 Inequality And Collapse 🔢 Quantitative History 🏹 Frontier Societies ⚔️ Warfare And State Building

War and Peace and War 91%

Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.

by Peter Turchin 2005

4.17

928 ratings

🌀 Imperial Cycles 📉 Inequality And Collapse 🔢 Quantitative History 🏹 Frontier Societies ⚔️ Warfare And State Building

The Book of Murder

by Matt Murphy • 2024

The Hawks vanished selling their yacht. The missing anchor told a prosecutor everything.

4.43

3k+

⚖️ Criminal Prosecution 🔍 Homicide Investigation 🔪 Serial Killers ❄️ Cold Cases 💔 Domestic Violence

The Book of Murder 91%

The Hawks vanished selling their yacht. The missing anchor told a prosecutor everything.

by Matt Murphy 2024

4.43

3k+ ratings

⚖️ Criminal Prosecution 🔍 Homicide Investigation 🔪 Serial Killers ❄️ Cold Cases 💔 Domestic Violence

Insane

by Alisa Roth • 2018

Jails hold more people with mental illness than hospitals. Incarceration makes them sicker.

4.07

1k+

🏥 Mental Illness In Jails 🔒 Mass Incarceration 🏚️ Deinstitutionalization ⛓️ Solitary Confinement 👮 Police Reform

Insane 91%

Jails hold more people with mental illness than hospitals. Incarceration makes them sicker.

by Alisa Roth 2018

4.07

1k+ ratings

🏥 Mental Illness In Jails 🔒 Mass Incarceration 🏚️ Deinstitutionalization ⛓️ Solitary Confinement 👮 Police Reform

The Human Swarm

by Mark W. Moffett • 2019

Societies don't run on cooperation. They run on identity markers strangers can spot at a glance.

3.65

466

🏘️ Social Cohesion 🪪 Group Identity 🏴 Tribalism ⚔️ Intergroup Conflict 📈 Societal Evolution

The Human Swarm 91%

Societies don't run on cooperation. They run on identity markers strangers can spot at a glance.

by Mark W. Moffett 2019

3.65

466 ratings

🏘️ Social Cohesion 🪪 Group Identity 🏴 Tribalism ⚔️ Intergroup Conflict 📈 Societal Evolution

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