A well-known evil

What drives a person to commit a horrific act of violence? Dr. Gwen Adshead offers fresh and surprising insights into violence and the human mind, drawing on thirty years of her own experience as a therapist for perpetrators of serious crimes. Gwen Adshead' s career comes to life in the pages of the book in the form of a series of uncompromising images, thanks in part to co-author Eileen Horne.

Alongside the doctor and her patients, we discover. What is the significance of human cruelty for the perpetrator? whether they are serial killers, stalkers, arsonists, or sexual abusers. We will see firsthand how minds can change when people who might be labeled “evil” accept responsibility for their actions and understand their reasoning.

The results are varied and range from hope to despair, from denial to healing. The men and women involved are portrayed in all their complexity and humanity in these stories. The book makes a compelling case for compassion over judgment, which is all the more essential as we now live in a time of overcrowded prisons, major cuts to mental health care, and enormous social problems.