The Psychopathology Of
Serial Murder: A Theory of Violence
This review written by
Amy Goldman
Author: Stephen Giannangelo
Publisher: Greenwood Publishing
Date: 1996
"Refreshing and enlightening"
Thought the question of whether serial killers are born or made would never
be answered? Think again. Many of us have formulated opinions but could not
substantiate them. Now we have more than a "seems like common sense to me"
answer available...we have a resource tool that applies psychology, evidence
from past crime scenes and medical information.
In the past, I have read many books on the subject of serial homicide. Many
of those were extremely informative, others were regurgitation of the same
facts being told for years, and still others have been completely
nonsensical. So I was expecting nothing when I began reading the book
because I knew it could go either way.
The Psychopathology of Serial Murder is written from a psychiatric point of
view that I admittedly felt a little apprehensive about. I was afraid the
author would attempt to fit the serial murderer neatly into a psychological
disorder and then try in vain to explain why the offender should be listed
there. As it turned out, Giannangelo did exactly that, so imagine my awe
when I found myself agreeing with his theory of violence. I have long been
against the notion that serial killers could be placed into a classification
of psychological categories. However, after reading the author's book, I
believe he is on the right road, so to speak.
I found The Psychopathology of Serial Murder to be refreshing and
enlightening. But why? What makes Giannangelo's book so different?
For one thing, it is not the same information repeated in a different way.
The author has included the things we have heard about serial killers (such
as most are abused as children) but instead of making a statement such as
that, he explains how it does (or doesn't) apply to his theory. When
Giannangelo presents a piece of information, he goes the extra step to
clarify why he believes what he believes and then provides additional
information in the form of sources to further demonstrate his point.
Another reason I found the book unconventional is that while he mentions and
cites the opinions or findings of other authors, he does not insult them in
any way. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed reading the author's theory
rather than battle stories of why another author was wrong and offering
little to no insight. It was a nice break.
Furthermore, while I respect an author who supports their ideas and theories
with multiple sources, I think this can often be too much of a good thing.
It can be difficult to get the full gist of the literature when attempting
to by-pass the too many parentheses. This is another area Giannangelo excels
in. He does have numerous references, but not so many that he ruins the
significance of what he is saying.
As I mentioned, the book is based on psychiatry and various disorders are
discussed. You might, therefore, be concerned that you won't understand the
terminology being used. The book is well written in a way that an average
person (like myself, who is not educated in psychology) can read. However,
there is a glossary section that can easily be referred to if you need it.
In regards to the theory itself, it just makes sense. I know that sounds a
bit simplistic, especially in light of the many years of studying others
have done without too much success, but it does make sense. The author has
come up with a classification that is more than supposable. I like so many
of you have longed for a reasonable explanation for how and why one becomes
a serial killer--something solid and definitive. Giannangelo has attained
this. The Psychopathology of Serial Murder is not a comparison of what is
known and it is not to dispel what has been thus far suggested. It is a
theory of violence and it is a proficient one. It is believable and
comprehendible. I was surprised by this book and believe you will be too. I
urge you to get it and place it amongst your most often used resource
books--I already have.
E-mail your questions or suggestions to
Bryan Nelson
