The Sociopath Next Door
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The Sociopath Next Door Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Martha Stout (Author), Shelly Frasier (Narrator), Tantor Audio (Publisher)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 5,041 ratings
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We are accustomed to think of sociopaths as violent criminals, but in The Sociopath Next Door, Harvard psychologist Martha Stout reveals that a shocking 4 percent of ordinary people, one in 25, has an often undetected mental disorder, the chief symptom of which is that that person possesses no conscience. He or she has no ability whatsoever to feel shame, guilt, or remorse. One in 25 everyday Americans, therefore, is secretly a sociopath. They could be your colleague, your neighbor, even family. And they can do literally anything at all and feel absolutely no guilt.

How do we recognize the remorseless? One of their chief characteristics is a kind of glow or charisma that makes sociopaths more charming or interesting than the other people around them. They're more spontaneous, more intense, more complex, or even sexier than everyone else, making them tricky to identify and leaving us easily seduced. Fundamentally, sociopaths are different because they cannot love. Sociopaths learn early on to show sham emotion, but underneath they are indifferent to others' suffering. They live to dominate and thrill to win.

The fact is, we all almost certainly know at least one or more sociopaths already. Part of the urgency in reading The Sociopath Next Door is the moment when we suddenly recognize that someone we know, someone we worked for, or were involved with, or voted for, is a sociopath. But what do we do with that knowledge? To arm us against the sociopath, Dr. Stout teaches us to question authority, suspect flattery, and beware the pity play. Above all, she writes, when a sociopath is beckoning, do not join the game.

It is the ruthless versus the rest of us, and The Sociopath Next Door will show you how to recognize and defeat the devil you know.

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  1. Listening Length
    7 hours and 26 minutes
  2. Author
    Martha Stout
  3. Narrator
    Shelly Frasier
  4. Audible release date
    July 28, 2005
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Tantor Audio
  7. ASIN
    B000AMPWOC
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 7 hours and 26 minutes
Author Martha Stout
Narrator Shelly Frasier
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date July 28, 2005
Publisher Tantor Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B000AMPWOC
Best Sellers Rank #45,923 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#418 in Medical General Psychology
#1,196 in Social Sciences (Audible Books & Originals)
#1,238 in Psychology (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
5,041 global ratings
Contact with Dr. Stout
5 Stars
Contact with Dr. Stout
I've written a novel dealing specifically with sociopaths and the detection thereof. During my research I found Dr. Stout's wonderful book, and it turned out to be the one source that encapsulated the straight-forward message that I was looking for. That is that sociopaths are usually undetected yet abundant. I've yet to publish and would like very much to talk to Dr. Stout about my particular book and the use of her name and material. I can be contacted at muserwood@yahoo.com
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Top reviews from the United States

Another Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping, chilling, and ultimately empowering.
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2015
Verified Purchase
For me, this book was gripping, chilling, and ultimately empowering. One of the professional reviews on the main page says that the book is somewhat alarmist, or something like that. I'd counter that facing difficult truths is inherently alarming. I'm writing this review largely as a way to process the information in the book. I read the book in a 24-hour period. I would've read it one sitting if other obligations didn't interfere. In addition, it's refreshingly well written; ideas are well presented.

Background: I'm not one to bash our country or western society and I don't like it when people do. There is a place for self-reflection, however, in the interest of growth, and I'm startled to realize that our country as a whole does value many sociopathic traits, like being ruthless without a twinge of conscience, and winning at any or all costs. Movies/shows like "House of Cards" and "The Godfather" glorify, and maybe even celebrate, sociopathic behavior. (I know that "antisocial" is the new PC term, but whatever.) Labels aside, if the shoe fits . . .

I'm startled to realize that even though I find movies and shows like "House of Cards" revolting and deeply disturbing, clearly, in whom I have chosen to date in the past, I still have to rethink what traits I value in a mate. This will help me make better choices in the future. I will be less vulnerable.

This book also lifted a huge weight off of me, in terms of thinking that it's on me to try to make any and all relationships work. It mentions the "rule of 3" for knowing when to back away, if possible. I'm also reading "Crucial Conversations," but I won't be so foolish as to think that those tactics are any match for serious psychological problems.

After reading the book, I still struggle to truly identify certain people in my life as sociopaths, although they fit the criteria and descriptions laid out. Certain things ring true, like when I'd ask myself, "Who would do that?! Why would she do that?!" And then I'd brush it aside, since I couldn't make sense of it, and then I'd stay in harm's way. I know that, whatever I want to call it or not call it, I must recognize that it's not wise to brush it under the rug and try to impose a conscience framework on someone who doesn't give a rip, never will, and will always get a thrill of inflicting pain and shame on others.

The only critique I have of the book, which is probably more a critique of the editor than the author, is that the chapters do not alternate in gender pronouns. While some women are depicted as sociopaths in the examples given, I don't think that's enough. My mother is evil incarnate. I grew up knowing that no one would ever believe me. The crux of my recurrent nightmares isn't what she'd do to me or my siblings, it's that no one would believe me/us, and I wouldn't be able to adequately protect my siblings. People are even slower to believe that a woman/mother, who seems to be the epitome of warmth in public, could be a sociopath. I think the chapters should alternate in using both gender pronouns to describe traits. Maybe that's for the next edition.
76 people found this helpful
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Deborah Dolen
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Handbook for the Sociopath in Your Life
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2012
Verified Purchase
I love the "The Sociopath Next Door" so much I read it again and again. I have had it several months now on my Kindle. The author Martha Stout is such an excellent writer is one reason that I can read it over and over. Writing appears to come to her naturally as every sentence makes sense, and is a complete page turner even if it was all just fiction. The scary part is - The Sociopath Next Door is not fiction and very real. Her education and clinical experience also makes The Sociopath Next Door one of the best books on the subject. Martha does not "guess," "suspect" or even "vent" - she has seen it time and time again in her practice and "it" has a name. "Sociopathic behavior." Her job has obviously been "janitor" clean up crew behind the lie laden trails of some great sociopaths - who have found a way to her client.

Martha Stout also has a way of introducing very real descriptions of a Sociopaths behavior right down to the true - but laughable conduct of a Sociopath, who after their first goal of "impression management" is achieved is sitting in your living room, watching your TV and asking you to fetch them a drink!" By then I am thinking "close Martha" but then she gets even more detailed about that particular prototype..." who also feigns depression because everyone will help a depressed person and no one will have the gall to ask them to get off the couch and stop watching a TV they don't even own." By that moment I felt Martha had been over to my house! She even gets deeper than that.

As you will learn in the book there are a few types of sociopaths and the couch ornament is just one.

Fairly pathetic a book can completely define every trait of someone in your present or past life - and even suggest what to do [run fast if you can]. It may mean if a person can be defined to a "tee," and each and every sentence in a book such as The Sociopath next Door applies to someone you know, you may be dealing with a non-person. A person with zero conscience. On the other hand, if you cannot be defined within the borders of a book - you may have a life and if you want to live it happily after a post sociopathic run in - read the book.
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Jocelyn Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars Gives insight
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 7, 2024
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An excellent book that gives insight to what a sociopath is, how to spot one and most importantly, how to protect yourself from them.
Well written, with interesting anecdotes that make the information very accessible.
One in 25 people are sociopaths, so it's something we all need to have some understanding of. Even if you are one of the them.
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Bertin Gonzalez
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book of these Topic
Reviewed in Mexico on October 15, 2019
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Great reading you can’t stop one time you start reading i ended up in one day
Highly recommended
A passionate topic
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Nate
5.0 out of 5 stars A multi-dimensional view of sociopathy
Reviewed in Canada on January 19, 2018
Verified Purchase
The five-star rating is for the seller. I was in this bookstore many years ago and when I saw that it was a local area seller (offering this book on Amazon), I chose it specifically for that reason, even though there were other options. The book came shrink-wrapped in plastic and was truly like new and not a slightly used book, so in that way it exceeded my expectations. I cannot recall if I ordered it on Amazon Prime or not, but the delivery time was adequate. I ordered it during the Christmas holidays, so I wasn't expecting delivery to be as rapid as it might have been in other times of the year. I was somewhat surprised (in a good way) to see a local-area seller on Amazon Marketplace because most of the books I ordered are from the US or England or Eastern Canada. I look forward to working with this bookstore again.

As for the book itself, I'd give it a four-star rating. The book is research for me for a book I'm writing and so I read it three times. From an informational standpoint (in terms of describing sociopathy in a scientific way), the book is not as packed with info as "Without Conscience," by UBC's Robert D. Hare. However, the purpose of this book is different. It has a deep meaning (in referencing psychoanalysis and various religious and philosophical traditions) that becomes apparent as you reread it and reflect on what the author is saying. What I liked least were the descriptions of some classic theories (Kohlberg) and experiments (Milligan) from psychology that seemed a bit off-topic. What I liked most were the powerful examples, even if they were actually aggregates of more than one person, so as to protect the confidentiality of her patients. The book does refer to Hare's ground-breaking book a number of times, acknowledging a certain amount of indebtedness. This book is a little different from "Without Conscience," though, in that it's not so much a scientific exposition as a book that has a definite moral and persuasive purpose that leaves you pondering the question of what it means to be human and to have a fully developed human life.
7 people found this helpful
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Diana
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfecto
Reviewed in Spain on December 31, 2018
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Entretenido y veraz
One person found this helpful
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jenesaisrien
5.0 out of 5 stars Vous connaissez certainement un sociopathe sans savoir qu'il l'est !
Reviewed in France on December 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
Ils sont nombreux autour de nous, et quoiqu'on en souffre au quotidien, beaucoup ignorent comment les appeler et surtout comment s'en préserver... avant qu'il ne soit trop tard. Même scenario avec les pervers narcissiques. L'auteur a bien décrit les comportements de ces prédateurs hautement toxiques.
Dommage qu'en France on n'y accorde pas l'intérêt mérité, ce qui éviterait à maintes innocentes personnes de bonne volonté de se retrouver intimement désarticulées dans les cabinets médicaux aux "spécialistes" inconscients...
One person found this helpful
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