There are a lot of stories about psychopaths in almost every kind of mystery book, from action-packed thrillers to detailed psychological character studies. They also show up in works of psychology and neuroscience. Get ready to listen to some of the most fascinating and disturbing books about psychopaths and sociopaths that you will ever hear.

There is no denying that psychopaths have a lot of appeal. Seeing people who can't feel guilt or remorse over their actions is both disturbing and interesting. If we learn more about this often misunderstood disorder, we might be able to deal with our deep-seated fears and insecurities. There may be a way to make sense of things that are scary or terrible.

One thing is for sure: psychopaths have a lot of power in people's minds. These audiobooks, both fiction and nonfiction, look at psychopathy from many different perspectives. People who are experts in science and psychology will tell you about what happens in the minds of people who are psychopaths in classic books and on TV shows. If you want to learn more about sociopaths, there's a memoir written by one who has been diagnosed as one. These books and audiobooks will help you better understand how people act. You'll also find thrillers, creepy escapes, and other books and audiobooks here.

The Best Nonfiction Audiobooks About Psychopaths

The Sociopath Next Door

By Martha Stout

As Martha Stout shows in her book, The Sociopath Next Door, sociopaths aren't just cold-blooded killers. They have a lot of other problems, too. In fact, about 4% of the population, or one in 25 people, are sociopaths who have no conscience and can't feel shame or guilt for their actions. Stout talks about the characteristics of a sociopath and gives listeners advice on how to recognize and understand their behavior in others. Shelly Frasier's confident, direct voice makes this eye-opening and important audiobook a pleasure to listen to.

Without Conscience

By Robert D. Hare

Psychopaths are very much a part of our cultural imagination, but they're not monsters we make up. In this book, based on 25 years of research, Robert D. Hare talks about real-life psychopaths and the crimes they do. In Without Conscience, Dr. Hare talks about con artists, serial killers, sexual predators, and other criminals, and he tells listeners how to tell if someone is a psychopath in their community, workplace, or family.

The Psychopath Whisperer

By Kent A. Kiehl

So much is still unknown about how killer psychopaths, like Ted Bundy and Hannibal Lecter, work. Even though people are fascinated by them, there is still a lot we don't know about how they work. Scientist Kent Kiehl has spent most of his life studying the minds of people who are psychopaths. In his book, The Psychopath Whisperer, he talks about the years he spent watching psychopaths in prison and using a special MRI scanner to look at their brain patterns. His research shows that psychopaths have brain structures that are very different from those of normal people. This gives new ideas about how to diagnose and treat the disorder. During Kevin Pariseau's narration, Kiehl's passion for his subject comes through loud and clear.

The Psychopath Inside

By James Fallon

In The Psychopath Inside, neuroscientist James Fallon tries to solve a very personal and unusual puzzle. This is what happened while he was looking at the brain scans of his family. One of the scans is very similar to one he saw on the brain scan of a serial killer, which he had seen before. It turns out that the scan is his own. This shocking revelation makes Fallon think about the complexity of biology, human nature, and his or her own identity. When the author tells the story, it adds to the power of this honest and sometimes frightening memoir.

Confessions of a Sociopath

By M. E. Thomas

It's true that some sociopaths are dangerous. Many high-functioning, nonviolent people are also sociopaths, and they could be your neighbor. They have unique personality traits and ways of thinking, like being glib and not being afraid, that make them good leaders in business and politics. M.E. Thomas, a sociopath who has done a lot of research into what makes sociopaths tick, tells her story in this confessional memoir and primer. Her book, Confessions of a Sociopath, gives you important information about how people with sociopathy think and important advice on how to deal with a sociopath and not fall for their charm and manipulation.

The Wisdom of Psychopaths

By Kevin Dutton

The question is: Is there anything we can learn from psychopaths? How does Kevin Dutton try to answer that question in this gripping audiobook? He says that functional psychopaths are different from murderous ones, and that their psychopathic traits, like charm, ruthlessness, and fearlessness, are what make them so successful. Psychopaths can have a lot of wisdom, but they also have a lot of flaws. The Wisdom of Psychopaths will make you think about society, success, and more.

The Psychopath Test

By Jon Ronson

One of the world's best psychologists thinks many of the world's most powerful politicians and business leaders are psychopaths. Jon Ronson was looking into a hoax being played on some of the world's best neurologists when he came across this. Ronson is intrigued, so he goes to meet with a lot of powerful people and looks for signs of psychopathy while he hides. These interviews led him to learn things about the "madness" industry that he didn't know before. The author tells the story of The Psychopath Test, which is both fascinating and a little scary.

The Sociopath Next Door

By Martha Stout

As Martha Stout shows in her book, The Sociopath Next Door, sociopaths aren't just cold-blooded killers. They have a lot of other problems, too. In fact, about 4% of the population, or one in 25 people, are sociopaths who have no conscience and can't feel shame or guilt for their actions. Stout talks about the characteristics of a sociopath and gives listeners advice on how to recognize and understand their behavior in others. Shelly Frasier's confident, direct voice makes this eye-opening and important audiobook a pleasure to listen to.

Without Conscience

By Robert D. Hare

Psychopaths are very much a part of our cultural imagination, but they're not monsters we make up. In this book, based on 25 years of research, Robert D. Hare talks about real-life psychopaths and the crimes they do. In Without Conscience, Dr. Hare talks about con artists, serial killers, sexual predators, and other criminals, and he tells listeners how to tell if someone is a psychopath in their community, workplace, or family.

The Psychopath Whisperer

By Kent A. Kiehl

So much is still unknown about how killer psychopaths, like Ted Bundy and Hannibal Lecter, work. Even though people are fascinated by them, there is still a lot we don't know about how they work. Scientist Kent Kiehl has spent most of his life studying the minds of people who are psychopaths. In his book, The Psychopath Whisperer, he talks about the years he spent watching psychopaths in prison and using a special MRI scanner to look at their brain patterns. His research shows that psychopaths have brain structures that are very different from those of normal people. This gives new ideas about how to diagnose and treat the disorder. During Kevin Pariseau's narration, Kiehl's passion for his subject comes through loud and clear.

The Psychopath Inside

By James Fallon

In The Psychopath Inside, neuroscientist James Fallon tries to solve a very personal and unusual puzzle. This is what happened while he was looking at the brain scans of his family. One of the scans is very similar to one he saw on the brain scan of a serial killer, which he had seen before. It turns out that the scan is his own. This shocking revelation makes Fallon think about the complexity of biology, human nature, and his or her own identity. When the author tells the story, it adds to the power of this honest and sometimes frightening memoir.

Confessions of a Sociopath

By M. E. Thomas

It's true that some sociopaths are dangerous. Many high-functioning, nonviolent people are also sociopaths, and they could be your neighbor. They have unique personality traits and ways of thinking, like being glib and not being afraid, that make them good leaders in business and politics. M.E. Thomas, a sociopath who has done a lot of research into what makes sociopaths tick, tells her story in this confessional memoir and primer. Her book, Confessions of a Sociopath, gives you important information about how people with sociopathy think and important advice on how to deal with a sociopath and not fall for their charm and manipulation.

The Wisdom of Psychopaths

By Kevin Dutton

The question is: Is there anything we can learn from psychopaths? How does Kevin Dutton try to answer that question in this gripping audiobook? He says that functional psychopaths are different from murderous ones, and that their psychopathic traits, like charm, ruthlessness, and fearlessness, are what make them so successful. Psychopaths can have a lot of wisdom, but they also have a lot of flaws. The Wisdom of Psychopaths will make you think about society, success, and more.

The Psychopath Test

By Jon Ronson

One of the world's best psychologists thinks many of the world's most powerful politicians and business leaders are psychopaths. Jon Ronson was looking into a hoax being played on some of the world's best neurologists when he came across this. Ronson is intrigued, so he goes to meet with a lot of powerful people and looks for signs of psychopathy while he hides. These interviews led him to learn things about the "madness" industry that he didn't know before. The author tells the story of The Psychopath Test, which is both fascinating and a little scary.

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