Description

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Based on thirty years of experience working in prisons and secure psychiatric hospitals with people convicted of serious violent offences, internationally renowned forensic psychiatrist Dr. Gwen Adshead presents an account of mental illness and the nature of evil in this compelling series of stories.What drives someone to commit an act of terrible violence? One of Britain's leading forensic psychiatrists explores this question and offers valuable and fresh insights by sharing details from her thirty years working with people who have committed violent crimes. Through a collaboration with coauthor Eileen Horne, Dr. Adshead brings her work to life in twelve fascinating, unflinching portraits of individuals we call evil. Together with doctor and patient, we discover the meanings of violence and how minds can change when people are able to tell and own their life stories. With outcomes ranging from hope to despair, from denial to recovery, these men and women are revealed in all their complexities and their shared humanity. In this era of mass incarceration, deep cuts in mental health care and extreme social schisms, this book is a timely and persuasive argument for compassion over condemnation. Moving, thought-provoking, and brilliantly told, The Devil You Know is a rare book with the power to change minds about ideas of evil and violence, and the remarkable human capacity for radical empathy, change, and redemption.