Rating: 
Summary: Mindhunter will take over your mind...
Review: Douglas knows his terrain. He is the original profiler. I read this during the height of the Beltway Sniper investigation when profilers were first made into saints and then widely criticized. Well, maybe they are not perfect, but Douglas makes a fascinating case. This book is a bit gruesome, but he is straight forward. He admits his errors and, frankly, one needs to have a strong ego to succeed in his world. He lost his marriage is candid about it. I admire Douglas a great deal. I will be reading as many of his books as I can.
Rating: 
Summary: The Man Is Not All Knowing
Review: While I admire the authors many accomplishments and can appreciate his contributions to the art of profiling, his ego leaves no room for admitting mistakes. This gives me reason for concern, no one is ever right in every instance no matter how experienced. For instance the William Heirens case which he breezes through with broad strokes doesn't touch on any of the contridictions of this particular case and in the end he writes William off as guilty without ever looking into any other aspects of the crimes and the man who supposedly committed them. I've come to know Mr. Heirens personally and quite frankly Mr. Douglas' treatment of his case was an insult. I was even more disturbed by Douglas' quick defense of Patsy Ramsey (for pay) when everything about Patsy's behavior fits his 'murderer' profile to a "T". I simply refuse to trust someone who believes they're incapable of being wrong.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read!
Review: I was amazed to see the negative reviews posted on this site and I thought that I should give a positive one on this amazing book and amazing man. I have been a fan of John Douglas' work since the days when he was still in the FBI. Mindhunter is the first of his many books and is a biography of his life and the cases he has worked and has made a positive impact on. I wouldn't think that people would expect to be profilers after finishing the book, but after reading some of the reviews I see that some actually do expect that. Mindhunter shows us how Douglas created and began using the first profiling techniques..... and who wouldn't be proud of that? Douglas has dedicated his life to solving crimes and helping victims, and it amazes me that people think they have to right to criticize someone who does so much good all over the world.
Rating: 
Summary: All ego and little substance.
Review: What stands out most in this book is that the author has an ego that is bigger than the state of Texas. Some parts of the book are interesting, although it would be much better if Mr. Douglas could focus more on the functions of the Serial Crime Unit and less on his accomplishments.
Rating: 
Summary: boring
Review: After reading Britton's book on criminal profiling i was so fascinated by it that i bought this book...and it's terrible. I started reading it but stopped after some 30 pages (it might get better..who knows) because it was merely a description of the author's life and --damn--that is boring! plus it's really self-indulgent. My advice is to get Britton's book (Picking up the pieces)it's great!
Rating:
Summary: After reading this book, you'll be able to profile criminals
Review: John Douglas shows you the ins and outs of the criminal mind in such detail that you'll feel you could profile the next FBI case. He was one of the 1st profilers and knows cases that you see in the news on an intimate basis. He makes a distinction between the organized and disorganized serial killers that allows him later to describe the person who committed the crime in such detail that he solves crimes that have been a mystery for a long time. I read this book as a potential writer of mysteries and after reading this I felt I could do an excellent job of profiling and creating my own serial killer.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This book is a great start to those who are interested in behavioral sciences, the subject profiling or life in the FBI. The book is detailed in the techniques John Douglas developed and is very easy to read for a person who is not familiar with psychology. The book starts off with Douglas' early life, entry into the FBI, and the struggles he endured to get profiling on the map. Then, Douglas procedes in showing the reader how success in famous cases thereafter solidified profiling as a real, if somewhat imperfect, science. Douglas goes case by case, pointing out what he looks for in determining the type of killer responsible, and the clues needed to single out the offender. If you are interested in profiling, John Douglas will show you how he and others like him have done it for years. Unlike the previous reviewer stated, Douglas DOES show you how a trained professional would profile a criminal, but the reader should not expect to be able to profile someone themselves because it takes years of experience and training. He shows the reader what type of physical and behavioral evidence he looks for when creating a profile. In one chapter, he even decides to take you step by step in detail on how he developed a profile for a killer. Profiling is a behavioral science technique and while Douglas integrates psychological theory, it does not get at all technical or something that the reader will not understand. Douglas and Olshaker made sure this was a book that anyone could read. John Douglas covers a lot of cases in this book and while they may not be detailed to every piece of evidence in the case, the book overall succeeds in showing the reader how the cases were solved, a general idea of FBI life, profiling, and the criminal mind. ...And no, as explained in Douglas' books, serial killers or others cannot read this book and come up with a way to get away with murder... an attempt by a killer to use this sort of tactic would just implicate him further by blatent behavioral cues, as explained. If you like this book, I would definitely recommend any of John Douglas and Mark Olshaker's books.
Rating: 
Summary: A great read for the true crime buff
Review: John Douglas is truly a genius crime-solver. I was in awe of his ability to profile a criminal and his track record of solving cases. He goes into great detail of crimes that stood out most during his career and it is truly a fascinating read. The only downfall of the book is that he dives into his personal background and life a little too much, in my opinion. I would rather that space be filled with more information on crimes and profiling (hence sticking with the title and implication of the book) rather than the author's college escapades and failing marriage. Aside from that, this book provides a fascinating window into the world of criminal profiling.
Rating:
Summary: The Amazing Douglas!
Review: This is the first of Douglas' books I've read. After having read Robert Ressler's 2 books, I found this to be more of the same serial killer profiles, with a different spin on the same cases that Ressler reviews in his books. "Mind Hunter" has more of Douglas' personal & professional journey woven into his case studies. It's somewhat boastful of his accomplishments, and, at times, self congratulatory, but still very interesting. The book achieves a good level of insightfulness into the minds and psychopathology of the serial killers profiled. The disappointment lies, however, in that Douglas casually glosses over exactly how his profiles are derived and constructed from the particular facts of each case. Little to no analytic methodology is presented. (I mean, it's not as if readers are gonna run out and take his job away from him if he reveals too many tricks of his trade). In fact, Douglas presents his ability to profile as if he's a magical psychic, pulling personality theories out of his hat. Low and behold! - once the investigations are complete, he ends up with an accurate profile, and people are amazed by him! Nonetheless, it's an enjoyable and very interesting book. If you're intersted in criminal profiling, it's worth a read, but it's not as in-depth as say, Michaud and Hazelwood's "The Evil that Men Do".
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: If you are interested in crime analysis, this is the book for you. Exceptionally written and positively bone chilling! I highly recommend this book!
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