Rating: 
Summary: The Strange Case(s) of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Review: The artist Paul Gauguin once said that "life being what it is, one dreams of revenge." In "Bad Men Do What Good Men Dream," Dr. Robert Simon explains that all people have "bad dreams"--thoughts of suicide, or revenge, or crime--but only a very few cross the line from bad dream to bad action.This book explores the nebulous borderline between what people think and what they do. The topics covered include serial killing, workplace violence, multiple personality disorder, killer cults, suicide, sexual misconduct by professional caregivers, rape, stalking and pyschopathic behavior. In each area, Dr. Simon's analysis shows just how complex and surprising the human mind can be. Even apparently straightforward questions, such as whether a given criminal is likely to be dangerous in the future, or whether a "suicide" is actually an accident, turn out to be very hard to answer. At times, Dr. Simon's style is a bit academic, but on the whole he writes clearly and does a good job of covering a wide range of complex issues.
Rating: 
Summary: Lacking in emperical evidence
Review: This is a so/so book. Its main weakness is its reliance on sensational stories rather than on creditable evidence as to why people commit horrific crimes. For those who are facisinated with "criminal profiling" this may be worth a read, but for any serious scholar of forensic psychology, pass on this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Very creative book by one of psychiatry's gifted writers.
Review: This is an extremely creative book by one of psychiatry's gifted writers that I highly recommend, not only for the intelligent layperson interested in these complex matters, but for all mental health professionals who hope to make a difference. Robert L. Sadoff, M.D./Clinical Professor of Psychiatry/Director of the Center for Studies in Social legal Psychiatry/University of Pennsylvania
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