We look forward to seeing you on your next visit to the library. Find a location near you.

Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)

Book Cover
Average Rating
5 star
 
(1)
4 star
 
(0)
3 star
 
(0)
2 star
 
(2)
1 star
 
(0)
Published:
Crown 2013
Status:
Available from OverDrive
Description
The memoir of a high-functioning, law-abiding (well, mostly) sociopath and a roadmap—right from the source—for dealing with the sociopath in your life.
“[A] gripping and important book . . . revelatory . . . quite the memorable roller coaster ride.”—The New York Times Book Review

As M.E. Thomas says of her fellow sociopaths, “We are your neighbors, your coworkers, and quite possibly the people closest to you: lovers, family, friends. Our risk-seeking behavior and general fearlessness are thrilling, our glibness and charm alluring. Our often quick wit and outside-the-box thinking make us appear intelligent—even brilliant. We climb the corporate ladder faster than the rest, and appear to have limitless self-confidence. Who are we? We are highly successful, noncriminal sociopaths and we comprise 4 percent of the American population.”
  
Confessions of a Sociopath—part confessional memoir, part primer for the curious—takes readers on a journey into the mind of a sociopath, revealing what makes them tick while debunking myths about sociopathy and offering a road map for dealing with the sociopaths in your life. M. E. Thomas draws from her own experiences as a diagnosed sociopath; her popular blog, Sociopathworld; and scientific literature to unveil for the very first time these men and women who are “hiding in plain sight.”
Also in This Series
Formats
Adobe EPUB eBook
Works on all eReaders (except Kindles), desktop computers and mobile devices with reading apps installed.
Kindle Book
Works on Kindles and devices with a Kindle app installed.
OverDrive Read
Need Help?
If you are having problem transferring a title to your device, please fill out this support form or visit the library so we can help you to use our eBooks and eAudio Books.
More Like This
Other Editions and Formats
More Copies In LINK+
Loading LINK+ Copies...
More Details
Format:
Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
Street Date:
05/14/2013
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780307956668
ASIN:
B00A9ET4KO
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

M.E. Thomas. (2013). Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight. Crown.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

M.E. Thomas. 2013. Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight. Crown.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

M.E. Thomas, Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight. Crown, 2013.

MLA Citation (style guide)

M.E. Thomas. Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight. Crown, 2013.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Copy Details
LibraryOwnedAvailable
Shared Digital Collection31
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
37751ab5-82fb-a08a-fa43-81380edb0013
Go To Grouped Work
Needs Update?:
No
Date Added:
Jun 12, 2018 16:51:11
Date Updated:
Dec 07, 2020 12:05:32
Last Metadata Check:
Mar 24, 2024 08:14:39
Last Metadata Change:
Feb 01, 2024 07:38:16
Last Availability Check:
Mar 24, 2024 08:14:44
Last Availability Change:
Mar 17, 2024 07:53:06
Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
Mar 29, 2024 02:17:20

OverDrive Product Record

images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0111-1/{2F02E462-BF74-49BF-9F50-5B9A440DC48B}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0111-1/{2F02E462-BF74-49BF-9F50-5B9A440DC48B}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0111-1/2F0/2E4/62/{2F02E462-BF74-49BF-9F50-5B9A440DC48B}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0111-1/2F0/2E4/62/{2F02E462-BF74-49BF-9F50-5B9A440DC48B}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
formats
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780307956668
            • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
            • value: 215591
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • identifiers:
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B00A9ET4KO
            • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
            • value: 215591
      • name: Kindle Book
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • identifiers:
            • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
            • value: 215591
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780307956668
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • id: ebook-overdrive
mediaType
eBook
primaryCreator
    • role: Author
    • name: M.E. Thomas
title
Confessions of a Sociopath
dateAdded
2014-01-31T14:18:00-05:00
contentDetails
      • href: https://link.overdrive.com/?websiteID=141&titleID=1152957
      • type: text/html
      • account:
          • name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
          • id: 1151
sortTitle
Confessions of a Sociopath A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight
crossRefId
1152957
subtitle
A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight
id
2f02e462-bf74-49bf-9f50-5b9a440dc48b
starRating
3.3

OverDrive MetaData

isPublicDomain
False
formats
      • fileName: ConfessionsofaSociop_9780307956668_1152957
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 2550239
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780307956668
            • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
            • value: 215591
      • rights:
            • type: Copying
            • value: 0
            • type: Printing
            • value: 0
            • type: Lending
            • value: 0
            • type: ReadAloud
            • value: 0
            • type: ExpirationRights
            • value: 0
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • onSaleDate: 5/14/2013
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/confessions-of-a-2f02e4?.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: ConfessionsofaSociop_1152957
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 0
      • identifiers:
            • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
            • value: 215591
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B00A9ET4KO
      • name: Kindle Book
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • onSaleDate: 5/14/2013
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/confessions-of-a-2f02e4?.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: ConfessionsofaSociop_9780307956668_1152957
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 0
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780307956668
            • type: PublisherCatalogNumber
            • value: 215591
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-overdrive
      • onSaleDate: 5/14/2013
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/confessions-of-a-2f02e4?.epub-sample.overdrive.com
keywords
      • value: psychopath
      • value: Biography
      • value: successful
      • value: sociopath
      • value: confession
      • value: Social Psychology
      • value: Feelings
      • value: mental health
      • value: conscience
      • value: American
      • value: human nature
      • value: wit
      • value: behavior
      • value: Expose
      • value: confessional
      • value: promotion
      • value: serial killers
      • value: psychology
      • value: Self-confidence
      • value: Fearlessness
      • value: myths
      • value: curiosity
      • value: competitive
      • value: Personality
      • value: memoir
      • value: Emotions
      • value: intelligent
      • value: competition
      • value: loveless
      • value: behavioral psychology
      • value: corporate ladder
      • value: psychopathy
      • value: biographies and memoirs
      • value: social behavior
      • value: impervious
      • value: no remorse
      • value: sociopathy
      • value: sociopath books
      • value: true crime gifts
      • value: confessions of a sociopath
creators
      • role: Author
      • fileAs: Thomas, M.E.
      • bioText: M. E. Thomas (a pseudonym) is the author of Confessions of a Sociopath: A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight. She is a former law professor who has written extensively on music copyright issues, a current California attorney, and the founder of a non-profit. She is also, most recently, a professional musician.
      • name: M.E. Thomas
imprint
Broadway Books
publishDate
2013-05-14T00:00:00-04:00
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
Confessions of a Sociopath
fullDescription
The memoir of a high-functioning, law-abiding (well, mostly) sociopath and a roadmap—right from the source—for dealing with the sociopath in your life.
“[A] gripping and important book . . . revelatory . . . quite the memorable roller coaster ride.”—The New York Times Book Review

As M.E. Thomas says of her fellow sociopaths, “We are your neighbors, your coworkers, and quite possibly the people closest to you: lovers, family, friends. Our risk-seeking behavior and general fearlessness are thrilling, our glibness and charm alluring. Our often quick wit and outside-the-box thinking make us appear intelligent—even brilliant. We climb the corporate ladder faster than the rest, and appear to have limitless self-confidence. Who are we? We are highly successful, noncriminal sociopaths and we comprise 4 percent of the American population.”
  
Confessions of a Sociopath—part confessional memoir, part primer for the curious—takes readers on a journey into the mind of a sociopath, revealing what makes them tick while debunking myths about sociopathy and offering a road map for dealing with the sociopaths in your life. M. E. Thomas draws from her own experiences as a diagnosed sociopath; her popular blog, Sociopathworld; and scientific literature to unveil for the very first time these men and women who are “hiding in plain sight.”
reviews
      • premium: False
      • source: New York Times Book Review
      • content: "[A] gripping and important book...revelatory...quite the memorable roller coaster ride."
      • premium: False
      • source: Boston Globe
      • content: "[F]ascinating...part memoir, part psychological treatise, and entirely not to be trusted."
      • premium: False
      • source: Scientific American
      • content: "The goal of Confessions is to redefine sociopathy--or at least to shake off the stigma associated with it. And Thomas accomplishes both. Through her honest portrayal of herself as a highly capable yet deeply flawed individual, she demystifies her disorder."
      • premium: False
      • source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
      • content: "[F]ascinating stuff, and Thomas delivers...riveting...chilling....Her incisive observations about human nature can be breathtakingly pointed."
      • premium: False
      • source: Publishers Weekly, starred review
      • content: "An essential, unprecedented memoir...intelligent, measured...[H]er arguments against using the diagnosis as an indicator of evil or a pre-emptive reason to imprison are a slam-dunk. This is a critical addition to narratives of mental illness, deepened by the awareness that we're reading someone whose most intense motivation is 'acquisition, retention, and exploitation of power'."
      • premium: False
      • source: Booklist, starred review
      • content: "Fascinating and compelling as well as chilling, Thomas' memoir offers a window into the mind of a portion of the population that usually remains shrouded in mystery and fear."
      • premium: False
      • source: Kirkus Reviews
      • content: "[Thomas] invites us into her courtroom, classroom and bedroom to witness how her behavior has stunted her work life and made her love life difficult....Much here is chilling, but there are also cracks that make you ache for her....A work of advocacy for greater awareness of sociopathy's reach and conduct."
      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        Starred review from June 3, 2013
        An essential, unprecedented memoir by a law professor who is a clinically-diagnosed sociopath, these revelations from the pseudonymous Thomas deign to counter the label's public image. There are no tales of violent crime or unrecognizably perverse fantasies. Rather, her intelligent, measured prose conveys her message and her mindset yet betrays sociopathic characteristics: "While others were learning to play kickball, I learned to play people." Unlike those without this disorder, she has neither conscience nor remorse, manipulates to fulfill desires, and describes a lifetime of inability to relate to others' emotions. However, she is confident, charming, worries about having kids, and whether "they will be like me, and I worry even more that they will be not be like me." Sociopathic brains are structurally different from others, but the disorder's root causes are unknown. Thomas asserts that we have misunderstood a group that constitutes between one and four percent of the general population, and her arguments against using the diagnosis as an indicator of evil or a pre-emptive reason to imprison are a slam-dunk. This is a critical addition to narratives of mental illness, deepened by the awareness that we're reading someone whose most intense motivation is "acquisition, retention, and exploitation of power".

      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        Starred review from September 30, 2013
        Pseudonymous author M.E. Thomas paints for the casual observer an illustration of the world of the sociopath. Bereft of the inborn empathic abilities that most people possess, Thomas used her considerable aptitudes to create a functional, albeit predatory, life for herself—a life anchored in rules arrived at through applied reason rather than in morals. Narrator Bernadette Sullivan’s coolly amused tone effectively conveys Thomas’s charming, detached observations about her life. Calm and self-possessed, Sullivan leads us through Thomas’s narrative as the sociopath speculates about the causes of sociopathy, its implications, and the impact it has had on her life. By turns a confession, an examination, and a self-justification, the veracity of Thomas’s narrative is open to question—she is a self-confessed liar and manipulator—but however fictional or distorted the story may be, Sullivan’s presentation of it is undeniably seductive. A Crown hardcover.

popularity
832
links
    • self:
        • href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/2f02e462-bf74-49bf-9f50-5b9a440dc48b/metadata
        • type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
id
2f02e462-bf74-49bf-9f50-5b9a440dc48b
starRating
3.3
images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/0111-1/{2F02E462-BF74-49BF-9F50-5B9A440DC48B}Img100.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/0111-1/{2F02E462-BF74-49BF-9F50-5B9A440DC48B}Img200.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/0111-1/2F0/2E4/62/{2F02E462-BF74-49BF-9F50-5B9A440DC48B}Img150.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/0111-1/2F0/2E4/62/{2F02E462-BF74-49BF-9F50-5B9A440DC48B}Img400.jpg
        • type: image/jpeg
isPublicPerformanceAllowed
False
languages
      • code: en
      • name: English
subjects
      • value: Biography & Autobiography
      • value: Psychology
      • value: Nonfiction
publishDateText
05/14/2013
otherFormatIdentifiers
      • type: ISBN
      • value: 9780307956651
mediaType
eBook
shortDescription
The memoir of a high-functioning, law-abiding (well, mostly) sociopath and a roadmap—right from the source—for dealing with the sociopath in your life.
“[A] gripping and important book . . . revelatory . . . quite the memorable roller coaster ride.”—The New York Times Book Review

As M.E. Thomas says of her fellow sociopaths, “We are your neighbors, your coworkers, and quite possibly the people closest to you: lovers, family, friends. Our risk-seeking behavior and general fearlessness are thrilling, our glibness and charm alluring. Our often quick wit and outside-the-box thinking make us appear intelligent—even brilliant. We climb the corporate ladder faster than the rest, and appear to have limitless self-confidence. Who are we? We are highly successful, noncriminal sociopaths and we comprise 4 percent of the American population.”
  
Confessions of a Sociopath—part confessional memoir,...
sortTitle
Confessions of a Sociopath A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight
crossRefId
1152957
subtitle
A Life Spent Hiding in Plain Sight
publisher
Crown
bisacCodes
      • code: BIO026000
      • description: BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Memoirs
      • code: PSY023000
      • description: Psychology / Personality
      • code: PSY031000
      • description: Psychology / Social Psychology