"Snakes in Suits" is a compelling, frightening, and scientifically sound look at exactly how psychopaths work in the corporate environment: what kind of companies attract them, how they negotiate the hiring process, and how they function day by day. You'll learn how they apply their "instinctive" manipulation techniques-assessing potential targets, controlling influential victims, and abandoning those no longer useful-to business processes such as hiring, political command and control, and executive succession, all while hiding within the corporate culture. It's a must read for anyone in the business world, because whatever level you're at, you'll learn the subtle warning signs of psychopathic behaviour and be able to protect yourself and your company-before it's too late.
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About the Author
Paul Babiak, Ph.D., is an industrial and organizational psychologist and president of HRBackOffice, an executive coaching and consulting firm specializing in management development and succession planning. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company. Robert Hare, Ph.D., is the author of Without Conscience and the creator of the standard tool for diagnosing psychopathy. He is an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, and president of Darkstone Research Group, a forensic research and consulting firm. He has won numerous awards for his research, lectures widely on psychopathy, and consults with law enforcement organizations, including the FBI.
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82 of 88 people found the following review helpful
By sleepyvinny
Format:Paperback
This is an astounding, essential reference when it comes to understanding and dealing with psychopathological individuals in the workplace. They are FAR more prevalent than most people imagine, and especially in positions of power and authority, to which they naturally gravitate.
As the authors point out, psychopaths rarely take the form of 'Hannibal Lectur', but are much more likely to come in the guise of a slick, fast talking, charismatic high-flyer, who ruthlessly backstabs and manipulates his way into positions of power, for personal gain. Basically, they are invisible to anyone who does not have the knowledge of how they operate (ie: the majority), and this is what makes them so lethal.
Psychopathy is not a 'mental illness', it is a personality disorder, and as such, psychopaths are usually free of the normal quirks and neuroses of normal people, and instead operate under the blinding inertia of unquestioning self-confidence, without a hint of self-examination or internal doubt - for the psychopath, emotions are simply used as a dramatic tool, in order to evoke pity, guilt, fear or self-doubt in others, for manipulation purposes; and are completely lacking in connection to any deeper meaning.
This book is founded on extensive experience and clinical studies; eg. the Hare Psychopathy Checklists PCL-R; and builds on the established work of Hervey Cleckley ('Mask of Sanity', also recommended). It pulls back the curtain, shows all the tricks, how they work in practice in the modern corporate environment, and how to defend against them. It describes in some detail the scary surreal reality that the psychopath inhabits, in which conscience and emotion are somehow 'pretend' - how their brains are activated in a completely different pattern (as shown on ECG studies) - everything is a coldblooded 'game' of oneupmanship and self-interest, regardless of consequence.
Thoroughly recommended to anyone in a position of responsibility of assessing people - recruitment or management; and also to anyone studying psychopathy and its implications in the real wold.
As the authors point out, psychopaths rarely take the form of 'Hannibal Lectur', but are much more likely to come in the guise of a slick, fast talking, charismatic high-flyer, who ruthlessly backstabs and manipulates his way into positions of power, for personal gain. Basically, they are invisible to anyone who does not have the knowledge of how they operate (ie: the majority), and this is what makes them so lethal.
Psychopathy is not a 'mental illness', it is a personality disorder, and as such, psychopaths are usually free of the normal quirks and neuroses of normal people, and instead operate under the blinding inertia of unquestioning self-confidence, without a hint of self-examination or internal doubt - for the psychopath, emotions are simply used as a dramatic tool, in order to evoke pity, guilt, fear or self-doubt in others, for manipulation purposes; and are completely lacking in connection to any deeper meaning.
This book is founded on extensive experience and clinical studies; eg. the Hare Psychopathy Checklists PCL-R; and builds on the established work of Hervey Cleckley ('Mask of Sanity', also recommended). It pulls back the curtain, shows all the tricks, how they work in practice in the modern corporate environment, and how to defend against them. It describes in some detail the scary surreal reality that the psychopath inhabits, in which conscience and emotion are somehow 'pretend' - how their brains are activated in a completely different pattern (as shown on ECG studies) - everything is a coldblooded 'game' of oneupmanship and self-interest, regardless of consequence.
Thoroughly recommended to anyone in a position of responsibility of assessing people - recruitment or management; and also to anyone studying psychopathy and its implications in the real wold.
33 of 36 people found the following review helpful
By Zadius Sky
Format:Paperback
"Snakes in Suits" is one of the most essential works on psychopathy, as well gives the reader the working knowledge of how psychopaths operate in the job industry, especially in the corporate workplace. Not only will this book to help the reader to understand how corporate psychopaths operate, but it will give a great deal of insights and helpful tips on how to deal with them and how to protect oneself from them.
I give high praises to Hare for this work on the subject. This book is well written and easy to read as well an eye opening experience. I surly would recommend this book.
Psychopaths are ruthless, emotionless, and consciousness individuals to which they only serve themselves at the expense of others. All words coming out of their mouths would be lies, and if you are appeared as "important" or special to them, it is a safe bet that they are using you.
With this book as a tool and a guide, the readers would be able to identify each pathological individual and understand them more clearly as well to protect oneself from them. I would recommend the readers to study other works that discussed with the certain aspects of the study on the psychopaths, including "Without Conscience" (by Robert Hare), "The Mask of Sanity" (by Hervey Checkley), "The Sociopath Next Door" (by Martha Stout), "In Sheep's Clothing" (by George Simon), and Andrzej Lobaczwski's "Political Ponerology." With these works, one will have a good deal of working knowledge of the phenomenon of psychopaths in our world, in our governments, in our workplace, in our neighborhood, and even in our homes.
I give high praises to Hare for this work on the subject. This book is well written and easy to read as well an eye opening experience. I surly would recommend this book.
Psychopaths are ruthless, emotionless, and consciousness individuals to which they only serve themselves at the expense of others. All words coming out of their mouths would be lies, and if you are appeared as "important" or special to them, it is a safe bet that they are using you.
With this book as a tool and a guide, the readers would be able to identify each pathological individual and understand them more clearly as well to protect oneself from them. I would recommend the readers to study other works that discussed with the certain aspects of the study on the psychopaths, including "Without Conscience" (by Robert Hare), "The Mask of Sanity" (by Hervey Checkley), "The Sociopath Next Door" (by Martha Stout), "In Sheep's Clothing" (by George Simon), and Andrzej Lobaczwski's "Political Ponerology." With these works, one will have a good deal of working knowledge of the phenomenon of psychopaths in our world, in our governments, in our workplace, in our neighborhood, and even in our homes.
30 of 33 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The subject of this book will come as no surprise to the corporates amongst us. It has been quite clear that in leaving management to the talentless we have encouraged a class of psychopaths to colonise us. However, apart from those with a professional interest, most people will turn to this book at the point where they understand their career is being destroyed by a psychopath, and here is where my disappointment lies.
Whilst I think the book helps the diagnostic process, and the examples enable the reader to confirm for themselves the behaviours as psychopathic, the people who would get the most out of this book work in HR. Given that they hire these head-cases in the first place, I can but suggest this as required reading on one of those many HR qualifications that people seem to get, but this remains a bit frustrating for those dealing with a workplace psychopath.
There are two main reasons for this. First is the professional over-caution suggested before coming to a diagnosis. When so many of the examples indicate HR professionals and psychologists have been long fooled by the cunning ways of the psychopath, and bystanding co-workers (or extras, as the authors correctly describe them) seem to have more of an idea, this doesn't seem much consolation. The second is the absence of any serious advice on how to deal with them effectively. By adopting the strategies in this book, you MAY survive one, but not without spending years avoiding them by keeping an artificially low profile (they ruin you anyhow that way), or learning how to cope with copping it in the neck on a regular basis. This really isn't good enough. Even the long running scenario in the book ends in the triumph of psychopathy.
Is this all there is? Are we condemned to be victims of nasty types because a criminal mind is cleverer than a rounded, normal one? Having already been a victim of one of these cretins, with a promising career ruined to show for it, I was hoping for more decisive strategies now I find myself faced with another. He isn't interested in me (my career is already ruined), but I was hoping for some psycho-busting techniques that would provoke him into outing himself, or provide better protection for my co-workers than simply sucking it up.
Whilst I think the book helps the diagnostic process, and the examples enable the reader to confirm for themselves the behaviours as psychopathic, the people who would get the most out of this book work in HR. Given that they hire these head-cases in the first place, I can but suggest this as required reading on one of those many HR qualifications that people seem to get, but this remains a bit frustrating for those dealing with a workplace psychopath.
There are two main reasons for this. First is the professional over-caution suggested before coming to a diagnosis. When so many of the examples indicate HR professionals and psychologists have been long fooled by the cunning ways of the psychopath, and bystanding co-workers (or extras, as the authors correctly describe them) seem to have more of an idea, this doesn't seem much consolation. The second is the absence of any serious advice on how to deal with them effectively. By adopting the strategies in this book, you MAY survive one, but not without spending years avoiding them by keeping an artificially low profile (they ruin you anyhow that way), or learning how to cope with copping it in the neck on a regular basis. This really isn't good enough. Even the long running scenario in the book ends in the triumph of psychopathy.
Is this all there is? Are we condemned to be victims of nasty types because a criminal mind is cleverer than a rounded, normal one? Having already been a victim of one of these cretins, with a promising career ruined to show for it, I was hoping for more decisive strategies now I find myself faced with another. He isn't interested in me (my career is already ruined), but I was hoping for some psycho-busting techniques that would provoke him into outing himself, or provide better protection for my co-workers than simply sucking it up.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
very interesting book
interesting book, but not sure i trust my managers anymore . . . . . . . . . .
Published 25 days ago by kml
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very informative
I'm not a professional in this area and just have a general interest, especially as I work for a US owned corporation and can recognise many of the characteristics mentioned in... Read more
Published 1 month ago by AG
4.0 out of 5 stars
Spot the psychopath
An interesting and informative book that will have you thinking about certain colleagues behavior in a new light. But beware there may be other factors involved.
Published 3 months ago by Chris Thompson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome
An exceptional read. As a Clin Psych cum Author it has helped me no end in my quest to find a genre to write about. Top marks to the author and to the publishers.
Published 3 months ago by K Green
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not finished yet
I bought this as a Kindle edition and was intrigued by the title. I haven't really got into it as yet but not quite the read I was expecting as the narrative is based on a... Read more
Published 4 months ago by M. L. Mcintyre
2.0 out of 5 stars
Pop psychology!
I was very dissapointed with this book after wanting it for quite a while. It is poorly written and it seems like it is written by an amateur psychologist. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Chocgirl
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book!
A great book. Really helped me through a difficult time in my life. If this book is read in conjunction with Morton Bain's Psychopath! Read more
Published 5 months ago by E. Orr
1.0 out of 5 stars
Another example of how impoverished & inaccurate conventional...
I feel that, in a species where 90% of it's members are dysfunctional it's important to understand psychopaths in order to counteract their disproportionate effect on society,... Read more
Published 6 months ago by J. D. W. Lyon
2.0 out of 5 stars
Boring
Boring book. There is no real substance to this book and not very many points are made or well backed up. Read more
Published 10 months ago by A. Teo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent knowledge
This is a 'must' read for all readers. Invaluable knowledge for those difficult people and understand why it is not necessarily you.
Published 10 months ago by Robo2012
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