Book Review – Confessions Of A Sociopath

by M.E. Thomas (Sidgwick & Jackson) ISBN: 9780283071898

‘This book is a work of memoir. It is true according to my best recollections; however, in addition to the inevitable flaws of memory, this story is told through the lens of how I see the world, including my megalomania, single-minded focus and a lack of understanding about the inner worlds of others.’

The book is readable, as charming and seductive as the sociopath who is writing it. M.E. Thomas made me question so many things as she showed me her world. I even questioned whether she was being truthful about being a sociopath. She is one of the most self-aware writers I’ve ever read. Are sociopaths supposed to be this insightful? As she explains – she was born into a comfortable middle-class environment, with a practising Mormon family, and a strong musical background. Her parents are still married, and she has siblings she cares for. She is also highly intelligent. If she had been less intelligent, born into an abusive family and faced with poverty, who knows what would have become of her? Would she still have become a lawyer, or a professor of law? Or would she have become a drug-dealer or a murderer?

M.E. Thomas, a pseudonym, writes openly about her life, and how she always knew she was different. She reveals her inability to empathise, her desire for power and danger, and how she manages to get around most of these problems. But, as she asks, why should she be penalised if she is a functioning member of society? One in every 25 people is a sociopath. Most are not criminals. Medical studies have shown that their brains function differently to those of ‘empaths’. Sociopaths have been around forever, as she shows in references to ancient tribes, and literature. Is there a way for sociopaths to be accepted by society?

Confessions of a Sociopath will make your head spin. It is well-written, interesting, and well worth reading.

Amanda Patterson
4/5