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The Dark Side of the Mind: True Stories from My Life as a Forensic Psychologist by Kerry Daynes
musical_emmy's review against another edition
3.0
TW: Sexual abuse, harassment
I very rarely read non-fiction, in fact I can’t remember the last time I willingly read a non-fiction text outside of studying, but this book was loaned to me by a work colleague who saw it in a charity shop and thought I’d find it interesting so I wanted to at least give the book a go before I wrote it off and gave it back to him.
What I wasn’t expecting was to read it cover to cover and be engaged the whole time.
The writing is clear and easy to read and each chapter comes neatly packaged as its own little anecdote. This was nice for my brain, which likes to wander off and get distracted given a prolonged period of time focusing on anything. The stories of criminals and victims alike are highly interesting and emotive and there were enough psychology concepts scattered throughout that I got to feel smart because I understood what Daynes was talking about before she went on to explain the theory, which was nice (thanks very much psychology degree). The book is also written very tactfully - Daynes uses sarcasm and humour regularly, but will almost always switch back to being serious and respectful when discussing important topics such as the systemic discrimination that is rife in the criminal justice system or the ever-growing problem of sexual abuse and assault in wider society.
Unfortunately, as much as I like this book, its not without its faults. At times Daynes slips a little too far into writing her own memoirs for my liking and strays from the interactions with her clients, which were what compelled me in the first place. Some chapters are more guilty of this than others, particularly the ones towards the end of the book. I repeatedly found myself looking to hear more about a given client but all too soon we were back to hearing about Daynes’ sudden disillusionment with forensic psychology.
Admittedly, Daynes’ personal experiences are inherently linked to the stories she chose to tell as its clear that each one taught her something about her job or her life in general, however in a book that promises “to delve into the psyche of convicted men and women” it would have been nice to have a little more of the focus of this book be on just that. Daynes also has the unsavoury habit of sneaking in little grandiose comments about herself or judgemental remarks about her colleagues which give the impression that she thinks she is absolute best thing to happen to the forensic psychology profession in the last 20 years. This doesn’t sit amazingly with me if I’m brutally honest. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for self confidence, but I definitely felt it could be taken down a notch in some places.
Overall, the strongest parts of this book are by far when Daynes really discussed the psychology behind what caused her clients to act the way they did and the harrowing reality of what working as a psychologist in the criminal justice system is really like. These are the parts that are most gripping, most interesting, and most likely for me to relay to my colleague when he inevitably asks me what I thought of the book. So despite having some flaws, the book is still very compelling and is short enough and written clearly enough that I would recommend you give it a read if you have even a mild interest in forensic psychology.
I very rarely read non-fiction, in fact I can’t remember the last time I willingly read a non-fiction text outside of studying, but this book was loaned to me by a work colleague who saw it in a charity shop and thought I’d find it interesting so I wanted to at least give the book a go before I wrote it off and gave it back to him.
What I wasn’t expecting was to read it cover to cover and be engaged the whole time.
The writing is clear and easy to read and each chapter comes neatly packaged as its own little anecdote. This was nice for my brain, which likes to wander off and get distracted given a prolonged period of time focusing on anything. The stories of criminals and victims alike are highly interesting and emotive and there were enough psychology concepts scattered throughout that I got to feel smart because I understood what Daynes was talking about before she went on to explain the theory, which was nice (thanks very much psychology degree). The book is also written very tactfully - Daynes uses sarcasm and humour regularly, but will almost always switch back to being serious and respectful when discussing important topics such as the systemic discrimination that is rife in the criminal justice system or the ever-growing problem of sexual abuse and assault in wider society.
Unfortunately, as much as I like this book, its not without its faults. At times Daynes slips a little too far into writing her own memoirs for my liking and strays from the interactions with her clients, which were what compelled me in the first place. Some chapters are more guilty of this than others, particularly the ones towards the end of the book. I repeatedly found myself looking to hear more about a given client but all too soon we were back to hearing about Daynes’ sudden disillusionment with forensic psychology.
Admittedly, Daynes’ personal experiences are inherently linked to the stories she chose to tell as its clear that each one taught her something about her job or her life in general, however in a book that promises “to delve into the psyche of convicted men and women” it would have been nice to have a little more of the focus of this book be on just that. Daynes also has the unsavoury habit of sneaking in little grandiose comments about herself or judgemental remarks about her colleagues which give the impression that she thinks she is absolute best thing to happen to the forensic psychology profession in the last 20 years. This doesn’t sit amazingly with me if I’m brutally honest. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for self confidence, but I definitely felt it could be taken down a notch in some places.
Overall, the strongest parts of this book are by far when Daynes really discussed the psychology behind what caused her clients to act the way they did and the harrowing reality of what working as a psychologist in the criminal justice system is really like. These are the parts that are most gripping, most interesting, and most likely for me to relay to my colleague when he inevitably asks me what I thought of the book. So despite having some flaws, the book is still very compelling and is short enough and written clearly enough that I would recommend you give it a read if you have even a mild interest in forensic psychology.
pastagoblin666's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.25
Yet another non fiction book to add to my sparse (but growing) collection of "uh maybe non fiction can he enjoyable"
I don't know what I was expecting going into this, but what I found was an equal parts interesting, infuriating, and harrowing account of what it's like to be a woman in the forensic field. Which might not have been the intended focus of the book (and the book does cover a lot more themes!) But this is what really stuck with me. At the same time, this also made me chortle out loud a few times, so for as much as it is grim it's also a very fun read.
I don't know what I was expecting going into this, but what I found was an equal parts interesting, infuriating, and harrowing account of what it's like to be a woman in the forensic field. Which might not have been the intended focus of the book (and the book does cover a lot more themes!) But this is what really stuck with me. At the same time, this also made me chortle out loud a few times, so for as much as it is grim it's also a very fun read.
arsenic_and_old_lace's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
aramtiaz's review against another edition
5.0
Kerry Daynes shares her memoir of working as a forensic psychologist in system and society that has failed and continues to fail offenders and victims alike. The brilliant and thought provoking bool highlights that the most important question we need to ask about those who have committed violent, harrowing crimes and those traumatised victims who engage in extreme dangerous and risky behaviours is not "what is wrong with them" but "what happened to them?"
dreamawakebooks's review against another edition
5.0
Prevention is always better than a cure.
"Prevention is always better than a cure. By looking deeper at the root causes of extreme behaviour, we can start to write new beginnings."
This, for me, is by far the most poignant line in Kerry Daynes' superb memoir. Throughout this candid and no holds barred look into her experiences as a Forensic Psychologist, Kerry breaches the dam between the psychological aspects of behaviours and the very broken system which tries it's best to help those who need it most.
Kerry is Frank and honest about her own experience of the effects of untreated psychological disturbance, and how, ultimately, these experiences led to the demise of her time in the professional spotlight.
If you have an interest in how Forensic Psychologists fit into the process of criminal justice and health, this is definitely a great read!
"Prevention is always better than a cure. By looking deeper at the root causes of extreme behaviour, we can start to write new beginnings."
This, for me, is by far the most poignant line in Kerry Daynes' superb memoir. Throughout this candid and no holds barred look into her experiences as a Forensic Psychologist, Kerry breaches the dam between the psychological aspects of behaviours and the very broken system which tries it's best to help those who need it most.
Kerry is Frank and honest about her own experience of the effects of untreated psychological disturbance, and how, ultimately, these experiences led to the demise of her time in the professional spotlight.
If you have an interest in how Forensic Psychologists fit into the process of criminal justice and health, this is definitely a great read!