A review by izarravarela
The Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty by Simon Baron-Cohen

3.0

An enjoyable and remarkably earnest exploration into the world of "Zero Negative" disorders (Borderline Personality Disorder, Psychopathy and Narcissistic Personality Disorder). Author Simon Baron-Cohen (cousin of Sasha, a.k.a. "Borat") argues convincingly that empathy, or lack thereof, lies at the nexus of all "evil" behavior. I'm won over by his earnestness, but I had a difficult time with the last chapter, which felt a bit too conversational and shallow to be a fitting end to a serious work of nonfiction. With that said, the last couple pages—in which the author describes two bereaved fathers, on Israeli and one Palestinian, who now campaign together to stop the violence—will stick with me for a while.

A fun read, but still not a first-rate book.