my mind on books

The Science of Evil: On Empathy and the Origins of Cruelty by Simon Baron-Cohen (Basic Books, 2001)

(kindle ed.)
(UK ed. – Zero Degrees of Empathy – at amazon.co.uk)

Product description from the publisher:

Borderline personality disorder, autism, narcissism, psychosis, Asperger’s: All of these syndromes have one thing in common–lack of empathy. In some cases, this absence can be dangerous, but in others it can simply mean a different way of seeing the world.

In Cruel or Unusual Simon Baron-Cohen, an award-winning British researcher who has investigated psychology and autism for decades, develops a new brain-based theory of human cruelty. A true psychologist, however, he examines social and environmental factors that can erode empathy, including neglect and abuse.

Based largely on Baron-Cohen’s own research, Cruel or Unusual will change the way we understand and treat human cruelty.

See also: Reuters article “Scientist seeks to banish evil, boost empathy,” Royal Institution lecture with audio archive