Dangerous Personalities: An FBI Profiler Shows You How to Identify and Protect Yourself from Harmful People

A useful and worthwhile book that helps the "average" person to honor his or her instincts against those destructive people who often enter their lives. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we didn't need such survival guides, but the world is what it is, and it's better to be educated and prepared when these frightening predators and leeches come our way. Joe Navarro's experience as an FBI agent gives the book power and authenticity, and his co-author Toni Sciarra Poynter helps the writing to feel accessible, elegant, and informal. This isn't a clinical book which diagnoses illness and borderline personalities: it's instead a guide for those who encounter such problematical and often terrifying people, showing case studies and possible solutions to such entanglements. The checklists are thorough and some of the stories are disturbing, but that's the point. What comes across most clearly is that often (too often) we ignore our instincts against people who seem "off" to us, or who are irritating or bullying. The culture expects us to "get along," and often this means dismissing our gut-- which tells us frequently, "get away from this person." Navarro's book encourages readers to honor their feelings and to respect their conscience when they sense they are in a bad relationship, work environment, or unpleasant public encounter. There's a list of resources for those who have been abused or who are in peril in the back of the book, and the authors makes it a point to reinforce their important message: "It's NEVER okay for others to abuse, use, or harm you, and you have the right to call them on it, to escape, to call the police, or to tell them to stop." I don't think this book is only for those who have already suffered: it might help potential victims to recognize the warning signs of dangerous people BEFORE a crisis unfolds, and save themselves a lifetime of suffering, regret, or pain. Recommended.

i am interested in body language and this book was extremely formative - i will check out the authors other published books - would love to apply for an FBI job but I don't fit the age requirements .....i'm 85 - what was i thinking?

I actually purchased this book as a gift for one of my nieces who wishes to study criminal psychology. After a few weeks of gifting, she came back and told me the book is very mind opening and was a perfect match for her study interests. Very illustrative. Would definitely recommend!!!

This is a wonderful book that allows one to assess and understand other people's personalities. It's written by an FBI agent who knows his stuff. I've gifted it more than once to family/friends who have either been terribly damaged by someone who exhibits one of these personalities (so they can see they're not at fault and can start moving forward again); or who seem headed towards a minor disaster. People have appreciated the book.

I first listened to the audiobook, then bought the paperback for my mother. I'm going to recommend it to everyone I know, especially some younger members of my family who will be off to college soon. It is incredibly important to be able to identify people who can hurt you, even if they are just an emotional drain. the long checklists in the book are especially helpful, as they range from minor concerns to major dangers. Before you find yourself in a relationship with or voting for any of these people, read this book. If you know someone who makes you uncomfortable or unhappy, read this book. If you are a writer and you want to write effective antagonists, read this book.

My expectations for this book really damaged my enjoyment of it. With a Joe Navarro book, I was expecting it to be full of nonverbal cues and “tells” that would help me spot dangerous people from a distance, and was hoping for specific advice for how to deal with these toxic people. This book has neither of those, but it does have thorough and detailed descriptions of the types of people who do the most harm, and really could help readers identify toxic personalities in their lives before it’s too late. Tread carefully if you already have PTSD or other wounds from harmful people, as the accounts in this book can be major triggers.

The premise of the book is excellent, "Breaking down dangerous personalities into quantifiable bites that could be analyzed then giving you criteria to judge." The problem was this useful information would have taken 85 pages if the book were written concisely, but it went on and on, like the reader was an idiot and needed the same message pounded into their head over and over again.PROS:1) Valuable tools for analysis2) Guidelines that let you categorize people into one, or more, of his four categories of dangerous people.CONS:1) Stating things that were obvious as if he were revealing great truths. For example, do you really believe that you wouldn't have known that Ted Bundy could be dangerous unless he told you?2) Stating these obvious truths over and over to get the page count up3) Using known killers and high profile cases to make the point that there are dangerous people out there. He claims many decades as an FBI profiler. It would have been so much more meaningful if he took personal case studies rather than news clippings as his teaching pointsOK information, but way too watered down and making obvious statements as if they were reveling great truths.

Navarro offers a tool for quantification of personalities: his behavior check lists of 125 to 130 behaviors is a real plus for the analyst.

I received the book a week ago and finished reading it today. Before going further, please allow me to say that if you think you were taken advantage of in the past or are worn down emotionally by toxicity as you are reading this comment, then get and read this book without hesitation.I must confess that I don't regret buying the book as it helped me realize that I made the right decision in the past, by distancing myself from certain individuals and situations. I would blame myself for doing so, because it felt like I was missing something or I hurt other people's feelings. However, Joe Navarro, through this amazing work, taught me not to feel guilty for wanting to protect my space, body, finances and emotions. Yes, I did quit jobs, left relationships and avoided certain places and people (including family and friends), although at times I did not act promptly. But, I am happy that I removed myself from abuse and manipulation anyway.That being said, my knowledge in human psychology is still at the embryonic stage, even after having read this book and other materials in the subject.

Useful examples can help you spot a narcissist psycho in your life, including if you are one.Helpful list of traits to spot and thus a-v-o-i-d. Advice never ages .Lists overlap a lot, so after finding say five traits match…. Run in the opposite direction!!

I like it

Es el segundo libro de este autor y me encantan, aprendes mucho sobre los seres humanos, su comportamiento etcNo te convertirás en un experto pero si ayuda a cuidarte de gente toxica tanto en lo personal como en el trabajo

This book takes a look at 'personalities' from the standpoint that people can be and sometimes are dangerous - so beware and look after yourself! These people may be well known to you (spouse, your own kid or a neighbor) and for this reason we find excuses for their behavior. The bottom line is WATCH OUT!