The Measure of Madness: Inside the Disturbed and Disturbing Criminal Mind

"The defendant told the jury that he did not kill girlfriend. He did however admit to dismembering her boiling her bones and hiding them in the Port Authority locker." At the heart of countless crimes lies the mystery of the human mind. In this eye-opening book Dr. Cheryl Paradis draws back the curtain on the fascinating world of forensic psychology and revisits the most notorious and puzzling cases she has handled in her multifaceted career. "Out it all came a slew of bizarre comments about the electronic chips implanted in his brain." Her riveting sometimes shocking stories reveal the crucial and often surprising role forensic psychology plays in the pursuit of justice. Sometimes the accused believe their own bizarre lies creating a world that pushes them into frightening violent crimes. "My client is charged with murder and tells me he is a descendent of kings. He says he is of royal blood. Can you evaluate him for an insanity defense?" Join Dr. Paradis in a stark concrete cell with the accused handcuffed to a chair opposite her as she takes on the daunting task of mapping the suspects madness--or exposing it as fakery. Have a front-row seat in a tense packed courtroom where her testimony can determine an individuals fate. The criminal mind has never been so intimately revealed--or so darkly compelling. "A forensic psychologist reveals the dark and troubling human mind. Fascinating." --Robert K. Tanenbaum The Experts Praise The Measure of Madness "Fascinating . . . A forensic psychologist reveals the dark and powerful motives that challenge our justice system and opens up the troubling workings of the human mind." --Robert K. Tanenbaum author of Capture "Compelling . . . Dr. Cheryl Paradis offers a window into the world of a clinical psychologist who has made many assessments for the courts." --Katherine Ramsland author of The Criminal Mind "Eloquent . . . Anyone concerned with the relationship between deviance and mental illness will find this excellent book to be of great value." --Simon Baatz author of For the Thrill of It: Leopold Loeb and the Murder that Shocked Chicago "Clearly written and comprehensive . . . Dr. Paradis skillfully leads the reader through the labyrinth of the psychotic criminal mind and the maze of the judicial system." --Barbara Kirwin author of The Mad the Bad and the Innocent "Insightful remarkable . . . not to be missed if you want to understand the real-world dramas that underlie criminal justice." --Barbara Oakley author of Evil Genes "Informative discussion-provoking . . . a much needed intriguing collection of personal reflections as well as fascinating cases." --Thomas M. ORourke Director of Forensic Psychiatry Kings County Hospital Center "Riveting . . .Cheryl Paradis shows us a world rarely seen and one full of mystery." --John Coston author of To Kill and Kill Again and Sleep My Child Forever "Lucid intelligent provocative . . . Cheryl Paradis is an articulate expert guide to the bizarre and routinely baffling world of irrational and aberrant crime." --Stephen G. Michaud author of The Only Living Witness and Whisper of Fear "A marvelous book . . . a masterpiece that not only beautifully describes the people she examines but just as importantly fills in the dialogues between herself and others and includes her own thoughts and feelings. This book stands out." --Daniel W. Schwartz M.D. Director (Ret.) of Forensic Psychiatry Service Kings County Hospital "Written with clarity objectivity and expertise . . . Cheryl Paradis draws you into the fascinating world of the forensic psychologist and into the minds and often disturbing motives of the defendants she has examined." --Robert H. Berger M.D. Clinical Professor of Psychiatry New York University School of Medicine "Chilling . . . The Measure of Madness is an insiders view of a world few of us really know. Dr. Paradis makes clear that the reality of criminal forensic psychology is far different -- and far more fascinating -- than that portrayed in TV and movies. Fans of CSI and Law and Order as well as criminal law practitioners will find this book hard to resist." --Robert Reuland criminal defense attorney and author of Hollowpoint and Semiautomatic "A down-to-earth tell-all case book . . . an unvarnished insiders view into the fascinating world of forensic psychology and the minds of mentally ill criminal offenders. This book will be of interest not only to forensic specialists but to all those who have ever thought of entering this vexing but richly rewarding profession or wondered what it might be like to take an intimate look at the criminally insane." --Sanford L. Drob Ph.D. former Director of Psychological Assessment at Bellevue Hospital New York "Engaging vivid invaluable . . . a fascinating look at real-life case materials from the authors own practice as a forensic psychologist. The accounts of criminal defendants whose minds are on tri