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

by Joe Navarro, Toni Sciarra Poynter

Overview

What makes a narcissist go from self-involved to terrifying? Joe Navarro, a leading FBI profiler, unlocks the secrets to the personality disorders that put us all at risk complete with new foreword in the paperback edition of this national bestseller.

“I should have known.”

“How could we have missed the warning signs?”

”I always thought there was something off about him.”

When we wake up to new tragedies in the news every day—shootings, rampages, acts of domestic terrorism—we often blame ourselves for missing the mania lurking inside unsuspecting individuals. But how could we have known that the charismatic leader had the characteristics of a tyrant? And how can ordinary people identify threats from those who are poised to devastate their lives on a daily basis—the crazy coworkers, out-of-control family members, or relentless neighbors?

In Dangerous Personalities, former FBI profiler Joe Navarro has the answers. He shows us how to identify the four most common "dangerous personalities" and how to analyze the potential threat level: the Narcissist, the Predator, the Paranoid, and the Unstable Personality. Along the way, he provides essential tips and tricks to protect ourselves both immediately and in the long-term, as well as how to heal the trauma of being exposed to the destructive egos in our world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635653366
Publisher:	Rodale Press, Inc.
Publication date:	01/16/2018
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Joe Navarro is the author of the bestselling What Every BODY Is Saying. Since retiring from the FBI, he consults and lectures on counterintelligence, profiling, and interrogation and is often called upon as an expert on television.

Toni Sciarra Poynter has more than 25 years experience in publishing as a consultant, an author, a collaborator, and an acquisition editor.

Table of Contents

Author's Note viii

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword Dr. Leonard Territo xiii

Introduction: Why I Wrote This Book, and How to Use It 1

Chapter 1 "It's All about Me": The Narcissistic Personality 17

Chapter 2 "Fasten Your Seat Belts…": The Emotionally Unstable Personality 57

Chapter 3 "Trust No One and You'll Never Get Hurt": The Paranoid Personality 93

Chapter 4 "What's Mine Is Mine-And What's Yours Is Mine": The Predator 127

Chapter 5 One Is Bad, Two Is Terrible, Three Is Lethal: Combination Personalities 168

Chapter 6 Self-Defense against Dangerous Personalities 188

Selected Resources 212

Notes 219

Bibliography 223

Index 238

Editorial Reviews

07/07/2014
Drawing on his experience as an FBI criminal profiler, Navarro (Louder Than Words) offers readers an thought-provoking course in psychological self-defense by profiling common personality traits of potentially harmful people. Practical above all else, the book covers the four most common personality types of criminals—narcissists, predators, the emotionally unstable, paranoiacs—providing key identifying features of each. These explanations are straightforward but nevertheless chilling, for example Navarro describes the predator as one who is “unfettered by emotional attachments, conscience, morals, laws, or ethics,” victimizing women and children or, in a corporate context, investors, all while displaying a “flat affect” like the BTK killer. The author provides a thorough checklist to help readers evaluate where a problematic individual might fall on the spectrum from taking an “emotional toll” to being an “emotional, psychological, financial, or physical danger.” In addition to the obvious warning to maintain distance, there is advice for dealing with each personality type (for example: avoid arguing with the paranoid). As he himself admits, Navarro is not a psychologist, so these are not hard and fast diagnostic tools but a more general, user-friendly set of descriptions and recommendations. The checklists and resource guide alone make this a very useful book to have on hand. Agent: Steve Ross, Abrams Artists Agency. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

“An amazing book.” —Michael M. Baden, MD, former chief medical examiner, City of New York

“This book nails it! I wholeheartedly recommend it because, in many instances, we are all either victims or potential victims of dangerous personalities.” —Susan Sexton, legal scholar and former judge in the 13th Judicial District, Florida

“As riveting as a true crime thriller and as lifesaving as a self-help detox book. Every woman should read this.” —Dr. Wendy Walsh, host of Investigation Discovery Network's Happily Never After

“Having spent the last 34 years responding to crisis incidents involving dangerous personalities, I can attest to the amazing insight provided by Joe Navarro in this landmark book. Well-known characters from Hollywood fiction and real-life historical figures provide clear examples and show us the warning signs. A must-read for anyone interested in understanding and dealing with dangerous personalities.” —Gary Noesner, chief, FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit (ret.), and author of Stalling for Time

“Joe Navarro opens your eyes to these toxic individuals who wreck so many lives physically, emotionally, spiritually, even financially. What society is often unwilling to acknowledge or recognize, Joe exposes for all to see with one intention--to save lives.” —Laura Quiñones Urquiza, diplomat in Criminology, University Institute of Argentine Federal Police

“There are a variety of tools and books to assess the risk of violence, but few books are as accessible and useful in the everyday life.” —Michel St-Yves, forensic psychologist, Quebec

“A must-read. Readers will learn how to avoid the pitfalls of trust, fraud, and deceit and the emotional tolls dangerous personalities levy on their victims.” —Werner U. Spitz, MD, forensic pathologist, Michigan

From the Publisher

As riveting as a true crime thriller and as lifesaving as a self-help detox book. Every woman should read this.

host of Investigation Discovery Network's Happily Dr. Wendy Walsh

2014-07-30
A book-length warning about the dangers possibly lurking behind every co-worker, friend, significant other or person on the street and how to identify those who may cause harm.Former FBI agent Navarro reunites with author Poynter (co-authors: Louder than Words: Take Your Career from Average to Exceptional with the Hidden Power of Nonverbal Intelligence, 2010, etc.) to once again put his FBI knowledge to use for the public. Navarro first describes the four personality types he believes encompass most dangerous people: narcissistic, emotionally unstable, paranoid and combination. Each chapter-long description ends with a lengthy checklist to help readers determine if someone they know meets the criteria for that personality type, as well as how dangerous that person is likely to be. Navarro mostly uses high-profile criminals as examples—e.g., the Unabomber, Charles Manson, Clyde Barrow and John Wayne Gacy. However, the author barely scratches the surface of these big names, focusing on the obviously disturbing parts of their personalities. Despite his success as an FBI profiler, there is little revelatory information in either the personality descriptions or the accompanying checklists. Navarro's emphasis on overt characteristics causes the book to serve more as further confirmation for those who already think they are involved with someone dangerous. In many cases, his advice seems downright infantilizing, as when he writes of the paranoid personality, "If their behavior just becomes too much to bear—if it's too dehumanizing (this happens in a lot of cults) or if they drain the happiness out of your life—then distance yourself." While the information the author presents may be useful, it's hardly unique. If Navarro had spent more time exploring less obvious characteristics and let his profiling knowledge shine, this book could have been a must-read. As it is, it won't stand out from the crowd.

Kirkus Reviews