Preview
  • Outsmarting the Sociopath Next Door

  • How to Protect Yourself Against a Ruthless Manipulator
  • By: Martha Stout Ph.D.
  • Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
  • Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (234 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Outsmarting the Sociopath Next Door

By: Martha Stout Ph.D.
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.75

Buy for $15.75

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

From Dr. Martha Stout’s influential work The Sociopath Next Door, we learned how to identify a sociopath. Now she tells us what we actually can do about it.

“Mandatory reading on how to effectively deal with sociopaths before you get hurt.”—Joe Navarro, former FBI special agent and the author of Dangerous Personalities

While the best way to deal with a sociopath is to avoid him or her entirely, sometimes circumstance doesn't allow for that. What happens when the time comes to defend yourself against your own child, a ruthless ex-spouse, a boss, or another person in power? Using the many emails and letters she has received over the years, Dr. Martha Stout uncovers the psychology behind the sociopath’s methods and provides concrete guidelines to help navigate these dangerous interactions.

Organized around categories such as destructive narcissism, violent sociopaths, sociopathic coworkers, sociopathy in business and government, and the sociopath in your family, Outsmarting the Sociopath Next Door contains detailed explanation and commentary on how best to react to keep the sociopath at bay. Uniting these categories is a discussion of changing psychological theories of personality and sociopathy and the enduring triumph of conscience over those who operate without empathy or concern for others. By understanding the person you’re dealing with, you’ll be able to gain the upper hand and escape the sociopath’s influence.

Whether you’re fighting a custody battle against a sociopathic ex or being gaslighted by a boss or coworker, you’ll find hope and help within this book. With this guide to disarming the conscienceless, Dr. Stout provides an incisive new examination of human behavior and conceptions of normality and gives listeners the tools needed to protect themselves.

©2020 Martha Stout (P)2020 Random House Audio
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

“Dr. Stout's book is mandatory reading on how to effectively deal with sociopaths before you get hurt.”—Joe Navarro, former FBI special agent and the author of Dangerous Personalities

“[Dr. Stout’s] often grim but ultimately reassuring primer will leave readers feeling better prepared to face the malign individuals in their lives.”Publishers Weekly

What listeners say about Outsmarting the Sociopath Next Door

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    171
  • 4 Stars
    37
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    153
  • 4 Stars
    26
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    147
  • 4 Stars
    21
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    7

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

useful and healing

a follow up to her book, The Sociopath Next Door, this book is more of a how to. practical tips to effectively deal with the sociopaths we are unlucky enough to spend time with. Therefore, it isn't as much of a story as the previous book. More dry but maybe more important.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

A great sequel to the first book

Martha Stout has a wonderful way of explaining the dark world of the sociopath. In this book she gives practical and sound tips and suggestions for dealing with the socio in your life. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of letters she’s received since the first book detailing readers’ own experiences with such people. Highly recommended if you’d like to be forewarned forearmed agains psycho predators, this is a good book to start with.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great read!

It is so important to learn this skill. These personalities lurk in so many settings.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A MUST if you're in a custody battle!

Of all the books I've read on the matter, this is the first one that explains how to handle such individuals if you're in court over custody battles. I would highly recommend this book before any parent takes their narcissistic or sociopathic ex to court over custody so you can derive a game plan that's most effective to what's truly important - keeping the child(ren) safe.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Important information for all of us!

Most of us including myself have only had a few true sociopaths in their life. Having read this I'm now know how to keep myself and my family safe. The tactics mentioned in this book work. Thank you so much.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

As Good As I Expected

The author has done it again. I will listen to this book again and again and have already recommended it.Buy this book and her other one also

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Excellent introduction to sociopathy

This book was an excellent introduction to sociopathy and how it differs from narcissism. I did learn quite a few things, so I'm glad I listened. There weren't as many tips as I had hoped for based on the name of the book, but the suggestions it offered were good ones.

The narration was excellent, clear and easy to understand.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding Performance, high clarity of Topic

I enjoyed this book. The performer has an excellent reading voice. The concept, of Sociopathy, is abstract but is clearly presented with concrete examples, as well as, a well-defined vernacular to explain the different aspects of Sociopathy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A comprehensive and informative guide for the average person.

There are several people in our life that have made life very uncomfortable! I have a much better understanding of why they behave so viciously! And our ability to keep them on the fringe or completely out of our life has made all the difference! Our intuitive response to them in the past was pure luck. Some of the techniques in this book will help us maintain the distance from these toxic individuals. Thank you!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Audible Book of WISDOM !!!

With many Audible Books of this subject in my library, please stick with this one to the End ! Dr. Stout brings a Bright & Understanding Insight to Humanity ! Mean , controlling, and manipulative humans are with us ! Dr. Stout explains their mindset and Helps build Wisdom to Embrace them as Humans !

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful