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Preface
xi
described herein is a psychopath. The “snakes” we describe are not
based on actual persons, and any resemblance to such persons, living
or dead, is purely coincidental. Rather, they are profiles of generic
psychopaths based upon composites of psychopathic characteristics
derived from published reports, the news media, and our own research
about such personalities. While we do at times refer to actual
persons, such as in the sidebars, we do so only because the person’s
behavior is either consistent with the concept of psychopathy or illustrates
a key trait or behavior that is typical of the disorder. While
these individuals may or may not be psychopaths, their reported behavior
provides a useful vehicle for elaborating the various traits and
behaviors that define psychopathy. The reader should not assume that
an individual is a psychopath simply because of the context in which he
or she is portrayed in this book.