Getting It Through My Thick Skull: Why I Stayed, What I Learned, and What Millions of People Involved with Sociopaths Need to Know

I really enjoyed this book! Easy read & very interesting

A well-written, thorough review of the sociopathic nature by someone who lived with it for 25 years. In plain language, Buttafuoco describes various manipulation and control techniques she endured without really realizing what was happening to her. This book sheds a clear light on the characteristics of a sociopath, and really makes you realize that you have seen many more instances of this type behavior without realizing what you were seeing. Knowledge is power in protecting yourself, and this book gives the reader great insight. This book should be a starting point for any one wanting to learn about sociopathic abuse.

I remember the headlines and media attention brought about by the Amy Fisher case. It's refreshing to read a non-sensationalized, genuine personal account from Mary Jo Buttafuoco's perspective. We see how Mary Jo grows emotionally from a naive victim into a strong woman who accepts responsibility for her own mistakes and finds peace and forgiveness in her new life. I was pleasantly surprised by Mary Jo's insightfulness and no-nonsense approach to healing after years of being trapped in a dysfunctional relationship with a sociopath. She is an inspiration to women who suffer in any type of unhealthy relationship.

While I was not a big Fisher/Buttafuoco fan (missed the made-for-TV movies and most of their interviews), of course I was aware of the story--who wasn't? This memoir could have been just another version of that whole debacle, but it was so much more. Not only is it finally a version from the victim herself, but this book is more about Mary Jo figuring out how and where her life fell apart and then reinventing herself. What happened to her could have happened to anyone. Mary Jo was just an average housewife trying to live an average life, and she ended up as a national joke because of her husband and his teenage lover. Few of us whose lives take a sharp detour have to do so under the microscope of public scrutiny, yet what choice did Mary Jo have? I wonder how many of us would have handled thing any better if we had walked in those same steps? This book dispels so many of the misconceptions I had about her life, and I found myself cheering her as she came to grips with her depression, her substance abuse, and her struggle to reinvent herself. Mary Jo's story is a testament to the power of positive thinking, the ability to be what you dream, and the capacity we all have to mold a better new life once we let go of the toxic ideas that get us nowhere. Mary Jo Buttafuoco may be a famous name, but her story could be anyone's story.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked his book. It's not a schlocky National Enquireristic piece of junk, it's a thoughtful and inspiring book that I had a hard time putting down. Here's what was compelling to me... We all look at sensational media coverage of events by looking over the shoulders of reporters and papparazzi. In this book I really got a feel for what's it's like to be the person who's got the camera lens focused on their every move and breath. Mary Jo helped me to feel the violation of that in a very real way. I cannot imagine what it would be like to suffer the trauma of a senseless attack, only to be attacked over and over again by a senseless media circus. Here's somebody who survived SO many things and it's inspiring to know that she's found a way to be a happy, healthy, and whole person. She's still walking around with a bullet in her head, but seems to have an attitude of optimism and dignity that I don't think I would be able to muster under similar life circumstances. It puts my seemingly "big" problems into perspective. The most valuable part of this book to the world, I think, is the reference to sociopathic behavior. There is probably a HUGE number of women (and men!) living with sociopaths, completely unaware that the insanity of it isn't NORMAL. It's easy to get lost in that dysfunction, because of the ability of sociopaths to charm their way out of anything. I think it is the same kind of abuse as a spouse beater, without the physical wounds, but much more damaging because it messes with your head so bad. Bravo to Mary Jo for all that she's lived through and all that she's shared - willingly or unwillingly - on the public stage.

When the shooting occurred there was more publicity about Amy Fisher and Joey than Mary Jo. This book tells her story and is written with honesty. It really brought home how a person's life can change in just a second. Clearly, Mary Jo's life was never the same after the shooting, but she picked herself up and made a new life for herself. I couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend it.