I Have Lived in the Monster: A Report from the Abyss

This was a trip into the minds of some of the most dangerous people, who might be your neighbor, your co-worker or even a friend. Step into the shoes of these diabolical maniacs and explores their homicidal rampages. I thought it was well done and a must read for any serious criminal justice fan.

I learned a lot that I had not known about the Gacy and Dahmer cases. This book is well written with self-contained chapters on some of the worst cases of serial murder. If the author is self-aggrandizing I did not pick it up. He has justifiable reasons to be proud of his work. Many killers will kill no more because of his and others work. It must take an incredible amount of character and emotional strength to work these cases without going crazy or falling into a suicidal depression. My only criticism is that I am completely uninterested in any professional rivalry between Douglas, Ressler or any others. Both have done good work.Four stars with a fifth added to raise the review average which, IMHO, is too low for this book.

This book may not be truly deserving of five-star status, but I am rating it as such because I think Ressler deserves more credit than other reviewers on this page seem to want to give him. This may not be the deep psychological analysis that more scholarly readers desire, but that is precisely why it appeals to lay persons like myself. The book is more than just graphic descriptions of gruesome murders. In fact, the entire content of the Gacy interviews centers on his denial of any involvement in the killings. Just goes to show that the author does explore psychological characteristics of serial killers beyond their grotesque crimes. In contrast, I found the book to be a well-rounded discussion of crime and society, with just a splattering of serial killer interviews. Furthermore, consider the events surrounding the last victim of Jeffrey Dahmer - the young man actually escaped. However, Dahmer was able to convince police the young man was his boyfriend and they then escorted him back to Dahmer's apartment where he was further tortured and killed. This is just one example of why Ressler is a man who is dedicating his life to the very valid and noble cause of educating law enforcement as well as the general public concerning profiles of serial killers. It is simply foolish to assert that Ressler is just tooting his own horn. I say it's worth reading, for those of you who take an interest in true crime and criminal psychology.

Yes, he does have an ego the size of Texas and sometimes the constant references to his own superiority draws your attention from the stories he's telling, but even so the book is interesting and well worth buying. The interviews with Gacey and Dahlmer are both chilling and interesting. They bring these men beyond being monsters and nightmares and turns them into reality. For anyone interested in reading a book that doesn't thrive on blood but rather explores and explains the mind of some serial killers, this book is a must

Once again Robert Ressler captured my attention as I read his book. I feel the books biggest contribution was breaking down the stereo-type of America being the only country serial homicide happens. He cites several cases from various countries and goes into detail about them. His interviews with Dahmer and Gacy are intriguing as well.