"Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson" is an interesting, if possibly flawed, look at the psychological makeup of Scott Peterson. Dr. Keith Ablow, while never having interviewed or worked with Peterson himself, does make some fascinating points and conclusions.

Background on the Peterson family, which I previously did not know, sheds some light on the dynamics of this dyfunctional family. Could the murder of Peterson's grandfather have led to Peterson himself becoming a murderer? There are some similarities and parallels but truth is, we will never know.

What is known is that Peterson is a killer, and he is definitely a cold, unfeeling sociopath. This book would have been much more insightful had Dr. Ablow actually spoken with Peterson, but he did speak to Peterson's family members and ex-girlfriends.

Part of Peterson's personality is revealed through Dr. Ablow's interviews, but (as with all sociopaths) not all. Probably, Peterson himself doesn't truly know his own personality.

The only part of the book I did not care for was Dr. Ablow's opinion of Laci's personality, as being someone who wanted to make things "pretty" and cared about outside appearances. Some of his writing, intentional or not, seemed to suggest that Laci's own ignorance over her husband and desire to keep things respectful and appearances up may have contributed to her own murder. Regardless of how little Laci may have known about her own husband, she was the victim in this story and definitely did not deserve what happened to her.

All in all, an interesting and sometimes mind boggling journey into the deep, dark and empty heart of a sociopath. ( )

http://angelofmine1974.livejournal.com/6661.html ( )