Book Review: John Douglas and Mark Olshaker, Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit. New York, NY: Pocket Books. 1995

Abstract

Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit is a first-hand account by retired Special Agent John Douglas who was one of the first criminal profilers in the FBI’s history. The book details his life’s work by focusing on the psychological profiling that he developed to study the most prolific serial killers in America, and understand the serial killer thought process. The prologue of the book begins by describing a sudden illness that he had never experienced before, and ultimately one that would come close to ending his life. During his time as a profiler, the Special Agent traveled around the country to lecture about the cases he has worked and to help other agencies solve cases. While working in Seattle, he was hospitalized for a high fever and a seizure that ultimately put him in a medically induced coma where he was expected to have permanent brain damage even if he survived the physical trauma.