The Psychology of Dexter (Psychology of Popular Culture)

Psychology of Dexter is an edited book of essays, showing that the first four seasons of Dexter use real life psychology to draw us in, and relate to the characters. It also explores the characters, asking questions such as what if Dexter isn't a psychopath but rather suffering from childhood PTSD? (The answer is that he very well might have been, and not been destined to kill as Harry has told him; in that case, his foster father, although well intentioned, may have in fact turned Dexter into a psychopath.)Each essay is well thought out, well presented, and all but one ask these type of questions, and really made me think about the show. There was one essay - The Psychology of Dexter's Kills by Marisa Mauro - that I felt fell flat because it was just 'this is what serial killers do, and this is how Dexter fits the role of a serial killer'. Excuse me, but yawn, I know he's a serial killer, I knew enough about trophies to realize that he took them, and while I learned a little more about the trophies, it wasn't enough to keep me hooked. However, this is one out of seventeen essays, and the others kept me reading non-stop; seriously, in line at the grocery store? Hey, it's like one or two minutes, and I needed to know what this book said.And to be fair to Marisa, she wrote another essay further along in the book called It's All About Harry - which quite frankly makes Harry seem less well intentioned than most of the essays, but was backed up with a lot of quotes, and scenes from the show, and made sense when given the layman's terms, and the proof - and which held my interest far, far more than her first essay. In fact, only going over the list of essays did I realize they were written by the same person.The thing that I really liked about this essay is that I didn't feel bogged down by Psychology jargon; the writers explain what the jargon is as quickly as possible, so a layman can relate, and then use that to explain how real life psychology effects Dexter and his world, or the way we as an audience relate to Dexter. I read a lot of psychology texts that my mom has lying around the house, so I know a little more than the average person, and I was still fascinated. However, I feel that not knowing psychology in depth, that I was able to keep up with the jargon because it was explained in simple terms - without making me feel stupid, which was a bonus.So in the end, must read, highly recommended, but you pretty much have to have seen the first four seasons of Dexter to really be interested in this book.

Want to know how the show Dexter compares to Star Wars or Harry Potter? Want to know why we as an audience can be so fascinated by the journey of a serial killer and even regard him as a hero that we root for? These ideas and many more comprise these essays about the show's first four seasons - written by fans of Dexter who are also psychologists. The show's other characters, as well as Harry, are explored as well. I found it very interesting and thought-provoking. And as I rewatch the show with my husband, I'm better understanding, appreciating and enjoying what I already knew was a great show with one of the most compelling characters on TV - Dexter Morgan. Make sure you've watched through Season 4 though to avoid spoilers.

If you're a nerd for this show like I am, then this is definitely something to pick up, especially if you can get it for $3 on your Kindle or iPad or whatever. While I can't say I'd necessarily agree with every assertion made in every essay--and indeed some of them seem to conflict with each other--it's kind of like having an academic debate about the show with a friend of yours. It's all pretty good stuff to think about, whether or not a lot of it is a matter of opinion. I haven't read the whole thing, but what I've read has been mostly worthwhile, although admittedly some of it's kind of dry. (Probably if I didn't want something a bit dry I made a mistake picking up a "Psychology of That Thing You LIke" book though.)What I will say is that this book could maaaaaaajorly benefit from an update. Like in a huge way. It was published after season 4, and to date season 7 is already almost over, which means that a lot of the points made in this book have really obvious counterpoints because 35 new episodes have turned up since then and a lot of speculation has been explicitly contradicted (and sometimes confirmed). This is not to mention how much more stuff there is to talk about.But then I can see why not update it yet. I mean if you know the show's going to end after season 8, and we do, then why update it now when you know it's going to be outdated again in a year?Another flaw in this book is that it's kind of serious, which I suppose is the point, but I think in some cases it would behoove the essayists to take the entire thing with a grain of salt. Dexter Morgan is, after all, not a real serial killer, and I think sometimes these essays suffer from an unwillingness to acknowledge that his personality is at the mercy of a group of writers (and, indeed, viewers), and as such may behave in a way counter to typical human, or serial killer, behavior. I think some of these people forget that, and then run in circles trying to explain things in a psychological sense that are pretty easily explained in a dramatic sense. I can't really fault them too much for this, as if you simply dismiss everything Dexter does with, "Well, yeah, but he's not actually a real person," then this book is entirely pointless, and so in fact is narrative television, but sometimes I think it would benefit them if they'd just admit within the essays that sometimes things happen on this show because they're more exciting or entertaining and not because of some deep psychological issue. You can never really classify a fictional guy, serial killer or not, in the way that some of these essayists try to.

I thought this book was excellent. I bought it because I'm a "Dexter" fan, but the book is really so much more. To start with, it is not written by just one author, but by several specialists in their own fields. You get various opinions about Dexter because of this. But even if Dexter was not the purpose of the book, I would still consider it outstanding. There is much to be explained and learned about all of the "mental problems" everyone experiences through themselves, someone they know, or someone they have heard about. This book really does a good job of explaining the consequences of these problems. Just the chapter alone on "Personality and Behavioral Traits of Adult Children of Narcissistic Families" is worth the price of the whole book. A job well done.

Loved this came in great condition and fast delivery ❤️

I bought this for my fiancée and she loves it, being an avid Dexter fan.A solid purchase for anyone who likes Dexter even remotely.

Arrived in great condition and in a timely fashion. Product was great. On top of this thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Really interesting read but definitely based on the TV show with little references to the books. Very easy to follow regardless of background

Different than the show, but still excellent for the Dexter fans!