Mindhunter by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker

THE BESTSELLING TRUE STORY THAT INSPIRED THE MAJOR NETFLIX SERIESFBI Special Agent and expert in criminal profiling and behavioural science, John Douglas, is a man who has looked evil in the eye and made a vocation of understanding it. Now retired, Douglas can let us inside the FBI elite serial crime unit and into the disturbed minds of some of the most savage serial killers in the world.The man who was the inspiration for Special Agent Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambsand who lent the film's makers his expertise explains how he invented and established the practice of criminal profiling; what it was like to submerge himself mentally in the world of serial killers to the point of 'becoming' both perpetrator and victim; and individual case histories including those of Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson, Ted Bundy and the Atlanta child murders.With the fierce page-turning power of a bestselling novel, yet terrifyingly true, Mindhunter is a true crime classic.John Douglas knows more about serial killers than anybody in the world - Jonathan Demme, Director of The Silence of the LambsA cracker of a book - Esquire

i had no interest in this book until I found out that one of the main subjects of this book was a serial killer, Ed Kemper.
He's a serial killer that i find the most interesting. He is very different and reading this just proves my point more. The detective in this book holds Ed Kemper on a pedestal to every other serial killer. “unlike Ed kemper” “they weren't acting like Ed kemper” “ed kemper this” “ed kemper that” the detective compared every single case and killer to Ed Kemper.
Ed Kemper committed insanely gruesome crimes. Decapitated girls, killed his grandparents, killed a family friend and then decapitated his mother and sexually assaulted her decapitated head. Yeah... its disturbing which makes it so damn confusing that Ed Kemper committed these crimes. The author (detective) said he liked Ed. The prison guards love ed. Everyone enjoys his company and find him to be a splendid guy. Every serial killer is “charming” but professionals have said that Ed wasn't putting on any act, he was just a very nice guy. He is famous for being 6 foot 9 and large so hes a giant. He's a serial killer that turned himself in once he killed his mum. He was very open about his murders and let police use him as research to catch other serial killers. Its insane how much everyone liked him. Hes still alive, hes like 70 now and i hope he dies in prison but i think hes more loved in prison then he would be out of it. People LOVE him. He's a teachers pet but the prison version.
So its weird, hes such a likeable guy that no one suspected, he wasnt ever suspected until he turned himself in. Police hung up on him because they didnt believe him but he kept ringing to give his confession.

watch his interviews on youtube if you want a better perspective into him. Hes insanely smart and oddly calming but his crimes make me want to vomit.

Came for the murders, stayed for the subject profiles, left because the author loves himself far too much. Half the book is a series of humble brags. 3/5

This was fine. I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt and going with four stars. The actual crime parts are fascinating and really well told. The parts about Douglas himself or other general info are so boring/poorly written.