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The Criminal Mind

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The Criminal Mind

By: Dr Duncan Harding
Narrated by: Dr Duncan Harding
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

An edge-of-your-seat journey into the darkest depths of the human mind from forensic psychiatrist Dr Duncan Harding


- A likeable young girl who’s burnt her family home to the ground

- A man with no memory of the night he killed his wife

- A teenager whose visions and voices have had murderous effect

One question binds these and others from the casebook of Britain’s leading forensic psychiatrist: Why?

What drives a person to commit seemingly inexplicable crimes? Dr Duncan Harding is the person the police and the courts turn to for answers.

An expert witness, he must try to establish a defendant’s mental state and motivation. And their fitness to stand trial.

Growing up in a broken, violent home, Harding became a doctor because he wanted to be good and kind. It led him on a journey that has brought him face to face with psychopaths, taken him to the limits of his compassion and to the darkest corners of his own troubled past.

But he’s never turned away nor given up hope. Mesmerising, insightful and redemptive, The Criminal Mind is his unforgettable story.

'Engrossing' DR RICHARD SHEPHERD, author of Unnatural Causes

‘A riveting memoir … interweaves Harding’s often very moving life story with his memories of working as a forensic psychiatrist … the book left me with a powerful respect for the people in the health and justice systems who put their lives on the line to keep patients, and the rest of us, safe’ - MAIL ON SUNDAY

©2024 Duncan Harding (P)2024 Penguin Audio
Law Murder Social Sciences True Crime Exciting Inspiring Thought-Provoking

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Critic reviews

A penetrating insight into the darkest corners of the human mind. The most moving, surprising and compelling book you’ll read this year (M.J. ARLIDGE, AUTHOR OF EENY MEENY)
Grips you from the start like a bestselling novel then takes you on an extraordinary journey that reveals, based on the author’s own clinical experience, why some of us lead lives of love and some of hate. Riveting (JOHN HUMPHRYS)
A fantastic read … a very accessible window into the darker recesses of human behaviour … hard to put down (JUDGE DAVID WILLIAMS)
Not just another forensic psychiatrist’s casebook, but a moving account of how Duncan Harding became forensic psychiatrist (KEITH RIX, PROFESSOR IN FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY)

What listeners say about The Criminal Mind

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Excellent

Really enjoyed this - very interesting and written in an exceptionally engaging manner; so much so that my eldest teen, who is currently setting himself on a pathway to a forensic psychology career, got so into it we had to listen on the school runs each day and he'd get cross if I listened to extra without him! Plus his sister actually took her headphones off to listen too - high praise indeed!

Pretty sure we'll listen again at some point in the future. There's quite a number of psychiatry memoirs out there but this is one of the best.

Authors aren't always the best narrators, however Duncan Harding was excellent, he has a calm but engaging and expressive tone. Think I'd happily listen to pretty much anything if he was narrating it.

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I learned a lot

Great read with a new knowledge I learned. Can’t wait for more from this author

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Paradoxically…

Dr Harding’s extremely difficult family history seem to have increased his understanding and empathy, rather than making him hardened or defensive like a good number of his clients. Trying to confront and ameliorate some of the suffering he sees in the world is a great triumph of his human spirit, and he writes about this, both honestly and modestly, to great effect.

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fascinating insight

I am a psychiatric nurse by background and found Dr Harding's account of his past patients fascinating, showing the unpalatable side of humanity and society's need for answers which often felt more comfortable to be considered within the umbrella of mental illness rather than a deliberate choice to cause harm.

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Very engaging

Really captured the complexity and suspense was generated - an excellent book. Would recommend for anyone interested in understanding the reality.

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Fascinating!

This was a really interesting and well delivered book. The peppering of the authors personal journey throughout was perfect!

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Amazing and insightful!

It was a very engaging and interesting listen! I’m a psych student myself and greatly appreciate the insight it provided me to forensic work!

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Interesting book

I found Dr Harding to be honest and engaging and I loved listening to this book. A sequel would be wonderful

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Amazing and moving story

I would thoroughly recommend this absorbing and moving book. I am full of admiration for Dr Duncan Harding.

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Intriguing and Interesting!

Such detailed accounts of cases and how critical thinking played into decisions made. As a Social Worker in Adult Mental Health but main interest lies with youth offending, this gave a really good insight into that. I found I really wanted to know the outcome of all the children in the book. I empathise with children who offend and always consider that usually it is the result of trauma, but interesting and challenging to hear that not all offending is because of that.

A great listen 👍

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