Episode · Lex Fridman Podcast · 2025-10-14
Books mentioned on #483 – Julia Shaw: Criminal Psychology of Murder, Serial Killers, Memory & Sex
Julia Shaw is a criminal psychologist and author who in her books explores human nature, including psychopathy, violent crime, the psychology of evil, police interrogation, false memory manipulation, deception detection, and human sexuality. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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Green Crime
Green Crime by Julia Shaw is a detailed investigation into the illicit global underworld of environmental offenses, exploring poachers, illegal gold miners, and corporate frauds.
Recommended“Her books include Evil, about the psychology of murder and sadism, The Memory Illusion, about false memories, Bi, about bisexuality, and her new book that you should definitely go order now called Green Crime, which is a study of the dark underworld of poachers, illegal gold miners, corporate frauds, hitmen, and all kinds of other environmental criminals.”
Where to get it
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The Idiot
The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a classic 19th-century novel that follows Prince Myshkin, a deeply compassionate and innocent protagonist whose goodness often puts him at odds with the cynical society around him.
Discussed“I'm sometimes like a Prince Myshkin character from The Idiot by Dostoevsky, where you just see...”
Where to get it
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Sexual Behavior in the Human Male
Sexual Behavior in the Human Male by Alfred Charles Kinsey, Wardell Baxter Pomeroy, and Clyde E.
Discussed“...he ended up finding, and this is one of the big findings in this book that he published called "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male," which was a best-seller for an entire year.”
Where to get it
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Ordinary Men
Ordinary Men by Christopher R.
Discussed“I was just watching this, documentary based on a book, Ordinary Men, talking about the Germans in Nazi Germany that were taking part in the execution squads in Eastern Europe...”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (8) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“Her books include Evil, about the psychology of murder and sadism, The Memory Illusion, about false memories, Bi, about bisexuality, and her new book that you should definitely go order now called Green Crime”
“Her books include Evil, about the psychology of murder and sadism, The Memory Illusion, about false memories, Bi, about bisexuality, and her new book that you should definitely go order now called Green Crime”
“Her books include Evil, about the psychology of murder and sadism, The Memory Illusion, about false memories, Bi, about bisexuality, and her new book that you should definitely go order now called Green Crime”
“Also, the title of my book is Evil, or in the UK market, it's Making Evil, which is a reference to a Nietzsche quote, which is, "Thinking evil is making evil."”
“Also, the title of my book is Evil, or in the UK market, it's Making Evil, which is a reference to a Nietzsche quote, which is, "Thinking evil is making evil."”
“I came out in Evil. Making Evil is the UK title, Evil in the US.”
“I came out in Evil. Making Evil is the UK title, Evil in the US.”
“So, when I was writing The Memory Illusion, which was my first book, and the research that was in line with that, there was this huge debate between me and a couple of other academics...”