The Psychology of Arson is the first book in its field to focus specifically on contemporary topics relevant to practitioners and professionals working with adolescent and adult deliberate firesetters. Rebekah Doley, Geoffrey Dickens and Theresa Gannon have integrated the very latest information regarding prevalence, theory, research and practice in one accessible resource, and provide practical advice, strategies and techniques in a context of evidence-based research which will be invaluable for all treatment providers who work in the field of deliberate fire setting. Unique features of this book include chapters considering community awareness, strategies, survivors of arson, filicide and suicide by fire, as well as a new treatment model developed on the basis of the latest research in the field. It is divided into four parts: Theories and typologies of firesetting Legal, investigative and preventative issues Assessment and risk assessment of deliberate firesetters Treatment, needs and management of deliberate firesetters The Psychology of Arson provides the first scientist-practitioner model for the treatment of arson offenders. It will be an essential resource for forensic psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and other professionals working with this client group.

New Perspectives on Arson and Firesetting: The Human-Fire Relationship is the first forensic text to move away from a sole focus on anti-social firesetting. The author presents a broader investigation of the role of fire in human life with a view to informing research and practice. This book examines the evolutionary, psychological and social significance of fire. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature and original research data, it challenges the existing understanding of arson and firesetting. A new concept – fire use – is introduced, which is conceptualised as sitting on a continuum from non-criminalised to criminalised behavior. The author combines her experience as a practitioner forensic psychologist with her own research to consider the practical application of an alternative perspective. This includes a particular focus on the assessment and treatment of fire setters and a call for a socially informed approach to prevention. The forensic scope, applied focus, and emphasis on the importance of interdisciplinary research and practice makes New Perspectives on Arson and Firesetting essential reading for students in fields such as anthropology, sociology, criminology, and psychology, as well as interdisciplinary scholars, forensic practitioners, and allied professionals. The author is donating her royalties in full to Pancreatic Cancer UK.

This book provides a comprehensive look at the issue of firesetting by people with mental disorder.

The Psychology of Arson is the first book in its field to focus specifically on contemporary topics relevant to practitioners and professionals working with adolescent and adult deliberate firesetters. Rebekah Doley, Geoffrey Dickens and Theresa Gannon have integrated the very latest information regarding prevalence, theory, research and practice in one accessible resource, and provide practical advice, strategies and techniques in a context of evidence-based research which will be invaluable for all treatment providers who work in the field of deliberate fire setting. Unique features of this book include chapters considering community awareness, strategies, survivors of arson, filicide and suicide by fire, as well as a new treatment model developed on the basis of the latest research in the field. It is divided into four parts: Theories and typologies of firesetting Legal, investigative and preventative issues Assessment and risk assessment of deliberate firesetters Treatment, needs and management of deliberate firesetters The Psychology of Arson provides the first scientist-practitioner model for the treatment of arson offenders. It will be an essential resource for forensic psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and other professionals working with this client group.

The arson rate in Australia has climbed significantly over the past 30 years ... This paper explores the possible motives for arson, with special attention given to psychological disorders that may be associated with fire-starting. Also investigated are methods to tackle the problem of arson, including public awareness campaigns and fire safety education for young people ... The current shortage of scientific research on arsonists is a significant obstacle to reducing the problem of arson in Australia.

The true story of one of the most devastating wildfires in Australian history and the search for the man who started it. On the scorching February day in 2009, a man lit two fires in the Australian state of Victoria, then sat on the roof of his house to watch the inferno. What came to be known as the Black Saturday bushfires killed 173 people and injured hundreds more, making them among the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in Australian history. As communities reeling from unspeakable loss demanded answers, detectives scrambled to piece together what really happened. They soon began to suspect the fires had been deliverately set by an arsonist. The Arsonist takes readers on the hunt for this man, and inside the puzzle of his mind. But this book is also the story of fire in the Anthropocene. The command of fire has defined and sustained us as a species, and now, as climate change normalizes devastating wildfires worldwide, we must contend with the forces of inequality, and desperate yearning for power, that can lead to such destruction. Written with Chloe Hooper’s trademark lyric detail and nuance, The Arsonist is a reminder that in the age of fire, all of us are gatekeepers.

The Psychology of Criminal and Antisocial Behavior: Victim and Offenders Perspectives is not just another formulaic book on forensic psychology. Rather, it opens up new areas of enquiry to busy practitioners and academics alike, exploring topics using a practical approach to social deviance that is underpinned by frontier research findings, policy, and international trends. From the relationship between psychopathology and crime, and the characteristics of catathymia, compulsive homicide, sadistic violence, and homicide victimology, to adult sexual grooming, domestic violence, and honor killings, experts in the field provide insight into the areas of homicide, violent crime, and sexual predation. In all, more than 20 internationally recognized experts in their fields explore these and other topic, also including discussing youth offending, love scams, the psychology of hate, public threat assessment, querulence, stalking, arson, and cults. This edited work is an essential reference for academics and practitioners working in any capacity that intersects with offenders and victims of crime, public policy, and roles involving the assessment, mitigation, and investigation of criminal and antisocial behavior. It is particularly ideal for those working in criminology, psychology, law and law enforcement, public policy, and for social science students seeking to explore the nature and character of criminal social deviance. - Includes twenty chapters across a diverse range of criminal and antisocial subject areas - Authored by an international panel of experts in their respective fields that provide a multi-cultural perspective on the issues of crime and antisocial behavior - Explores topics from both victim and offender perspectives - Includes chapters covering research, practice, policy, mitigation, and prevention - Provides an easy to read and consistent framework, making the text user-friendly as a ready-reference desktop guide

What is as unique as your fingerprints and more revealing than your diary? Hint: Your body is emitting them right now and has been every single day of your life. Brainwaves. Analyzing brainwaves, the imperceptible waves of electricity surging across your scalp, has been possible for nearly a century. But only now are neuroscientists becoming aware of the wealth of information brainwaves hold about a person's life, thoughts, and future health. From the moment a reclusive German doctor discovered waves of electricity radiating from the heads of his patients in the 1920s, brainwaves have sparked astonishment and intrigue, yet the significance of the discovery and its momentous implications have been poorly understood. Now, it is clear that these silent broadcasts can actually reveal a stunning wealth of information about any one of us. In Electric Brain, world-renowned neuroscientist and author R. Douglas Fields takes us on an enthralling journey into the world of brainwaves, detailing how new brain science could fundamentally change society, separating fact from hyperbole along the way. In this eye-opening and in-depth look at the most recent findings in brain science, Fields explores groundbreaking research that shows brainwaves can: • Reveal the type of brain you have—its strengths and weaknesses and your aptitude for learning different types of information • Allow scientists to watch your brain learn, glean your intelligence, and even tell how adventurous you are • Expose hidden dysfunctions—including signifiers of mental illness and neurological disorders • Render your thoughts and transmit them to machines and back from machines into your brain • Meld minds by telepathically transmitting information from one brain to another • Enable individuals to rewire their own brains and improve cognitive performance Written by one of the neuroscientists on the cutting edge of brainwave research, Electric Brain tells a fascinating and obscure story of discovery, explains the latest science, and looks to the future—and the exciting possibilities in store for medicine, technology, and our understanding of ourselves.

The author, Detective Ed Nordskog is an internationally recognized expert on arson, serial arson, criminal bombers and arsonists. The Arsonist Profiles is his third book describing the unique crimes of arson and serial arson, and the individuals who commit them.Nordskog approaches this subject from a very unique perspective. He is the senior arson investigator for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (largest and busiest arson/bomb unit in the United States) and has personally conducted over 2,000 arson investigations. He has been a cop for over thirty years and a Detective for twenty-six years. Nordskog not only has studied and written extensively about serial arsonists, he has been a Lead Investigator or co-Investigator on over 55 serial arson investigations, and has advised other police and fire agencies on several more. He has personally studied over 900 serial arson cases from around the world.Nordskog is one of only a small handful of arson profilers in the world and probably the only one working as an active detective on arson and bomb cases. As part of his daily duties, Det. Nordskog visits arson scenes, processes evidence, develops leads, and then tracks down the fire offender. He has been involved in the arrests and prosecutions of over 300 arsonists in his career. Several of those arsonists have been sentenced to decades in prison, while a couple more have been sentenced to Death.Det. Nordskog differs from other profilers in this field as he is able to sit face to face and interview the arsonist in their most vulnerable and candid moments; that first few hours after their arrest. It is at this important juncture that the truth often comes out. The arsonist is usually too exhausted or disoriented to form coherent lies and has not been contaminated with alibis and excuses by jailhouse lawyers, defense attorneys, and psychologists. Nordskog has looked into the eyes of the arsonists as they speak. He has talked to their victims, their families, and their friends. He has searched their homes and rooms and read their emails, texts, computer searches and journals. He has delved into the lair of the arsonist and has found as much truth as there is to find.By these standard investigation techniques, Nordskog has accumulated information and helped refine and develop profiling techniques for these unique offenders. He has learned that arsonists are not easily defined and are extremely complex criminals. No single profile fits all and Nordskog has learned of several types and sub-types in this genre. He knows that most arsonists are classified best by the motive of their attacks and by the sophistication of the ignition scenario.In The Arsonist Profiles, Det. Ed Nordskog breaks down the motives of arson and the sub-types within the motives. He talks about the "red flags of arson", staging arson scenes, targeting methods of arsonists, pattern analysis and incendiary device analysis.Nordskog describes the sub-types of arsonists to include; females, juveniles, gang/organized crime groups, profit related arson, extremist groups, and the most common motive of all, the revenge based arsonists.As usual Nordskog tells his stories through detailed analysis of his own arson investigations and from those of other recognized investigators in the field. The short case histories are raw and honest and highlight both the good and bad of arson investigation and the criminal justice system.This third book, The Arsonist Profiles is a natural follow-up by Nordskog to his first two books; "Torchered Minds-Case histories of notorious serial arsonists"; and "Fireraisers, Freaks, and Fiends-Obsessive Arsonists in the California foothills". Nordskog's books are "must reads" for all criminal investigators, prosecutors, fire chiefs and true crime buffs. They should also be required reading for any mental health professionals who are dabbling in this field.