That pretty much sums it up. If you don’t give much credence to “being stuck in the anal stage of child development” as an excuse for serial murder (or anything else), and your eyes are prone to roll as an explanation of an oedipal complex is unfolding before them, this book is an utter waste of time.

The book is extremely dated, incorporating none of the modern psychology theories on serial killers, and as such presents more as a study of the history of psychoanalysis than as a study of the criminal mind. Might make an interesting case study when contrasted with contemporary works on serial killer psychology and modern profiling techniques, particularly for criminology enthusiasts or students.