Carrie,
I haven't read the book, nor would I want to, as it would only turn my world into a more depressing place. And books come out all the time claiming things, but I'd want to verify the facts in a book like that.
But take heart that sociopathy is a diagnosis that exists on a continuum: low level sociopaths are not going to kill you, they just might cheat at cards more often or sell you a car without warning you that it is going to need an very, very expensive repair very soon.
Exactly, it's not just murderers, but anybody without a conscience. They took the stat from a study that I can't remember now. The first two chapters discuss what exactly is meant by sociopath, it's not an easy, clear definition. They seem to try to boil it down (for layman's purposes in general society) as lack of love, empathy and compassion. For most of us, our behavior is dictated by those. They also describe a hypothetical case to illustrate how hard it is to nail it down because it's really all about the person's intent and/or inner thoughts and feelings. For example, does a guy bail out on a critical business meeting to go home and feed his dog:
a. because he loves the dog
b. because he feels guilty (if anybody found out the dog starved, they'd judge him)
c. because it benefits him financially (not likely unless he's breeding it)
d. etc
I'm fascinated by such things. People are hell and they are also a huge mystery.
