People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil

One of the most important books of this century! Narcissism is a ubiquitous disease in the American culture which Dr. Peck describes in depth. This book has helped me to understand the insidious nature of narcissism, the damage it wreaks to those possessed by it and to those who encounter it and how it destroys relationships. There is a religious undertone which talks about "evil" but which does not interfere with the message, whatever your religious persuasion. Because of its painful subject matter the book may not be an "easy" read, yet I believe "everyone" should read it and know about it. I highly recommend this important work.

I read this book for two reasons: greater understanding of people who have narcissism personality disorder, which I have had to deal with, and to get an understanding of a psychologist's view of 'evil.' I found the book very profound in its insights, and although I didn't get more information about narcissism directly (there are other sources that specifically deal with it) it certainly validated my view of it as 'evil' in its consequences.

I appreciated the definition of evil as much broader than just 'sin', (which is part of my own theological construct.) He has a good working definition of evil which explains much of what is happening in the world today.

I did not find the strategies for dealing with narcissism that I was seeking, and the chapter on exorcism didn't really help my understanding. I finished the book still wondering how to "heal the evil", which is the promise on the front of the book.

FINALLY someone with the courage to say: "The Emperor has no clothes". Evil and abuse are not necessarily always obvious in the way we are used to looking at it. But there are always effects and suffering because of these covertly evil people.

'New Age' is a poor choice of description: this is a very Christian book. It is also a must-read for any clergy or lay minister who has not yet encountered the Adversary. I first read 'People of the Lie' in the late Eighties, and it has helped me to identify and avoid, with varying degrees of success but with far more facility than I would have without it, a number of evil people. I cannot sufficiently emphasize the value of this book to any serious Christian.

Very interesting topic. I don't think anyone wants to believe that evil exists. I didn't believe it, until I was confronted with it. Once you know it, you can not un-know it. This book spells it out, breaks it down, for those of you who have not been exposed to evil, or didn't realize you were. The most enlightening information that proves true within my experience is that evil people are masters of disguise; they are the co-worker, the logger, your neighbor, people that attend church regularly, the average joe. They hold down jobs, never miss work, look like very upstanding citizens, when behind the cloak of goodness they are trying to reek havoc in others lives. The art of manipulation in the meanest terms, plotting way in advance their misdeeds. This book was a conformation to my encounter and full of many more details. The book also speaks to the desire of revenge, and that evil people take the law into their own hands, a sort of fingerprint of an evil person. Easy to think in terms of revenge, but living with evil deeds...only evil people can...this is very important to remember after your encounter with evil. I have always said as to the different places I have lived, people are pretty much the same everywhere; the good, the bad, and the ugly (the ugly in terms of the inside). This book referred to evil people as ugly, accurate word, but no words can describe the depth of this ugliness. I will never see the world as I did before my encounter with evil.
A book to read more than once.

Was having a more than difficult time dealing with a family member who broke my heart into a thousand pieces and left me to die. A friend recommended this. I did not want to believe it. I tortured myself over what I could have possibly done to have caused his behavior. After reading this book I realized that he came withe baggage and nothing I could have done would have prevented it. Sad. oh so sad to say but it is what it is.

It's always risky when a psychiatrist goes against the majority view and proposes something radical. And Dr Peck's proposal that some human beings are simply "evil" certainly contradicts the assumptions of most in his profession. But Peck's argument is strong, and his definition of human evil is both fascinating and potentially productive for psychiatrists, counseloors, and pastors alike.

Everyone intelligent should read! An eye opener to behavior roots, explains some answers to human nature and it's flaws, where these flaws root from! Awareness and understanding of human traits and behavior is a gift to be shared.

Most people should read this book to learn about and be forewarned about those around them who seem so nice, but cause great difficulty for themselves and for others thinking they are benefiting their own standard of heightened importance.

Scott Peck's famous bestseller "The Road Less Traveled" is rivaled by his book "People of the Lie." This book tells about parents and others who blindly lead their loved ones down a path of destruction seemingly without even their own knowledge of these deeds, yet Scott uncovers their hidden motivations. A profound book filled with stories of "innocent" parents whose children end up either dead or highly disturbed.

This book helped me tremendously to heal from an attempted rape by a coworker, and the lack of an appropriate response by the legal system, friends and other coworkers. It's been valuable as well after working in a dysfunctional, extremely unhealthy and poorly managed office, where some of the behaviors would meet the definition of evil as described in this book.

If you've been around people or circumstance that leaves you feeling nauseous, this book will help you heal.

Anyone and everyone who has issues with controlling or nasty people including parents, loved ones, friends or whomever, should read this book. It helps you identify them and how they are affecting your life today and why. It has helped me to understand people better in general, to have patience with them, learn to avoid them when they are acting horrible or causing turmoil. There is a reason. They are acting out against how they were treated or what they have seen in their childhood. I genuinely loved this book!!

This is a difficult book to read - but necessary. If you have ever been abused, especially as a child...it will help you understand more about the abuser. It is difficult to actually see them in the true light of human evil, but in some cases I believe it is necessary, in order to move forward and heal. So many people who were abused as children go on as adults to feel guilty and shameful all the time, and it's a horrible way to have to live (constantly apologizing, etc). This book helps you see that it is not your fault! The fault lies on the abuser. Period! I gave a copy of this book to my therapist also.

As we live in a society (America) where superficial is the norm, this book speaks to the very heart of so many we interact with on a daily basis. This is a book that will prick the ego of many who choose to live their lives in pretense....yet a book that will encourage all the souls that desire healthy relationships via truth and intimacy. It is very easy to believe that the desire for people to "be real" and loving is a fantasy..not to be found in this world.. and therefore our desire or expectation of that from people is wrong. This book encourages those seekers that their desire is not the problem....the problem lies with the "people of the lie" which unequivocally descibes a vast percentage of Americans. So, this book will either encourage you or upset you....depending upon which side of it's truth you find yourself sitting.

Angel's RequiemThis review is from: People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil (Paperback)
The Sleeping Beauty Mystery
This ongoing bestseller is a must read book for anyone interested in either psychology or spirituality. Dr. Peck explains through his case studies of patients that many of them, seemingly sick, or maybe really mentally sick, were the victims of a significant person in their lives who consciously acted ongoing to destroy their lives and them. 'People of the Lie'-great name because Scott Peck calls them 'evil'. He says their sickness is simply that they have given themselves over to a life of evil. They hide their intentions through endless lies and suffer narcisstic personality disorder with a malignant intent. They cannot feel empathy, nor conscious guilt for the wrongs they do. The feeling of love is alien to their understanding. Pride is the predisposing factor that facilitates their fall from grace. They cannot tolerate to admit their sinfulness and instead project their failings onto their victims through scapegoating. They never change course to a more positive road. Dr. Peck says that to call these people 'evil'-ie. to name what it is that they are, is a landmark step forward in dealing with it. It gives us some power over it to just identify it for what it is. He says, at one point, that he thinks it's possible that 'possessed' patients, those suffering demonic possession, are actually people who are not predisposed to being controlled by Satan, and what the excorcists sees is the victim's struggle against the demons.They have not given in. Conversely, Dr. Peck sees 'the people of the lie' as totally possessed vessels of Satan, whom the Bible calls 'The father of lies'. This book is a great read with many valuable insights. I don't believe that it will so much help the evil people to enter psychotherapy because they hate truth; however, many a patient who is suffering the tortures they inflict will be helped to forgive and overcome once they understand their enemy. One small step for man......One giant step for mankind. An excellent legacy from Dr. Peck.

Scott Peck is a great writer, easy to understand, great examples from personal experience. His writings have helped me to understand some difficult situations and people in my life. Thank you for still carrying this book even though it was written many years ago.

This book helped me understand those difficult enigmatic people that I could not understand before I read this book, which helps me tolerate those people that are hard to deal with and try to see them with compassionate loving heart. It expands my mind and heart. The best book that I read this year!

The book is a fascinating work, particularly with respect to group evil and exorcism in the later chapters. Dr. Peck explores several case studies he believes reveals evil in ways that mayn't be commonly considered. His take on exorcism is well considered and worth the price of the book, but given the fact that this is a work focused on the scientific study of evil his assessments on exorcism fall short. This is not entirely his fault as there is a spiritual factor involved which science may not grasp. Nevertheless this is a fine work on the subject and gives great insight into the character and nature of evil.

No matter what topic Scott Peck turns his attentions upon, I find that an honest and sensitive reading of him always results in a clearer understanding of myself and those around me. This book is no exception, the mirror is once again trained inwards and outwards. Here, he is focusing on the problem of EVIL... the first problem of which is a definition. In our value-free type of society, it is hard to reach a consensus on what evil exactly IS! Yet we are all aware of it when we encounter it. Peck says that it is "that force, residing either inside or outside of human beings, that seeks to kill life or liveliness." He argues (from a wealth of clinical experience and personally handled case-studies) that evil is not only a psychiatric disorder, but ought to be labelled for what it is... an ILLNESS. And as an illness, it can be cured, but not until it is recognized as such by those who deal with it within the domain of their professional responsibilities.
Citing numerous real-life examples Peck illustrates that often those who most readily identify others as evil are themselves most in need of correction. They are the ones who should be the patients, and this situation exists because one of the dominant characteristics of the evil personality is consistent scapegoating behavior. The following summary (from chapter 3) of the evil personality is typical of Peck's insightful analysis and conclusions that so often cause us to re-think some of our uncooked presuppositions... He says that, "in addition to the abrogation of responsibility that characterizes all personality disorders, this one would specifically be distinguished by: a) consistent destructive, scapegoating behavior, which may often be quite subtle; b) excessive, albeit usually covert, intolerance to criticism and other forms of narcissistic injury; c) pronounced concern with a public image and self-image of respectability, contributing to a stability of life-style but also to pretensiousness and denial of hateful feelings or vengeful motives; d) intellectual deviousness, with an increased likelihood of a mild schizophrenic disturbance of thinking at times of stress."
His chapter on possession and exorcism is totally fascinating. Peck's book lifts the veil on a lot of things we would all rather not look at... but I've read it a couple of times now and intend to re-read it yet again because, as the sub-title suggests, there is hope... but only in awareness.

This book provided me insight to dealing with specific types of people that I have encountered. The book was recommended to me by a close friend when I was forced into a situation with an individual that acted in a manner that was inconsistent with the realities of the world. Their past changed to put themselves in the best light, always considered themselves as a victim, and never forget a wrong (real or imagined) by another individual.

This book will NOT help you change that person, but it will help you coexist when you are forced to be in their world.

The biggest help was the revaluation that these people function successfully because of people who enable them, Why do people enable them? Read the book.

Great book for obtaining insights into people that appear to change stories of their life to match their own view of reality. It is their world, you are only visiting.

This is a book that will assisted me understanding why people choose a life of darkness versus a life of living love. I've asked myself, "Why, why do some people do such horrific behaviors which hurt and others ruin lives" ? This book help me to understand under lying causes of such behavior.

In this book Scott touches on areas that may disturb some. Revealing lies the culture works so hard to conceal and those we work hard to conceal from ourselves. He hits on so many things we take for granted, without asking questions, without any analysis, simply pure and empty faith generally coming from a one sided perspective.
"The understanding of reality is never something we achieve; it is only something that be can approaches. In fact, the closer we approach it the more we realize we do not understand - the more we stand in awe of its mystery." but first before we can stand in awe of it mysteries we must be courage's enough to ask questions to explore what we have come to believe.

This book is not for the faint-hearted. It extreemly courageously tackles the issue of human evil - which is at the core of human existence - to the depth and the breadth not seen anywhere else. The book finally offers a hope that there is a way out of the hopeless situation we find ourselves in, one with local wars raging around the globe unabated, and all in the name of good fighting against evil.

Read this book on the recommendation of my therapist. I am recovering from Complex PTSD due to workplace bullying and was having trouble understanding how people could be so mean that they bully. This book helped me understand that there are just some people that are evil.

Very interesting book. I work as a healer, which people often think is all "love and light" but what I really do is deal with the legacy of evil. For me, this book was interesting from a psychological perspective but also it make me think about my own choices and about human laziness. Excellent read if you're a human.

I had previously read ' the people of the lie' but listening to Dr. Peck of this volume just made the substance more informative. The information in the book should be a must read for leaders, families, and counselors.

Was greatly informed by this author on first reading this book and some current events made me long to reread it so I can find acceptance of evil nature again and let go of my profound confusion and bewilderment. This auther speaks objectively about extreme evil and calms me down and helps me not to take it personally. i am highly interested in maintaining my sanity in the face of the inexplicable evil in the world.

Excellent! However, harsh realists might have trouble accepting Peck's suggestion that we love, accept and forgive people of the lie. His advice is very workable... because if we hate, reject and condemn people of the lie... they become worse!

This book was very interesting and really left the reader pondering philosophically as it raised many very in depth questions but left it open for interpretation by the reader. The author was apparently not religiously affiliated and through years of treating clients, pursuing the question of evil and witnessing exorcisms, where he became convinced of religion. As a Christian, I found it an interesting read that left me questioning some of my beliefs on the evil that walks among us all.

One of the most important books ever written. Takes you inside the mind of the extreme narcissists who run Washington DC, Wall Street, major banks & corporations, as well as commit horrific crimes.... & why they think they're ENTITLED TO DO SO. Think EVIL incarnate.