Poisonous People

Psychopathy, Narcissism, Manipulation, Sadism: How to Resist Them and Improve Your Life

By: Leanne ten Brinke

Narrated by: Leanne ten Brinke

You definitely know one.

This book is about the poisonous people who walk among us. The romantic partner who twists every conversation, the office bully who keeps being promoted, or the reckless relative who never takes responsibility for their actions.

Award-winning psychologist Leanne ten Brinke has studied dark personalities for decades, examining their behaviour in settings as varied as prisons, schools and financial boardrooms, even in the United States Senate.

Dr ten Brinke uses a mixture of new science and storytelling to:

• help you identify dark personalities
• understand how they cause so much harm
• take evasive action before you become their target
• prevent bad behaviour
• decide if you should leave
• get out of toxic situations unscathed

The latest research shows that a relatively small number of people are bringing the rest of us down. This insightful, humane, optimistic and empowering book gives you powerful, evidence-based tools to neutralise their poison and improve your life.

Critic reviews

Chosen as one of the best new popular science books of 2026 by New Scientist

‘We are going to need all the help offered by a compelling new book . . . dispense[s] plenty of useful advice on how to protect ourselves from the “poisonous people” in our midst . . . illuminating’