Inside the Mind of Casey Anthony: a Psychological Portrait written by forensic psychiatrist Keith Ablow, M.D.

This book actually turned out to be a lot more different than I initially expected it was going to be. I thought it was going to bash Casey, when I do not see it as bashing her at all in fact. Nor the defense, I thought he was overall respectful in that. I did learn information I didn’t know before, as he had done extensive research on this (tens of thousands of documents), and also did some interviewing on his own. You could tell he did his homework coupled with psychological knowledge and experience in the field, also he made sure that his opinions, his theories, his explanations was only that and presents it for what it’s worth basically, so I gave him some liberty, some freedom to run with things with instead of automatically being dismissive of him.

I must say, his use of figurative language throughout the book, I thought, was well done. Sprinting with a metaphor in the first chapter, then walking it along through various part of the book with him, taking breaks in between. It had to do with what he refers to as emotional oxygen.

When reading this book, I found myself thinking that this seems like it’s more of a psychological portrait of Cindy and George (her father), rather than that of Casey. But all three were under the examination of the author. He never examined any of those three himself directly though, only through others, through documentation, the trial, etc.

It’s important to note that he says about various theories that seek to explain:

Believe one theory. Believe another. No matter. Each […], after all, seeks to explain how Caylee died. Others will continue to ponder and debate that question. My interest in this book is why she died and why her mother did not grieve in any way that seemed human.
But, I was thinking to myself, your interest was “why”, but without the “how”, “who”, “where”, “when” how can you get at the “why”? But this book tries it’s own answer, explanation to that nonetheless.

He also at the very end introduces his own psychological description Casey had, not found in the DSM, what he calls identity suppression syndrome. He makes his case for that in the last chapter, with all that came before it, as supportive of it.

I will end this by simply quoting something relational and relevant to all this that was said earlier in the book:

Make of this particular vision, then, what you will. Think of it as pure fiction, if you like.
I will say that it was, for me, worth reading this book.