★ While most books on the market indulge in dissecting the psychology of the perpetrator, this book strikes straight to the heart by pointing the lens at the "Target Person." It is chilling: psychopaths rarely strike blindly; instead, like wolves, they precisely sniff out your inner vulnerabilities and cravings. This book hardcore dismantles how they devour their prey through a five-step systematic process: "seduction, trust-building, isolation, coercion, and psychological control." This excellent popular science work, functioning as a self-defense manual against predators, is absolutely spine-chilling yet impossible to put down!

★ This book throws out a warning that sparks intense social discussion: in this "age of coldness," compassionless and emotional blood-sucking behaviors on social networks are being overly packaged and glorified. Emotional abuse has become the most hidden yet violent invisible killer of our time. This book perfectly aligns with the public's collective anxiety and resonance regarding "workplace PUA," the "gaslighting effect," and "toxic intimate relationships"!

Psychopaths rarely choose their victims by chance. They identify emotional needs and vulnerabilities, gain trust, isolate their targets and gradually replace love, friendship and family bonds with manipulation, coercion and psychological control. By the time victims recognize what is happening, they have often lost their confidence, autonomy and sense of self.

Drawing on more than thirty years of research and hundreds of real-life cases, renowned criminologist Vicente Garrido introduces the concept of the Target Person: the individual deliberately chosen by an emotional predator. Garrido argues that we are living in the age of psychopathy—a time in which psychopathic traits are increasingly rewarded and normalized, making psychological abuse one of the defining challenges of contemporary society.

Target Persons is far more than a book about psychopathy. Shifting the focus from the predator to the survivor, Garrido presents a comprehensive model that explains not only how psychological abuse unfolds, but also how recovery becomes possible. Through five stages—from seduction and domination to revolution, liberation and post-traumatic growth—he combines criminology, psychology, philosophy and practical guidance into a roadmap for reclaiming identity after emotional abuse.

At the heart of the book lies the metaphor of "expanding the eye of the hurricane": the conviction that the only lasting response to the growing culture of psychopathy is to create an ever-wider space where empathy, moral courage and human connection can thrive.

Vicente Garrido
Vicente Garrido is a pioneering authority in the field of violent criminology. He is a strong advocate for programs aimed at treating violent youth and adults, including psychopathic offenders, about whom he has published numerous articles and books. A Doctor of Psychology with a specialization in Criminology, he is a professor of Criminal Psychology and Pedagogy for the rehabilitation of offenders at the University of Valencia. He has also served as a consultant for the United Nations on crime prevention in Latin America and has collaborated on various cases with police forces and the judicial system.