Author: Leanne ten Brinke

Family & relationships

Published on 10 March 2026 by Simon & Schuster Ltd in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 288 pages, none
162 x 245 x 29 | 484g

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 harmtake evasive action before you become their targetprevent bad behaviour decide if you should leaveget out of toxic situations unscathedThe 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.