Stone (clinical psychiatry, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons) examines examples of violent crimes generally considered to be evil--for example, torture, murder (including serial, mass, and spree murder), and sexual sadism with murder--and categorizes each on a "gradations of evil" scale. He introduces his scale with a discussion of what is generally considered evil based on cultural differences. The scale ranges from 1 (justifiable homicide) to 22 (psychopathic torture murders, with torture, not necessarily sexual encounter, as the primary motive). The author gives examples of recent cases in each category and explains the justification for the rating he assigns. He discusses some of the perpetrators' psychiatric diagnoses and concludes with a discussion of the neurobiology behind the diagnoses and behaviors, going back to revisit the cited cases as examples. The case examples are sometimes graphic, but they serve to give the reader a greater understanding of the scale. This excellent study of evil and forensic psychiatry will be valuable to anyone interested in why people commit evil acts. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. General Readers; Lower-division Undergraduates; Upper-division Undergraduates; Graduate Students; Researchers/Faculty; Professionals/Practitioners. Reviewed by J. A. Gibson.