This is a work of creative nonfiction. The science is real and grounded in peer-reviewed research, but the case studies are composite characters drawn from common patterns rather than specific individuals. Names, circumstances, and identifying details have been invented or altered to illustrate broader truths about how human minds work. Any resemblance to real persons is coincidental.
One more thing, and it matters enough to say before anything else: this book is not a diagnostic tool. It is not a substitute for professional help. It is not medical advice. It is a conversation—one I hope makes you curious about the magnificent, maddening organ between your ears, and brave enough to get help if you recognize something in these pages that is causing you real pain.
If you are in crisis right now, call or text 988. Don't wait. Don't finish this page first.
—Carlo Thompson
Carlo Thompson is an author and digital creator with a deep fascination for human behavior and the technologies shaping our future. He is the author of Why Everyone Thinks They're Right and The Ghost Consultant, with the sci-fi novel The Monolith on the way. Carlo hosts Surviving AI, a podcast and YouTube channel breaking down complex tech shifts — produced using the AI tools he discusses, from research to voice synthesis and editing. A lifelong curiosity about how people think fuels everything he creates. He lives in New Jersey with his family, probably plotting his next twist over coffee. View all by Carlo Thompson
