A father and husband strangles his wife and drops her out of a window in a staged suicide. Most people would view this act as cold-blooded murder—but might it be the tragic result of an untreated brain cyst? Such a possibility frames The Brain Defense, Chicago author Kevin Davis‘s true-crime book, which explores the emerging role of brain science in the criminal justice system.
Davis is no stranger to crime writing. As a young newspaper reporter in Florida, he was assigned the crime beat and was immediately attracted to the social undertones and storytelling potential of crime. From there, he wrote his first book, The Wrong Man, published in 1996.
“The key to the brain defense is living in a world where we have compassion for each other,” Davis says. “Right now, I don’t feel that. We need to have people who are making our laws and running our country who have compassion. A system in which we seek to understand and not just blindly punish is going to depend on all of us. Compassion is not incompatible with people taking responsibility. People need to be held accountable for their actions, but to what extent?” v
By Kevin Davis (Penguin) Davis will appear for a book signing and Q&A Thu 3/2, 6 PM Barnes & Noble, DePaul Center 1 E. Jackson 312-362-8792depaul-loop.bncollege.com Free
Wed 3/8, 7 PM Book Cellar 4736 N. Lincoln 773-293-2665bookcellarinc.com Free
