Let Me Take You Down: Inside the Mind of Mark David Chapman, the Man Who Killed John Lennon

From the title's tasteless allusion to the Lennon song ``Strawberry Fields Forever'' to the excusing treatment of a psychopath, this sensationalistic biography proves repugnant. Jones, noted for being the first reporter to interview ``Son of Sam'' killer David Berkowitz, describes the personality of Mark David Chapman before and after he shot and killed former Beatle John Lennon on Dec. 8, 1980, in New York City. We learn of Chapman's fascination with The Catcher in the Rye protagonist Holden Caulfield; we hear the voices of the evil ``child'' and rational ``adult'' arguing within Chapman as he stalked Lennon; we read of Chapman's ``possession by demons'' after his imprisonment. Jones's introduction claims ``Chapman asked the author to undertake the telling of his story in the hope that it might prevent future tragedy.'' Shamefully, however, this book serves only the ignoble purpose of promoting a criminal's narcissism. Photos not seen by PW. (Nov.)