Rick and Dee is not a clinical textbook, nor a dramatized exposé. It is a grounded, human-centered exploration of narcissism as it appears in real life—through patterns of behavior, emotional distortion, control, charm, and quiet damage.

Using the fictionalized lens of two characters, Roger Keyserling examines how narcissistic traits manifest in relationships, families, and social systems. Rather than labeling or diagnosing, the book focuses on recognition: how narcissism feels from the inside, how it reshapes perception, and how it erodes trust while often remaining invisible to outsiders.

Rick and Dee are not caricatures. They are composites—constructed from lived experience, professional observation, and psychological reality. Through their interactions, the reader begins to see how manipulation disguises itself as affection, how control masquerades as concern, and how empathy is gradually replaced by obligation and self-doubt.

This book is written for those who have lived through confusion rather than conflict—who sensed something was wrong long before they could name it. It speaks to survivors, professionals, and quiet observers alike, offering clarity without blame and understanding without sensationalism.

Rick and Dee does not tell the reader what to think. It shows them what to notice.

Narcissistic behavior without clinical jargon

Emotional manipulation and psychological erosion

Why narcissism is difficult to recognize while inside it

The difference between confidence and control

Recovery through clarity, not confrontation

Those recovering from narcissistic relationships

Mental health professionals and advocates

Readers seeking understanding, not diagnosis

Anyone learning to trust their perception again