Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

Robert D. Hare

Sep 2011 · Guilford Press

About this ebook

Most people are both repelled and intrigued by the images of cold-blooded, conscienceless murderers that increasingly populate our movies, television programs, and newspaper headlines. With their flagrant criminal violation of society's rules, serial killers like Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy are among the most dramatic examples of the psychopath. Individuals with this personality disorder are fully aware of the consequences of their actions and know the difference between right and wrong, yet they are terrifyingly self-centered, remorseless, and unable to care about the feelings of others. Perhaps most frightening, they often seem completely normal to unsuspecting targets--and they do not always ply their trade by killing. Presenting a compelling portrait of these dangerous men and women based on 25 years of distinguished scientific research, Dr. Robert D. Hare vividly describes a world of con artists, hustlers, rapists, and other predators who charm, lie, and manipulate their way through life. Are psychopaths mad, or simply bad? How can they be recognized? And how can we protect ourselves? This book provides solid information and surprising insights for anyone seeking to understand this devastating condition.

Ratings and reviews

It's a good book, but if you're already pretty well educated it won't tell you anything you don't already know through experience. However, it is never a bad thing to remind yourself of things you already know, a refresher as it were. One thing that did bother me is he referenced frantic parents looking for solutions to their psychopathic children, but he does nothing to address children of psychopathic parents, as if it isn't a 2 way street, which it very much is. This book is extremely black and white when it comes to the parent/child dynamic, it completely and totally ignores the fact that normal children are also victims or products of psychopathic parents, and I find it extremely disheartening in my search for answers or advice.

I have been recently reading about sociopaths and psychopaths. I have dealt with a few myself. This book is very helpful and informative. I would definitely consider it to a lot of people that I care about and I would recommend it to families, victims and society to further understand psychopathy and protect themselves.

Very good read, though possibly outdated considering that I'm sure there've been new updates in present times on the subject matter.

About the author

Robert D. Hare, PhD, considered one of the world’s foremost experts on psychopathy, is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Dr. Hare is the developer of one of the most widely used tools for assessing psychopathy and the author of over 100 scientific articles and several books. He has received numerous awards for his distinguished contributions to psychology and criminology.