Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us 1st Edition

by Robert D. Hare (Author)

1,889 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-1572304512

ISBN-10: 9781572304512

Why is ISBN important?

Share <Embed>

Other Sellers

from

Other Sellers

See all 2 versions

Used: Like New | Details

Sold by LAY and Company

Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery May 3 - 9 if you spend $25 on items shipped by Amazon

Or fastest delivery April 27 - May 4

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Available at a lower price from other sellers that may not offer free Prime shipping.

List Price: $17.95 Details

Save: $1.80 (10%)

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Friday, April 15 if you spend $25 on items shipped by Amazon

Or fastest delivery Tuesday, April 12. Order within 16 hrs 5 mins

Available at a lower price from other sellers that may not offer free Prime shipping.

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.

Martha Stout
3,097
Paperback
186 offers from $1.26
Kevin Dutton
982
Paperback
57 offers from $6.89
Dr. Paul Babiak
851
Paperback
63 offers from $2.16
James Fallon
697
Paperback
67 offers from $6.81
Martha Stout Ph.D.
255
Paperback
39 offers from $10.74
Jon Ronson
4,214
Paperback
126 offers from $1.38

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A brilliant, in-depth handling of a most complex subject." --Hugh Aynesworth, author of Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer

"Fascinating, chilling, and accurate....The world's most renowned psychopathy researcher has leavened sharp scientific insights with page-turning case descriptions in a rare publishing feat: a book that is both highly readable and highly reputable." --John Monahan, PhD

"A fascinating, if terrifying, look at psychopaths....Hare makes a strong case for the view that psychopaths are born, not made....A chilling, eye-opening reportand a call to action." ― Kirkus Reviews Published On: 1999-01-10

From the Back Cover

A brilliant, in-depth handling of a most complex subject (Hugh Aynesworth, author of Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer).

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1572304510
Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Guilford Press; 1st edition (January 8, 1999)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 236 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781572304512
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1572304512
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #20,877 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5 in Popular Forensic Psychology
- #5 in Medical Forensic Psychology
- #14 in Popular Psychology Mental Illness Books

Customer Reviews:
1,889 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Robert D. Hare

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Robert D. Hare, Ph.D., is the author of Without Conscience and the creator of the standard tool for diagnosing psychopathy. He is an emeritus professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, and president of Darkstone Research Group, a forensic research and consulting firm. He has won numerous awards for his research, lectures widely on psychopathy, and consults with law enforcement organizations, including the FBI. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with his wife.

Customer reviews

5 star		78%
4 star		14%
3 star		5%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

How are ratings calculated?

Reviews with images

See all customer images

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

FlonneCVX

Informative, Albeit Disturbing Read. Would Love a 2018 Version!

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2018

Verified Purchase

Imagine waking up one day without the usual anxieties of aligning to social mores and laws. The past and future consequences of a risky endeavor seem insignificant. All that seems to matter is your set of personal desires, regardless of what others want. Expressions of emotion and empathy seem foreign, but you imitate them by watching movies. You "know the words, but not the music." You believe that others are either pawns to be played for your own gain, and/or others are seeking to con you. You may continuously violate social norms and laws to obtain what you want (e.g. embezzelment) and not feel remorse for your actions. This is an extreme example of what it is "like" to be a psychopath, according to Without Conscience. Mind you, this is a very vague example. Armchair diagnoses of psychopathy are unethical and impossible for non-clinicians, even after reading this book.

Robert D. Hare's "Without Conscience" is a chilling book. In his practice and research, he has developed the Psychopathy Checklist-- a tool that is reliable and valid with proper usage. Without Conscience argues that both genetics and environment play a role in the expression of psychopathy, but psychopaths are not created by poor parenting alone. However, a less violent environment will tend to produce less violent expressions of social deviance in psychopaths. Hare explores neuroscientific explanations for psychopathy, but answers from the literature (as of the latest edition of Without Conscience) are still not entirely clear. He argues that there is not necessarily frontal lobe damage in psychopaths, but there is absolutely a deficiency in prefrontal cortex functions in psychopaths (e.g. empathy, executive functioning, judgment, and planning). Further, there may be a link between decreased lateralization of verbal centers in the brain and psychopathy (more effort for the two lobes to communicate in two hemispheres versus one). This hypothesis of decreased brain lateralization may explain the disjointed, confabulated stories from psychopaths that only seem to make sense when the listener is "taken" with superficial charm and emoting (with exaggerated hand and facial expressions).

These "nature AND nurture" theories make sense, as genetics and other biological factors can play a strong role in the development of DSM conditions. Think about individuals who have experienced hardship yet manage not to lash out at others as a result. I feel conflicted regarding use of the term "psychopathy," but Hare asserts it is more serious than a diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder.

This book was written in the 90s and was based on the DSM-IV, yet still seems relevant today. Now that it is 2018 and the DSM has been revised to a fifth edition, I would love for Hare to update this book. Imagine potential sections on internet culture, more recent literature reviews on neuroscience, and further analysis of psychopath vs. non-psychopath crime statistics from Canada and the U.S. I do wonder how often the Psychopathy Checklist is used today, and if research still supports its validity and reliability. It seems like a valuable tool that should be used in many therapeutic settings (not just forensic).

As someone in the mental health field, I am truly reluctant to label individuals with such serious diagnoses. Today, clinicians are advised to diagnose personality disorders ONLY after extensive, specialized testing and a long period of time. Hare advocates for the diagnosis of psychopathy to protect potential victims, help make short-term changes in destructive individuals via specialized programs/early intervention, and remove blame from confused/frustrated/victimized spouses, parents, business partners, etc.

It is important to note that individuals sensitive to strong content may want to skip over some sections. A few anecdotes on violent individuals are quite disturbing/graphic. Both men and women can do the unthinkable. Prognosis for psychopathy is poor as of this latest edition. Hare advises parents with minor children (suspected of psychopathy) to try their best with specialists. With other potential psychopaths, Hare recommends walking away, self-protective measures and damage control.

As an aside, I will note that this book pairs well with other works on psychology (Why Does He DO That? By Lundy Bancroft, The Verbally Abusive Relationship by Patricia Evans, George K. Simon's work, Tracy Schorn's book/Chump Lady blog, resources from the Domestic Violence Hotline, and more). One does not have to be a psychopath to treat others poorly. Regardless of diagnoses, victims of such treatment are not to blame. If you suspect someone in your life is not treating you with the respect you deserve, you do not have to set yourself on fire to keep the person warm. Someone can do violent, mean, terrible things (maybe not to the degrees described in this book), yet still be in great psychological pain. Those who want help will often seek help.

100 people found this helpful

Helpful

Susan M. Baumann

Harrowing

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2017

Verified Purchase

Psychopathy seems like something remote and distant, the stuff of over-the-top movie villains until you actually encounter one of these individuals. Hare's excellent book is the definitive work on psychopathy. His decades-long career, research and insight are fascinating. His work as a psychologist in the penal system has given him firsthand knowledge of this dark element of society. Perhaps most disturbing though, is the reality that psychopaths do walk among us "posing" as ordinary people in all walks of life, but wired much differently. Hare's book illustrates that we may not truly know some of the people in our lives as well as we think, but that there are warning signs and behaviors that these people display that we can watch out for and hopefully avoid. Hare explores the "nature vs. nurture" debate, and admits that treatment for these individuals may have limited success. Most sobering, is Hare's assertion that psychopathy is increasing in society. This is a quick read, filled with valuable information. Recommended.

80 people found this helpful

Helpful

Ameliawizard

Do you think someone close to you is off in a way that you can't seem to pin down? read this book.

Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2015

Verified Purchase

I barely escaped alive and with professional help identified her behavior. I was depressed within one year of meeting her and it became worse over 16 years. At the end when she had found her next victim I was gaslighted to the brink of suicide. Her first husband died unexpectedly after 21 years of marriage. Later investigation revealed his spiraling depression and poor health just prior to his death. Her children's pets always disappeared and then after her daughter was grown and tired of her pets, good old mom would take them away.
She was a very attractive women and while traveling for business almost every week it was discovered later that she would have sex with just about anyone. At 60 she looked 40 and her next victim was a 40 year old attorney. By the time she picked her new victim after 16 years with me, I had lost a Florida beach house and close to one million in savings. That does not include the gifts of valuable items over the years. Discovered later that she lost all of the jewelry because it held no value to her, it was just a reminder of the control she had over me.

Read this book. I came out alive barely. My depression is gone. I can't even believe how much control she had over me and the level of manipulation I experienced.

189 people found this helpful

Helpful

Well written and more timely than ever subject matter

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2020

Verified Purchase

In a highly disruptive and very fast-paced world, there is no doubt that the trademark traits of psychopaths allow them to remain hidden. In fact, it no doubt allows them to shine.

We all know the Ted Bundy stories of the world, but the fact is that the majority of psychopaths manage to ply their trade without murdering people. Truthfully, they walk and work amongst us.

Dr. Hare attempts to identify an accurate means to identify psychopaths amongst us. "For, if we can’t spot them, we are doomed to be their victims, both as individuals and as a society."

Without Conscience is insightful and very well written. It's a must. Even if the conservative estimate of 1% psychopaths is true (I supect it's higher), that would mean 3.3 million walk amongst us. Chances are we have all met a few of them in our lifetimes. This book helps you identify them.

14 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Tilly

Needs updating but a good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2019

Verified Purchase

A well written book with interesting insights into Hare's clinical work and the origins of the Psychopathy Checklist. However, this book is from the 90s and is not up to date with current thinking on formulation, neurobiology or treatment. In this respect it is very dated.

It would be great to get an updated read of this work which details the advancements we have made in understanding psychopathy over the past 20 years, particularly in relation to DSM-V (psychopathic traits in antisocial personality and narcissistic personality) and arguments around the differentiation between sociopathy and psychopathy. Psychopathy alone is not a standalone diagnostic criteria but this personality trait is common in many characters, including highly successful people as Hare illustrates. Like all personality traits, it also exists on a spectrum. I feel the book perhaps erroneously suggests "psychopathy" is something you can go out and get diagnosed with, but although one might score high on Hare's checklist, this is not a medical diagnosis. I think it is important to be clear about this as much misinformation and "pop psych" nonsense exists on this topic online.

Hare also assumes much about the internal world of the psychopath but does not detail how he makes these assumptions. Although the defense mechanisms of a psychopath could be "rock solid", it is impossible to conclude what an individual person is experiencing behind these. Or conversely, if there is a neurobiological basis for the absence of empathy which we now know can be the case for those who have developed without a good enough childhood environment.

All in all, a good book, which appears impressive but on closer scrutiny does have some problematic areas. I would love to get an updated version.

31 people found this helpful

Rebecca

Interesting, makes you think.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2020

Verified Purchase

This is a fantastic and interesting book. If you're studying psychology and forensic psychology for that matter, and have a keen interest in personalities this is absolutely perfect. We all assume psychopaths are murderous animals so i found this to be extremely interesting when delving deeper into the mind of one.

Psychology books, journal articles can be quite heavy going and sometimes the jargon used can throw you off. This book was well written and aimed at not just psychology students or professionals but anyone that may have an interest in this topic in general. True crime fanatics also!

I highly recommend, and if you're wanting to sink in your teeth to more, the guy has studied this topic for a long time and has many research you can look into and read about.

4 people found this helpful

Dr. E. M. MAPARA

'PSYCHOPATHY' FOR HEADS OF INSTITUTIONS

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2018

Verified Purchase

Fantastic book! Definitely score of 5 STARS. As for the author, simply a GURU in a field and subject least understood by many supervisors, managers and directors. The stories of the inmates (psychopaths) are chilling and to imagine that these individuals find it funny wrecking people's lives. in some case fatalities! Many hard working employees have lost their jobs due to a psychopath (Manager / supervisor) who felt the employee / worker was TOO POPULAR in the workplace. The psychopaths fabricated stories and had INNOCENT employees DISMISSED at the stroke of a pen! I will tell my story in 2019! Watch this space about a psychopath nurse and 22 "Anonymous" witnesses! Dr Hare you are a GENIUS! Thank-you for your wealth of knowledge in "WITHOUT CONSCIENCE."

8 people found this helpful

5LittleDucks

Great book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 2, 2018

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is very interesting. It states what psychopathy is, how to tell if someone is a psychopath, possible causes of psychopathy and contains the authors encounters and other people's encounters with psychopaths. This book also provides advice on how to minimise harm being caused to you by a psychopath . This book is well worth reading.

10 people found this helpful

David

Interesting but...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 7, 2020

Verified Purchase

Very well written but pessimistic view of human nature. If psychopaths are incurable (or unchangeable) what is to be done? This book offers only vague general advice- and I certainly have no solutions- maybe the uk government s track and trace software could be repurposed?

5 people found this helpful

See all reviews

Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us 1st Edition

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed