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

by Robert D. Hare (Author)

630 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-1572304512

ISBN-10: 9781572304512

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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.

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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 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).

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Product details

Paperback: 236 pages
Publisher: The Guilford Press; 1 edition (January 8, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9781572304512
ISBN-13: 978-1572304512
ASIN: 1572304510
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 630 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Books > Medical Books > Psychology > Forensic Psychology
- #2 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Psychology & Counseling > Forensic Psychology
- #7 in Books > Textbooks > Medicine & Health Sciences > Medicine > Clinical > Mental Health

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Susan M. Baumann

Harrowing

February 16, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified 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.

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Greg

The information provided in these chapters is informative and useful, but the descriptions of the behavior of psychopaths ...

November 18, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

There are moments when Dr. Robert Hare's Without Conscience blisters with insight. Unfortunately, there are also several instances in which he seems to beg for attention and cater to public fascination for villainy. Hare draws heavily on Hervey Cleckley's work (most notably from his book The Mask of Sanity) to develop a Psychopathy Checklist which he uses to diagnose the disorder. He spends the vast majority of the book describing the components of his Checklist and offering examples from his own interviews as well as more famous cases. The information provided in these chapters is informative and useful, but the descriptions of the behavior of psychopaths aren't particularly innovative, since by Hare's own admission, Cleckley described the same behaviors in his patients fifty years earlier.

Hare offers more value with his descriptions of the latest research on how psychopaths' brains actually function, and how they think and use language. He weighs the merits and shortcomings of the latest theories on the origins and development of psychopathy, and offers the intriguing hypothesis that individuals born with the makeup of a psychopath will not change, although the quality of their upbringing may affect whether their disorders express themselves through violence and sexual deviance or less physically harmful behavior such as deception or fraud. He also proposes further research into the treatment of this disorder, rightly observing that such interventions will likely not help psychopaths develop empathy, though they may lead them to realize and assume responsibility for the destructiveness of their behavior.

However, despite Hare's assertion that the vast majority of psychopaths are not violent serial offenders, Without Conscience is littered with descriptions of killers like John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy. Even though these criminals may exemplify some of the traits of psychopaths, by Hare's own admission, he never interviewed them himself or diagnosed them with the disorder. At times it seems Hare is writing merely to maintain the attention of those readers who picked up his book in an airport after following a serial killer manhunt on the news. At one point, he even finishes a story about a psychopath who served a short prison sentence with the warning "he may now be in your community."

All in all, Without Conscience offers a solid introduction into the basics of the psychopathic disorder. Readers who would prefer a more scholarly treatment should look elsewhere, but this book is short, simplified and entertaining enough to capture the interest of most readers unfamiliar with the subject.

52 people found this helpful53 people found this helpful

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Ameliawizard

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

May 8, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified 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.

55 people found this helpful56 people found this helpful

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