Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

This book is the first genuine look at something deeper than just labeling a man you don't like for moral reasons a "psychopath". Dr. Hare, as I often point is not just the tip of the spear when referencing studies on psychopathic personality disorder, he's pretty much the blueprint for the entire weapon. While Dr. Cleckley may have started the ball rolling many years ago with "Mask of Sanity", he, like so many who are the first to try and describe something new and unknown to them, didn't really do the best job. His book is marred with anecdotes and personal assertions about the type of creature he generalized in his characterization of a "psychopath" based off of one man if I remember correctly. Dr. Hare has done so much more, to star with he developed the PCL-R which is used around the world to assess the level of psychopathy someone possesses and from inmates to politicians this tool has been proven of value. He has studied the criminal aspects of the personality thoroughly as this book entails, and even though dated the information is still very relevant which can be seen in subsequent works where he has focused more on "successful psychopath's" who are filling roles as lawyers, doctors, accountants, teachers and even therapists.What you need to be aware of when reading this, or any other book about psychopathy is that much like your first semester in a biology or anatomy and physiology class, you'll start diagnosing everything around you as X or Y until you've managed to wrap your brain around the material and it's implications. The problem here is that there is no teacher for you to defer your questions to, you must answer them yourself through either filling in the blanks as best you can with your imagination, or turning to google. Neither of which is good practice with this kind of material. So don't be so quick to start calling people around you psychopaths after getting half way through. As Hare points out, all sorts of people can be cold, callous, parasitic, manipulative and violent, "evil" is not endemic to the psychopathic personality; they're self serving folk, but many never commit a major or serious crime.I digress, this is the first book anyone should read on the subject. I highly suggest "Snakes in Suites" afterwards, accompanied by Dr. Scott Peck's engaging page turner "People of the lie". Between these three you will develop a sincere appreciation for the varied and subtle methods of predatory and manipulative people and it will be a very good understanding given that many who will read these books are not students of criminal psychology or the behavioral sciences in general; but where instead drawn here by any number of other accessory stimuli from TV to personal experience.Dr. Hare's stories provided in this book are all about actual psychopaths, you will not find the discrepancies present in other works on the topic such as "the sociopath next door" where the Author takes no issue with simply applying the mantle of socio/psychopath to all sorts of individuals, some of whom she's never even met by her own admission. A distasteful practice in and of itself, akin to labeling someone a racist just because you heard a story from some guy about another guy he used to work with who said he didn't really want his daughter dating black guys. In the field of psychology we do not look at issues like this through the black and white filter so many lay-folk do. First off, how do we know the story is true, second, how do we know this comment wasn't coerced out of the man by the person in question, third in what context was the comment uttered... You get the point. Dr. Hare sticks with this and gives you highly detailed notes on his encounters. Information you can use.I think my favorite part, because it shows just how skilled the intelligent psychopath is has to be where Dr. Hare admits even he himself was swindled by one of these con-men, even after spending a night with the man and talking over drinks, yet still he he never saw it coming. The psychopath is far more often NOT the serial killer, the mass murderer, the rapist, the pedophile, they are not your lazy brother-in-law that won't get a job... What they are, generally speaking, are men and women who have no conscience, no empathy, no moral compass and they maneuver through life using any means available and necessary to achieve comfort and power in spite of the hard work us honest folk put into getting there. They are the boyfriend from your childhood that really creeped you out when he said "if you ever leave I'll kill your parents and burn you alive" then laughed about it, they're the politician you see on TV caught using taxpayer money for drugs and prostitutes, the high powered criminal defense attorney that defends genuinely bad people with a lustrous zeal, because it's the thrill that gets him off. They're also that soldier with 25 confirmed kills that "bravely" stood his ground when his comrades fled an incoming gang of troops, you know, the guy with the medals we call a war hero but you see something dangerous in his eyes... They're everywhere, they're not aliens, they're not monsters, they're apes like the rest of us on the outside, but research shows neurologically they just don't have that "human factor" that keeps the rest of us in line.I don't always write research papers on psychopaths, but when I do, I use a lot of citations from this particular book. Stay vigilant my friends. :)Now, my only issue with the Kindle version is that it is steeped with typos, which drive me nuts because I'm a pedantic personality and small things derail my reading rhythm.That aside, I cannot suggest this book highly enough.

Over the years, I have read heaps of books on true crime, I have even been reading the DSM-IV (Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders used by psychiatrists all over the world) Was a hard one to track down but I found a second hand copy going on eBay that I payed an absolute fortune for. I have this morbid fascination with the real life horrors. The people that have no conscience, the people that can kill their children, harm their animals or even cheat on their partners repeatedly as if they are just going out for a burger. This book is a brilliant study and explanation of psychopaths or otherwise known as sociopaths, those that cannot feel anything for others. No remorse, no empathy, no love. They are physically and mentally incapable of it and they walk among us each and every day. This book goes into detail about these people, their symptoms and their characteristics so you may be able to spot one and miss betting conned by them.This book had me shaking! Because its REAL! I can read your crazy killers, your inbred monsters, even your zombies but throw a true story in my face and I really see the horror. The horror that someone else experienced and that someone right now is experiencing as I write this review. The most horrible monster on the planet is us humans. How we treat each other, our planet, our animals and how egotistical and money hungry we really are. And this book covers a certain type of these people that fill up at least one quarter of the prison society. Psychopaths.The book has some unbelievable true accounts (yes, well aware of the use of language there in that paradox) as they honestly would be unbelievable if not coming from someone who has been in this industry for the last few decades. This man helped invent the test that determines if you have a psychopath on your hands or not. Beginning his career in British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, he started in prisons. He then moved up the chain and became a leader in the field. Also known as sociopaths, as many believe that social factors create these emotionally void people, he writes a easy to follow, filled with studies and interviews book on the subject.Some terrifying accounts I read were that of prisoners that tampered with his car, making it so these things would gradually give out with every intention to kill the driver inside at the time. Luckily, they didn't. The book has the mothers that kill their children and their careless words after the incident that shows you that they couldn't care less. Of how people manipulate and lie, even when caught out, they continue to lie or worse still, deny the lie ever came out of them. They don't care if they are busted, they don't care if they are put away and they don't care if they are stealing your grandfather's only present to you before he died. They simply only care about their next rush, their next free ticket, their next manipulation. They don't make friends, they make acquaintances to use up and spit out like pawns. Because they don't know how to get attached to anyone.The book is filled with the bastard next door, the men that feed of lonely hearts, how they get into your home, your mind, how they suck people dry and how the innocent people are often not believed at all as these people seem to delightful, so normal, so wonderful to be around. They are so good at playing the part that they are quite often not even noticed until it is too late and they have already stung you and fled the scene. Fraud artists, criminals, rapists, animal and child abusers, murderers, and even arsonists may fall into the category, with testing and diagnosis, the scariest thing about all this, is that you cannot do anything about it but just stay away from them. The law often sets them free and the youngest of them, the children, are often protected by parents, only to grow into stronger, more dangerous psychopaths that are set free into society to burn more bridges and break more hearts. The book does its best to help warn you what to look out for but at the same time, it explains how good these people are at pretending they are something they are not so that even himself has been fooled by one before!A fascinating read about a certain group of people that are more common and more in your life than you think. They may not be as drastic as murderers or child abusers but they are there, waiting for their opportunity to have some fun, get a fill of entertainment, use someone up or even score a few bucks to make their lives easier. I loved the book and although the later chapters weren't as interesting as it focused more on origins and causes which are so hard to determine, I still feel better knowing that sometimes it isn't just me when I really feel that someone is emotionally retarded. They very well may be someone that is incapable of it and sadly, their numbers are rising. Awesome book, check it out if you love true crime and psychology. I cannot recommend it enough.

This book is a must for anybody in the fields of education, law enforcement, social work, or even any investor. As Jordan Peterson has said, you cannot underestimate another's capacity for evil or wrongdoing. This book will heighten your awareness of the creeps. The only reason why I did not give it five stars is because Hare does not go into enough depth exploring the psychopaths of the business and investing world. Otherwise, a worthwhile read.