Without Conscience

The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us

By: Robert D. Hare

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

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. 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.

©1999 Robert D. Hare, Ph.D. (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"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 report - and a call to action." ( Kirkus)

informative and professional

informative and consistent in the way it Describes such sensitive issue, I looked how the book remained conservative and warned from jumping to conclusions or poor diagnosis

Very informative

I really enjoyed this boy. Some of it is stuff that I have already known but he does go strongly in depth on a lot of what I previously understood about psychopathy. In particular he goes further in depth about the hand movements of psychopaths of which I’ve heard mentioned many times but never heard elaborated on adequately. He does so in quite a thorough meticulous way. He performs this meticulous delving in on many other subjects throughout the book. I would highly recommend this read.

A Great Listen

What did you love best about Without Conscience?

I love a great book that engages you and you actually learn something. This book gives you an in-depth look at a sliver of society that, quite frankly, is hard to believe it exists.

Book is great - audible leaves room to improve

What did you love best about Without Conscience?

The ability to listen to course books while commuting several hours every day allowed me to listen to it multiple times each week. I can also listen to it while doing other household tasks or exercising.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Without Conscience?

NA

What three words best describe Paul Boehmer’s performance?

Clear voice excellent tone, pleasant to listen to.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no.

Any additional comments?

The chapters of the book do NOT match the sections marked by the audible file. For example today I needed to listen to chapters 11 & 12, these were eventually found under sections 13-15. Why this is not properly correlated is an unnecessary hassle.

Fascinating subject

It gave me chills hearing the traits of a psychopath. The author takes you on a journey to understanding so you don't fall into their traps. He begins by explaining the criminal psychopaths (e.g. all serial killers are psychopaths but not all psychopaths are serial killers) and segways into the "checklist, " spotting it early in children, prospective love interests, business partners and colleagues. Having once worked under a CEO who was like no other person I had ever experienced, this book shed some light on the "corporate Psychopath" the only annoyance was the narrator who seemed pretty flat and monotone most of the time. But then others listening to the book may be fine with his voice. great book

Eye opening book

Love this book, but have to admit that my jaw is on the floor after reading. Required material for anyone alive on Earth today.

Great comprehensive book!

Nothing, it’s a complicated subject and Dr. Hare explains everything so well. I recommend it highly!

Great information

This was a great book and makes me want to learn more. The narration took getting used to but not so bad that I couldn't listen. This book is a MUST ADD TO YOUR LIST

awesome 👌

great first book to read to begin your journey to learn more about the world of the psychopath

Father of a certain school of thought

This book was written twenty years ago but the concepts are not dated. Hare developed the Hare Checklist for Psychopathy that has gained wider and wider acceptance as time has gone on. Your life has been touched by a psychopath/sociopath. The significance of that influence likely determines how interested you are in the subject. If your interest is high you must read this book as a seminal work on the subject. If your interest is somewhat lower, I would recommend the more recently written The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout.