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Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us (平装)
by Robert D. Hare, Ph.D.
| Category:
Psychopathy, Psychology, Non-fiction |
| Market price: ¥ 198.00
MSL price:
¥ 178.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
This is an exciting, highly informative and truly frightening account of the nature and behavior of psychopaths. |
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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John Monahan, Ph.D. (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-30 00:00>
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. |
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Canadian Psychology (MSL quote), Canada
<2006-12-30 00:00>
The book is written in a sincere and easily readable fashion for a general audience. The research and clinical literature is described in nontechnical terms with a minimum of jargon, making the work accessible to a wide audience. |
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Kirkus Reviews (MSL quote), USA
<2006-12-30 00:00>
A fascinating, if terrifying, look at psychopaths: the often charming, glib, sane-seeming people who rape and murder - and rip - off S & Ls - without a second's thought because they utterly lack the emotions that add up to the defining human characteristic of conscience. Hare (Psychology/University of British Columbia) gives thumbnail sketches of one psychopath after another - from John Wayne Gacy, the serial murderer who liked to entertain children as "Pogo the Clown,'' to mere kids who torture and kill not only animals but other children. The author isolates the essential traits of the psychopath by using a "psychopath checklist,'' a system of assessment he's devised during ten years of clinical practice with psychopaths in Canadian prisons. Again and again, Hare's rating system has verified a definition devised in 1941 by psychologist Hervey Cleckley, who concluded that psychopaths lack all personal values: "It is impossible for [the psychopath] to take even a slight interest in the tragedy or joy or the striving of humanity as presented in serious literature or art,'' Cleckley wrote. "He is also indifferent to all these matters in life itself.'' Hare cites provocative new evidence that the brain function of psychopaths may differ from that of normal adults: It seems that the speech of psychopaths is controlled by both hemispheres rather than by just the left, as is typical. In addition, "neither side of the [psychopath's brain] is typical in the processes of emotion.'' While all the implications of psychopathic brain function remain unclear, Hare makes a strong case for the view that psychopaths are born, not made - and that, crucially, little can be done to unmake them. While advocating the firm training of psychopaths to consider rationally the outcome of their actions - substituting head for heart - the author warns that denying the incorrigible nature of these cold, calculating beings will allow even more of them to prey on society. A chilling, eye-opening report - and a call to action. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-07-04 00:00>
This is an excellent introduction to the world of the psychopath. The checklist is an excellent diagnostic tool. I found myself wondering, if the brain scanning work Dr. Hare describes (Chapter 8) is accurate, why we don't skip all the therapy & subjective analysis and just wire 'em up?
I would recommend this book as a good basic introduction for the lay person, and an excellent resource for any person in the field of couples counseling, premarital counseling, or any other sort of relationship therapy. Perhaps if people could recognize the signs of psychopathic behavior early enough, their lives would not be destroyed by sick relationships. The best defense against psychopaths is to recognize them for what they are and not get tangled in their web. Here is what left me feeling the most hopeless: the book had no real good advice for what to do when you realize that the person you've chosen as a best friend, spouse, business partner, etc. is a psychopath, long after you've entangled your life & fortunes with him/her.
This book left me saddened. There are people in my life I have tried to understand, hoping that if I could only "get where they're coming from", I could develop some empathy & caring for them instead of being utterly repelled. But, if, as Dr. Hare states, Psychopaths are not curable or treatable, what's the point? It's hopeless. Our society is not one in which some authority figure could administer tests, prove that the person is not curable and is incapable of rehabilitation, and then put them to death. For good or ill, that's just not the way we do things. In the case of proven psychopaths, I sort of wish it was. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-07-04 00:00>
This book is invaluable for the psychiatric community. I think it should be required reading. It is also an asset to the lay person, particularly if this type of person is a family member. Dr. Hare "nails" both the personality traits and the behaviors of the psychopath. This book is the ONLY book I have found so far to be as direct and helpful to my family and I as it has been. I found Dr. Hare's approach to treatment of these people to be useful also. While some may find Dr. Hare's conclusions somewhat final, I appreciated his candor. For anyone who deals with these types of people, this book is a "must have"; especially families of these persons. I found the book to provide ideas for action instead of the floundering about offered in so many other texts. My thanks, Dr. Hare, for an excellent and informative read. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-07-04 00:00>
"Withour Conscience" is probably the best read out there on psychopathy to date. Hare describes the dynamics of psychopathy while successfully avoiding contradiction or the fuzziness that many authors run into when attempting to explain this disorder in full light. One thing that is admirable about Hare's work is he understands that the problem with psychopathy cannot be measured so easily by taking a survey or a questionairre - self-reports by individuals who are prone to lying and acting to benefit their image among other people for the most part come out inaccurate and thus are ineffective as diagnostic instruments. With the development of the Psychopathy Checklist, Hare has created a tool that can look beyond and through the persona of the individual, and in result, is a more effective diagnostic tool.
I think this book should be a mandatory read for everyone involved in clinical psychology, counseling, social work, and ESPECIALLY corrections. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-07-04 00:00>
This book is essential for the healing of family members and/or victims whose lives have been impacted by the puzzling acts and deceptions of a psychopath. Hare does a wonderful job of boiling down the technical research of a body of work pertaining to these individuals to its simplest, palatable form for the layperson. It is an excellent place to start one's research if you are forced to continue your relationship and/or dealings with this dysfunctional and possibly destructive personality type. I couldn't give it a more outstanding review. |
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Sandra (MSL quote), USA
<2007-07-04 00:00>
The human mind is fascinating, complex, intricate and powerful. In my psychology studies and years as a counsellor, I have encountered individuals with a vast array of socio, economic and mental problems. Nothing has perplexed and intrigued me more than the mind of a psychopath.
Robert Hare is accurate in his statement, "Not all psychopaths are criminals and not all crimals are psychopaths." We know that many psychopaths have certain emotional/interpersonal traits in common, just as we understand that they are predators with the ability to lie, charm and manipulate, like serial killers John Wayne Gacy and the "typical nice guy next door," Ted Bundy. They know right from wrong but have no conscience or remorse for their actions, and are able, if only in their own minds, to justify what they do, and why they do it. Are psychopaths truly born, or do childhood events cause them to be who they are? For all the studies and research that has been undertaken, we still have so much more to learn. The reality is, since psychopaths "tend to blend in with the rest of society," most of us have or will encounter a psychopath at some point and time in our lives. How will be know? In many cases we simply will not know, at least not before it is too late. There are signs and signals that the author brings to our attention that will provide insight on how to recognize psychopathic behaviour and how we can protect ourselves.
Robert Hare helps us to understand the mind of a psychopath based on 25 years of scientific research. This is the most extensive book I have encountered on this topic, short of a textbook, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the study of the psychopathic mind. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-07-04 00:00>
People often try to understand the motivations of psychopaths, as though they had normal consciences. "Well, they'll feel guilty, etc." But this book lets the reader know that psychopaths are almost a different species emotionally. Teaching a psychopath to reform would be as futile as trying to teach a gold fish to tap dance. In that alone, I think this book is invaluable. It helps you identify psychopaths, and lets you know that the best thing is to just stay clear, if possible. |
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Julie (MSL quote), USA
<2007-07-04 00:00>
A few psychopaths are serial killers but most of them are roaming free in society. It's estimated there are 2 millions psychopaths in North America, and they are not all locked up in prison (yet). Maybe you have already encountered one. As for me I know I have!
This book is really useful in debunking certain misconceptions that most of us have about psychopaths, thanks to Hollywood movies. Not all psychopaths commit murder, not all of them are men, they are not all going to end up in prison and a certain number of them are well-educated, successful white-collar individuals.
Dr. Hare is carefully going through his "Psychopath Checklist" to show us for our own protection the sure signs of these sick minds. With his own personal clinical anecdotes and more famous cases, it makes for a lively read. However, he is quite short on the hard scientific facts. For example, he talks about how the brain of a psychopath differs from that of a normal person but spends very little time discussing the specifics of that. I would have liked to know more about the developments in research on psychopaths.
It's still makes for an enlightening, but not too heavy read by a international specialist on psychopathy. By reading it, you raise your level of awareness to the potential psychopaths around you. You will be less of a fool when one tries to scam or attack you. |
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1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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