Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the The Psychopaths Among Us was first published in 1993 and was written by Dr. Robert Hare. Hare is a world renowned psychologist. Prior to his research and book, there were not a lot of procedures available to identify psychopaths. Many personality tests have been used, but Hare found them inconsistent and unreliable. Thus, Hare has developed, and in this book introduces, the Psychopathy Checklist.

In Hare's early career, he worked in a prison and had his first personal experience with a psychopath named Ray. Hare worked as a psychologist at the prison and was eager to develop relationships with inmates so that he could effectively rehabilitate them. Ray was Hare's very first patient and for the eight months that Hare worked with him, Ray repeatedly manipulated and used Dr. Hare. Hare uses his own experiences, antidotes from others, as well as interviews from notorious serial killers to warn readers about what psychopaths are like and how they operate.

The Psychopathy Checklist is a very important and much utilized tool in the mental health field. Hare breaks down the Checklist into the following categories: Emotional/Interpersonal (glib and superficial, egocentric and grandiose, lack of remorse or guilt, lack of empathy, deceitful and manipulative, shallow emotions) and Social Deviance (impulsive, poor behavior, need for excitement, lack of responsibility, early behavior problems, adult antisocial behavior). Hare warns that no one should use the checklist to diagnose themselves or others. In order to use it correctly, a person has to be meticulously trained. Several times, he warns the reader that they must be properly trained in order to use the checklist.

Hare realizes that his book may frighten people into thinking that there is nothing that can be done. While there is not yet treatment for psychopaths, there are ways to protect oneself. Hare provides the reader with ways to protect themselves against psychopaths. The most important tip he gives is to know who you are dealing with and once you know what the person is, try not to be taken in by them. Next, immediately seek out advice and counselling from a skilled psychologist, psychiatrist, or clinician. One can also keep their guard up in certain situations and know themselves. Psychopaths will try to

feed on any fears and flaws that one may have.