In this controversial and important work, Peck argues that evil is a genuine psychological category, manifest not in dramatic monsters but in ordinary people who consistently lie to themselves and others to avoid the pain of self-examination. The book is a serious attempt to bring the concept of evil within the range of psychological and spiritual understanding, challenging the tendency of both disciplines to explain it away. For men in recovery, therapy, or men's groups, recognizing the subtle operations of self-deception and the refusal of accountability is often the central work. Peck provides a framework for this that few other clinical texts offer. A challenging, unsettling, and ultimately hope-giving book about the capacity for transformation.