The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence

Author - Gavin De Becker ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Hardcover Book item from Little, Brown and Company was reviewed on 11-Dec-2008.

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1) Hardcover Book The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Little, Brown and Company. Nearly ten years after its publication, The Gift of Fear rightly has a slate of Amazon reviews probably longer than the book. Valid criticism is available in every "star" category. Sometimes, however, a book transcends even its gripping thesis; The Gift of Fear does this.

It does so by a subtle repetition of the incontrovertible fact: Evil exists. De Becker´s easy-to-read style drives home this reality. Even if--as the book´s nastiest reviews point out--at points its message seems self-interested ("the reader needs professional guidance in order to protect herself; hire us"), so what? Do artisans or experts in other fields, who write How To books, never lead readers to infer sometimes professional help is mandatory? Psychologists do it all the time!

What I particularly admired about The Gift of Fear isn´t its "You might have acted differently if you had been armed with what I´ll tell you" stuff. It was De Becker´s unflinching belief in Evil and Evil´s many guises. That he ignores what one negative reviewer mincingly points out: pride often leads to victimization, is not the book´s issue.

Of course pride leads to victimization. Innocence leads to victimization. Hindsight--a fool´s or an innocent´s--is always 20/20. Should De Becker not have written this unapologetic analysis of the wicked mind because potential victims might be stupid, lazy, or even wicked themselves?

The book´s final message is like Cat Steven´s song: "Baby, Baby, It´s a Wild World." Will crime victims yet to be victimized prevent crimes from happening to them if they read it? Maybe not. Crimes of the magnitude De Becker details aren´t committed by idiots. But if The Gift of Fear keeps one single woman from opening the door to a handsome "repairman"; if it makes one father suspicious of a son´s overly polite and talkative best friend; if it gives one co-ed an intuition that leaving a party with a "personality guy" might not be a good idea, then it will be more than worth reading. It will have saved a life.¤

2) Hardcover Book The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Little, Brown and Company. I MADE THIS PURCHASE FOR BOTH MY DAUGHTER AND MY GRAND-DAUGHTER TO AID IN THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY. I USED IT AS A STOCKING STUFFER AT CHRISTMAS, MY GRAND-DAUGHTER ASKED HOW DID I KNOW SHE HAD WANTED THE GIFT OF FEAR AND I TOLD HER "GREAT MINDS TRAVEL THE SAME PATH". YOU CANNOT SEND YOUR LOVED ONES OUT UNPREPARED AND I FEEL AS IF THE INFORMATION THIS BOOK CONTAINS OFFERS SOME INSIGHT INTO HOW YOU CAN FEEL MORE SECURE IN TODAY´S HIGH CRIME ENVIRONMENT. OH, I AM READING IT ALSO, AS AN ELDER I NEED TO PREPARE MYSELF FOR THOSE WHO PREY!!¤

3) Hardcover Book The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Little, Brown and Company. I purchased this book for both my own daughter and for a niece, after I read it. These single women are each living in distant states in a metropolitan area. After reading it myself, having seen the author speak on Oprah, I knew it would be a great self awarenesst book. Both young women expressed gratitude for such a wise book investment as the author shares practical approaches to living life independently but SAFELYY.¤

4) Hardcover Book The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Little, Brown and Company. I very much enjoyed the book, and learned a great deal from it. A psychologist friend of mine, however, wasn´t as taken with it as I was. He says it justifies women being terrified of every man and turning vicious on nice guys who just want to help out. Keep in mind, however, that this is precisely what the book is trying to stop. The point and purpose is to teach women when to listen to their fears and when to calm down and realize that there´s nothing to be afraid of at the moment.

In short, as a woman I highly recommend this book.¤

5) Hardcover Book The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Little, Brown and Company. The author did an outstanding job of keeping it interesting. It was published in the mid 90´s so some of the "contemporary" events and people listed are slightly dated. However, the message is timeless. I work the streets in law enforcement and experience 1st hand what the author is writing on. Highly recommend it. It will become part of my "suggested reading" list for basic police cadets where I teach.¤

6) Hardcover Book The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Little, Brown and Company. A stranger in a deserted parking lot offers to help carry a woman´s groceries. Is he a good Samaritan or is he after something else? A fired employee says "You´ll be sorry." Will he return with a gun? After their first date, a man tells a woman it is their "destiny" to be married. What will he do when she won´t see him again? A mother has an uneasy feeling about the nice babysitter she´s just hired. Should she not go to work today?

These days, no one in America feels immune to violence. But now, in this extraordinary groundbreaking book, the nation´s leading expert on predicting violent behavior unlocks the puzzle of human violence and shows that, like every creature on earth, we have within us the ability to predict the harm others might do us and get out of its way. Contrary to popular myth, human violence almost always has a discernible motive and is preceded by clear warning signs. Through dozens of compelling examples from his own career, Gavin de Becker teaches us how to read the signs, using our most basic but often most discounted survival skill - our intuition. The Gift of Fear is a remarkable, unique combination of practical guidance on leading a safer life and profound insight into human behavior.¤

7) Hardcover Book The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Little, Brown and Company. Each hour, 75 women are raped in the United States, and every few seconds, a woman is beaten. Each day, 400 Americans suffer shooting injuries, and another 1,100 face criminals armed with guns. Author Gavin de Becker says victims of violent behavior usually feel a sense of fear before any threat or violence takes place. They may distrust the fear, or it may impel them to some action that saves their lives. A leading expert on predicting violent behavior, de Becker believes we can all learn to recognize these signals of the "universal code of violence," and use them as tools to help us survive. The book teaches how to identify the warning signals of a potential attacker and recommends strategies for dealing with the problem before it becomes life threatening. The case studies are gripping and suspenseful, and include tactics for dealing with similar situations.

People don´t just "snap" and become violent, says de Becker, whose clients include federal government agencies, celebrities, police departments, and shelters for battered women. "There is a process as observable, and often as predictable, as water coming to a boil." Learning to predict violence is the cornerstone to preventing it. De Becker is a master of the psychology of violence, and his advice may save your life. --Joan Price¤

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 8-Jan-2009, , 600-160-090-630-220-490-311-53B-8

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