The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence
by Gavin de Becker
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Book Reviews of The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence
Book Review: Lifesaving information for women AND the men who love us.
Summary: 5 Stars
In the Gift Of Fear, de Becker provides us insight into our own abilities to avoid potentially dangerous situations. He gives us permission to listen to and hear our intuition. Every person who has been victimized wants to know how they could have avoided being a victim, de Becker provides some knowledgeable insight. Yet, he does not blame the victims of crime for failing to listen, the blame belongs to our culture and the paternalistic minimizing of intuition as merely "inconsequential...feminine stuff." As a crime victim advocate for more than 22 years, I highly recommend this book, not only to crime victims and survivors, but to those who want more tools to minimize their chance of being victims. Further, I highly recommend this book to men who want to end our culture of male violence and who want to understand how they can help the women they love, and ultimately all of us, to be safer.Book Review: Common sense, yes, but brilliant and IMPORTANT!
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent book, I agree with many of the other reviewers that indeed what the author writes in this book is all about common sense, but thats exactly what he states and sometimes we just need to be taught how to use certain gifts that we have, no shame in that.
I think it can save your life, the survival signals are very important, I've come across some of these traits and "more" in many people I've met and I appreciate having this book as a guide now to understand this further, if I had known then what I know now I could have done a better job at "helping myself" Regardless i'm grateful to have found it now, and I'm having my mother read the book and enlightening my teenage sisters about the topic in a simplified form.
Thank you Mr.Gavin De Backer, you gave me the opportunity to understand my own behaviour and the chance to avoid harmful individuals by understanding their behaviour.
Book Review: Better than any self defense class
Summary: 5 Stars
I've heard the principle behind karate is that ideally you should never have to use it. That's great, so the real question is, "If I don't want to get mugged, and I ideally I shouldn't use karate, what the heck should I use?!"
The answer is in this book.
Simply put: Learn to use your instincts, to sharpen your awareness of your own fear, to recognize real potential danger, and to avoid it.
The book is easy to understand, it dives into the psychology of fear without swamping the reader with jargon, and it uses many anecdotes to explain the right and wrong ways people handle dangerous situations. There's more to it than simply avoiding all dark alleys or considering yourself entirely safe because you carry pepper spray. The book empowers the reader, it's better than any self-defense course, and it requires less of a time commitment.
Book Review: Somewhat useful,but...
Summary: 3 Stars
This book has an interesting theme but ultimately falls on it's literary face with regard to practical & really useful information. It's quite telling that De Becker informs us of what he calls PINS (pre incident indicators),but then proceeds to inform the reader of the futility of such legalities as Tempory Restraining Orders & confronting one's tormentor/stalker/abuser,etc. He's also unabashadly anti self defense(specificly legally owned firearms.) Message? Run & hide or better-hire his services. My recommendation for any person being stalked,threatened,or harassed? Get a concealed carry firearm permit (the majority of states have them,now),get a handgun you can handle proficiently,get instruction at a good firearms training school such as Lethal Force Institute,Gunsite,etc,and get back to living your life. Or,cower in fear.Book Review: This is the most important book I've read in a long time.
Summary: 5 Stars
My personal library numbers over 5000 books in a wide variety of categories. The single most important book in that library is Gavin de Becker's "The Gift of Fear." I particularly appreciated the sections on stalking. This book is a bible for everyone who has ever been in an uncomfortable relationship, for everyone who has ever felt that something in a situation is just "off," and for every woman who has ever been afraid and had nowhere to turn. I read this book and it felt as though Mr. de Becker was personally reaching out and comforting me. This book is empowering. This book tells women that "No" is a sentence in and of itself. This book is required reading.If you asked me who has done the most for women in this century, I would answer unequivocally, Gavin de Becker.