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

I you get this book...You should also get The Culture of Fear by Barry Glassner...The Gift of Fear plays right into the fear of Americans...If you still think the world is filled with rapists and murderers..Then, I guess, this book has some good tips...All common sense stuff..Nothing groundbreaking to be found.....It's all Oprah book club marketing anyways....

This is an excellent book as far as it goes. However, to learn how to hide your home address, you need to read JJ Luna's book "How to be Invisible." It shows you what to do when a stalker is after you, so that you can hide from him forever.How to Be Invisible: The Essential Guide to Protecting Your Personal Privacy, Your Assets, and Your Life (Revised Edition)

I really loved this book. I took away some great tips around reading non verbal queues. I especially like how he emphasiszes not only to "trust your instincts" but also walks the reader through deconstructing the clues that make sense of what your instincts are telling you.

I first read this book several years ago (before I had kids) and I guess the best thing I took away from this book, or the thing that affected me the most - even years later, is that now if a stranger approaches me while I'm out with my son (and if I get that uncomforatble feeling that something is not right) I have absolutely no qualms about removing myself and my child from the situation. I no longer worry about being 'nice'. de Becker makes a point, and I'm paraphrasing, but it was something like 'worst case scenario is that some stranger in the mall walks away thinking you're rude. best case scenario, is by not playing into the person, you could have just saved your child from being abducted by a predator'

I think you have to take it with a grain of salt though. No book anywhere, no matter how well written, will offer fool proof solutions to keep you safe from violence. This book is not Gospel. But it made me think. And it was an interesting, captivating read and I walked away better for having read it.

I also read Protecting the Gift, and liked that as well.

This book is the best collection of pragmatic and practical advice I have yet read. I gave it to my teenaged daughter and highly recommend it for any man or woman who wants to learn to trust themselves and be less fearful about living in a world where not everyone is nice.

I survived my earlier years by somehow intuiting and practicing much of what De Becker teaches in his book, though it would have been nice to have had it laid out so clearly for me at that time.

'The Gift of Fear' was recommended to me and my husband at a restaurant recently. The person recommending it is a young man, a dear friend of our daughter and son-in-law. He recently returned from a tour of duty in the Middle East. His job was full of danger, so when he recommended this book as "good information because it reinforces survival instincts, especially when you're dealing with strangers", I ordered the book the next day from Amazon. It came a couple of days later.

When the book arrived, I noticed the full title: 'The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us from Violence'. The book is by Gavin De Becker, who is in the business of protecting others from harm. He knows what he's talking about.

I read the book in a couple of days. Chapter 4, Survival Signals, is worth the price of the book alone. There are seven signals that Mr. De Becker points out, in well-explained detail, that each of us should be aware of when dealing with strangers. They are: Forced Teaming, Charm and Niceness, Too Many Details, Typecasting, Loan Sharking, The Unsolicited Promise and Discounting the Word No. Each of these signals is a means to trust that little voice inside your head that tells you "No. Something is wrong." After you read this chapter, you'll understand why that little voice shouldn't be ignored.

Buy this book and read it, especially Chapter 4. It could save your life.

The rest of the book is well written and very interesting. I think Mr. De Becker's chapter on handguns seems a little shrill re: how many people are shot daily in this country, but I know I'd rather have my own weapon handy in case my loved ones are threatened or my home is invaded. With the ongoing Muslim problem in Europe, some Europeans may wish they had the means to protect themselves as we 'cowboys' do here in the USA. My opinion, for what it's worth.

By the way, our young friend at the restaurant read the book before going on his tour to the Middle East. He was glad he'd read it.