The Gift of Fear?

[still learning]

Hello, Have you ever read the book, The Gift of Fear,by Gavin De Becker?
It gives you alot insites about survival signals and to trust your instincts. Very good reading, In fact one of the Hotels in South Kohala,the security manger use this book as a bible for his staff.
This book will help you separate real from imagined danger,creates confidence, and give you insights to human behavior. Aloha

 

[Oak Bo]

Yup, good book for sure :karate:
:asian:

 

[hardheadjarhead]

Yeah...that's a "must read" for all martial artists. His book "Protecting The Gift" is good, too.


Regards,


Steve

 

[Vadim]

I have not read this book. How much does it retail for?

-Vadim

 

[TigerWoman]

Thanks for the tip, it might be a good book for our dojang library. TW

 

[KenpoTex]

It's definately worth reading. He emphasises awareness and being able to recognize danger signals. Good stuff.

 

[Flatlander]

I have not read this book. How much does it retail for?

-Vadim

$7.50 for a new copy if you check the Amazon link on the bottom of the page.

 

[dearnis.com]

I found bound copies remaindered a few years back and gave them as holiday gifts. Great book on awareness and glimpsing the predatory mind, though I strongly disagree with the author's anti-gun stance. (I understand where he gets it...very clear from a story he relates)

 

[Tgace]

http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13729&highlight=gift+fear

Old thread I started a while ago.

 

[hardheadjarhead]

I found bound copies remaindered a few years back and gave them as holiday gifts. Great book on awareness and glimpsing the predatory mind, though I strongly disagree with the author's anti-gun stance. (I understand where he gets it...very clear from a story he relates)

I disagree with his gun stance, too. Some years ago I read a book by an FBI profiler that also had an anti-gun stance...still overall a good book, as was DeBecker's.

Pity...they both could have left out their views on guns and the books wouldn't have lost a single bit of value. As is, they alienate gun owners...which is unfortunate. Gun owners can learn a lot from guys like DeBecker. Hopefully they'll be able to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Regards,


Steve

 

[KenpoTex]

though I strongly disagree with the author's anti-gun stance. (I understand where he gets it...very clear from a story he relates)

Yeah, I was annoyed with some of his comments vis a vis firearms. Especially the appendix at the end devoted to his rant (which had nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the book).

I disagree with his gun stance, too. Some years ago I read a book by an FBI profiler that also had an anti-gun stance...still overall a good book, as was DeBecker's.

Was it Robert K. Ressler? If so, good/interesting stuff if you can ignore the anti-gun BS.

 

[dearnis.com]

Its the hypocrisy that bugs me. Retired FBI agent...think HE is armed?? In DeBecker's case he may not believe in guns...but his company is in part a security firm that provides body guards....again, does he have protection when he wants..... (We can add Dianne Feinstein's concealed carry permit to my rant here....)

Don't mis-understand; I encourage folks to read DeBecker's book, and at times use it as a seminar source. For balance when I teach it I add some quotes from Cooper's "Principles of Personal Defense" and all goes well.


(edited for not-enough-coffee typos)

 

[hardheadjarhead]

Yeah, I was annoyed with some of his comments vis a vis firearms. Especially the appendix at the end devoted to his rant (which had nothing whatsoever to do with the rest of the book).


Was it Robert K. Ressler? If so, good/interesting stuff if you can ignore the anti-gun BS.

Bingo. Ressler it was. I'd forgotten his name.

His peer, Mark Douglas, and he both apparently had some issues with each other. Douglas' books are good, too.

Ressler and DeBecker make a great contribution to understanding crime...and sadly a great misunderstanding when it comes to guns. We should recommend their books, but with that caveat. Pro-gun people shouldn't avoid them simply because of that stance.


Regards,


Steve

 

[KenpoTex]

We should recommend their books, but with that caveat. Pro-gun people shouldn't avoid them simply because of that stance.

I don't have a problem recommending them to pro-gun people (we've heard all the BS and recognize it for what it is), it's the ones that don't really have an opinion (yet), or those who are anti that I worry about. Reason? "If someone like DeBecker and a big, bad FBI guy like Ressler don't like them they must be bad"

 

[Don Roley]

I have the book as well. Everyone I have mentioned it to also comments on the gun thing and why. It seems amazing to me that everyone who has read the thing knows why he feels the way he does, but he himself seems blind to it. Well, maybe it is not so amazing when you think about it. It is much easier to put blame on the object than the principles in that situation.

I tried pushing it onto a friend of mine when he got here in Japan for a trip. He smiled and told me that not only had he read it, it is required reading for black belts in his dojo.