The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Gift of Fear
Book Review: A valuable resource
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought copies of this book for both of my grown children and several other people who are important to me. As an emergency department physician and a breeder of dogs and horses, I certainly concur with De Becker's point that humans are the only species who ignore or try to rationalize away gut feelings and instinctive fears. In order to avoid embarrassing ourselves or someone else, someone who may be planning to do us harm, we step into an elevator (described as a sound-proof metal box) alone with someone who makes the hair on the backs of our necks quiver. This book teaches important and valuable lessons. I believe that more than a few people who read this book have saved themselves from harm by implementing its recommendations.Book Review: A very important book for everyone to read!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw Mr. De Becker on Oprah before I actually read this book, but his description of the psyche of criminal people intrigued me. This book is interesting in the fact that it gives you a glimpse into the mind of people who may do you harm. Perhaps the most important aspect of this book, however, is the survival tips that will alert you to a potentially dangerous situation and perhaps keep you alive in spite of it. I especially recommend this book to women!!Book Review: A very thought provoking book
Summary: 5 Stars
A few days after I finished reading "The Gift of Fear" I was standing in check out line at the library. The female librarian was dealing with a male customer who was not checking out a book. I overheard him using manipulative lines on the librarian right out of DeBecker's book! After he finally left, I asked the librarian if the man was bothering her. She said that he had been coming into the library for weeks, doing the same thing. She was an alert woman, and had taken a few precautions coming to and leaving work, and warned other library employees not to give the man any information about her, but was continuing to be harassed at her work by this man. I suggested that she read this book. When I thought about the situation, I realized how often I have observed and experienced disturbing men doing the exact behaviors in the book. One example of manipulation from the book that really sticks in my mind is the 40-year-old man who uses several gambits to engage a teenage girl on a plane in an inappropriate way. I won't go into details, but if you read this book, I think you will get a chill reading this passage, as I did. Another very thought-provoking section that hit home was about hiring and firing of employees. Mr. DeBecker's tips on proper hiring techniques and careful and considerate firing practices seem like common sense, but are seldom practiced in the work place. I am sure a lot of revenge situations are actually brought on by the victim insulting the troublesome individual and practically forcing him to retaliate. DeBecker's story of the harmless fan who was transformed into a horrific stalker was a perfect example. Although a little long, this book is both interesting and sure to be very useful.Book Review: AMAZING
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this book. It's something I think every woman should read! Great insight and well-written.Book Review: Almost complete
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a good book for women who are crippled by socialization to be accomidating and "nice". While this works for 95% of the people a woman will meet, when it fails, it fails big time. At the very least, it will make a timid woman think about politeness vs. her safety.
A quick note: I recommended this to a friend, who said it would make his daughter afraid of men. Give her this book in one hand with How to Lie With Statistics by Darrell Huff in the other (as Mr. de Becker seems to draw his numbers from somewhere strange - maybe international statistics? I don't know). Teach her to take the good advice from this book (and others), and leave the bad stuff behind. There is good information in this book; don't throw it all out.
The largest thing that I disliked about this book was the anti-gun stuff. I am a woman and I own a SKS rifle, which I love. I have plans to purchase a handgun when I can afford one. Guns are tools, just like any thing else. Misuse them and they can hurt you and others; invaluable in the right circumstances, with the correct handling.