The Gift of Fear: Survival signals that protect us from violence

‘A thorough and compassionate primer for people concerned about their safety’ Meryl Streep 'The book taps the anxieties of an era’ New York Times --- As seen on TikTok, protect yourself by learning how to trust – and act on – your instincts with the No 1 bestselling guide to personal safety, from security expert Gavin de Becker. A carjacker lurking in a shopping centre car park. An abusive husband pounding on the door. A man taking the seat next to you on an empty carriage. These days, it seems that no one is safe from the spectre of violence. But according to Gavin de Becker, you can feel safer, act safer, be safer – if you learn how to listen to your sixth sense about danger. In this unprecedented guide, Gavin de Becker, the man Oprah Winfrey calls the US’s ‘leading expert on violent behaviour’, shows you how to spot even subtle signs of danger – before it's too late. Shattering the myth that most violent acts are unpredictable, de Becker, whose clients include top Hollywood stars and government agencies, offers specific ways to protect yourself and those you love from daily threats, including: how to act when approached by a stranger; when you should fear someone close to you; what to do if you are being stalked; how to uncover the source of anonymous threats or phone calls; the biggest mistake you can make with a threatening person; and more. With The Gift of Fear, you can learn to spot the danger signals others miss. It might just save your life. --- ‘A how-to book that reads like a thriller . . . provocative . . . empowering’ Boston Globe 'His blend of empathy, reassurance, and common sense wows readers’ Newsweek

About the Author :
Gavin de Becker is internationally regarded as a leading expert on the prediction and management of violence. In 1985, de Becker received a special award from the US Attorney General and the director of the FBI in recognition of his work in threat assessment. He is also the author of more than forty articles and white papers, co-author of CONFIDENTIAL REPORT TO MANAGEMENT: UNDERSTANDING AND PREVENTING WORKPLACE VIOLENCE and the contributing-author of STALKED.

Review :
A thorough and compassionate primer for people concerned about their safety and the safety of their families. This book not only empowers the reader, but also captures your attention and doesn’t let go until the end. A how-to book that reads like a thriller . . . provocative . . . empowering. De Becker has a lot to say about crime and the fear of crime, and he says it persuasively...His blend of empathy, reassurance, and common sense wows readers. The Gift of Fear offers the gift of survival. Read it. Superb and compelling, bringing into focus the complexity of human response to real or perceived danger. De Becker redefines the parameters of fear and challenges the basis of a fear response. This book is for everyone who has ever feared. This book can save your life . . . It should be read by everyone who wants to triumph over fear. The ability to protect oneself from violent behaviour, largely through one’s own intuition, is the central premise of de Becker’s book – thus, fear is a gift. The book taps the anxieties of an era. Gavin de Becker’s book is the first to explain that our powers of intuition are the best protection we have against violence. A tour de force . . . Riveting, instructive, a book that dissects the phenomenon of violence, unravels its mysteries, and shows us how to prevail. Should be required reading for women and their loved ones. It offers potentially life-saving information in a style that is compelling. It is by far the best book I have read on how to handle violence, and I recommend it to one and all. Gavin de Becker’s brilliant insights and encyclopedic familiarity with the minds of criminals have made powerful contributions to the successful prosecution of many cases, including mine, and now he shares that knowledge with his readers. De Becker moves the reader from victim to victor as he identifies the God-given abilities we all have to avoid the risks we face from our society’s predators. These real-life stories in The Gift of Fear create the picture better than any camera ever could.