Start reading The Gift of Fear on your Kindle in under a minute. Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.

Deliver to your Kindle or other device

 
 
 

Try it free

Sample the beginning of this book for free

Deliver to your Kindle or other device

Read books on your computer or other mobile devices with our FREE Kindle Reading Apps.
The Gift of Fear
 
 

The Gift of Fear [Kindle Edition]

Gavin de Becker
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)

Print List Price: £9.99
Kindle Price: £4.10 includes VAT* & free wireless delivery via Amazon Whispernet
You Save: £5.89 (59%)
* Unlike print books, digital books are subject to VAT.



Product Description

Product Description

A Special Kindle Edition of The Gift of Fear, with a new Foreword by the author.

A stranger in a deserted parking lot offers to help carry a woman's groceries. Is he a good Samaritan or is he after something else? A fired employee says "You'll be sorry." Will he return with a gun? After their first date, a man tells a woman it is their "destiny" to be married. What will he do when she won't see him again? A mother has an uneasy feeling about the nice babysitter she's just hired. Should she not go to work today?

These days, no one in America feels immune to violence. But now, in this extraordinary groundbreaking book, the nation's leading expert on predicting violent behavior unlocks the puzzle of human violence and shows that, like every creature on earth, we have within us the ability to predict the harm others might do us and get out of its way. Contrary to popular myth, human violence almost always has a discernible motive and is preceded by clear warning signs.

Through dozens of compelling examples from his own career, Gavin de Becker teaches us how to read the signs, using our most basic but often most discounted survival skill - our intuition. The Gift of Fear is a remarkable, unique combination of practical guidance on leading a safer life and profound insight into human behavior.

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.

Product details


More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, and more.

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Follow Your Nose 11 Dec 2009
By Charles Vasey TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Gavin de Becker's book is far more than I expected. Typically self-help books tend to be rather shrill and include a lot of large font type with daft mnemonics; one suspects the material is a bit thin and has been stretched over the available space. But with de Becker he has (as he ruefully admits) a great deal more than he could (or would) ever recount.

The book's central core is to identify the signs that the author claims one intuitively detects and then to act on them rather than to dismiss them. He opens with a very powerful piece (which I have read before) on the signs that a rape-victim dismissed and those which she picked up to avoid becoming a murder victim. He also identifies the approach used by controlling men. This account completely changed how I would offer help to a woman. This is not just a limited topic however; the identified controlling strategies are ones you will all encounter when talking to salesmen, bossy people and bosses. By identifying them you can act to defuse the alpha-male. The author also does a very good feature on saying "No" clearly.

There is much else that is useful in this book, his chapters on stalkers are particularly good. The keys I took away were that de Becker was himself a victim of violence and had used it well, that his advice was not some macho dream but that stalkers are best defeated by lack of contact and that restraining orders may work in the opposite direction. He also points out that what makes these men monsters is actually what makes them the most human; they act predictably if amorally.

Well written and moderate in tone, I got a lot more than I expected when I bought the book.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars This book changes lives 4 Sep 2001
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Never before has a book had such a profound effect on me. The sub-title is slightly mis-leading as the strategies can be used in all aspects of every day life. It teaches you to become more aware of yourself, others and your surroundings. I bought 5 copies for my friends and they all raved about it. One friend passed it onto her brother who'd come out of a car accident with severe disabilities. It gave him the courage to take charge of his life again. Read this book.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Buy 29 Sep 2009
Format:Paperback
I have had this book for many years and as a martial arts teacher (Kamon Wing Chun Kung Fu) I refer to it on a regular basis. It contains information that helps you to understand violence and other human traits. It is probably one of the most informative books I have come across and is useful to the non martial artist as well. It will help you tap into the primitive self protection system that exsists within our brains that has long been disregarded by society. If there is only one book that you are going to buy to understand the darker side of human nature this is the one.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?   Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Learning to "decode" gut feelings...
Gavin shows us to a completely new way to look at, and interpret the so called "intuition" (vulgarly refereed to as 'gut feeling'), and how learning to listen to it, could... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mac.
5.0 out of 5 stars Should be required reading
This book should be required reading for all students,who should then pass it on to all their family and friends
Published 3 months ago by Susan V Hartill
5.0 out of 5 stars the difference between life and death
I don't think that there could be a higher endorsement than for me of this than to say that I FIRMLY believe there would be a lot fewer rapes and deaths out there if women - and... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jonathan Jewell
5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for all women!
This isn't a self-help book. It's a revelation. All women should read this by the age of 16, it would reduce the number of rapes, murders and abductions considerably. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Fox in Winter
5.0 out of 5 stars Not writing an essay
I won't write an essay because this book doesn't require an essay. All it requires is for a person in the right state of mind in the right sort of predicament to buy this book and... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mark R
3.0 out of 5 stars We have instincts for a reason
The Gift of Fear was recommended to me as a useful resource and while it does have valuable information it wasn't quite the book I was expecting. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Belochka
5.0 out of 5 stars The Gift Of Fear
I'm only 3 chapters in and already it's made a difference to my perception. Absolutely amazing. The man knows his stuff very well and every word he writes, he shows his intentions... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Judith Herdman
5.0 out of 5 stars Great purchase, essential reading.
I bought this book on the recommendation of a trainer friend of mine after studying a self defence course. And what a great recommendation it was. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Miss Emma J. Law
3.0 out of 5 stars Must read - but somewhat dated
This used to be arguably the number one book in it's field - times have moved on and newer ideas have surfaced which modify some of the precepts of this book - However if you are... Read more
Published 15 months ago by R. Agar-Hutton
4.0 out of 5 stars Gift of Fear
Using this book to support a detailed document I am currently writing for the judicial services. Although its an American publication and needs some de- ciphering the content is... Read more
Published 15 months ago by RayH
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Popular Highlights

 (What's this?)
&quote;
“No” is a word that must never be negotiated, because the person who chooses not to hear it is trying to control you. &quote;
Highlighted by 885 Kindle users
&quote;
At core, men are afraid women will laugh at them, while at core, women are afraid men will kill them. &quote;
Highlighted by 772 Kindle users
&quote;
When people are telling the truth, they don’t feel doubted, so they don’t feel the need for additional support in the form of details. When people lie, however, even if what they say sounds credible to you, it doesn’t sound credible to them, so they keep talking. &quote;
Highlighted by 755 Kindle users

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums


Customers Who Highlighted This Item Also Highlighted


Look for similar items by category


Amazon Media EU S.à r.l. Privacy Statement Amazon Media EU S.à r.l. Delivery Information Amazon Media EU S.à r.l. Returns & Exchanges