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The Gift of Fear

Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence

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The Gift of Fear

By: Gavin de Becker
Narrated by: Gavin de Becker
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About this listen

A special 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.

©1997 Gavin de Becker; 2021 Gavin de Becker (P)2021 Audible, Inc.
Abuse Personal Development Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Social Psychology & Interactions
All stars
Most relevant
So interesting. And informative. The more you hear, the more you want to hear. You don’t need to be a high profile person to benefit or use this information.

Favourite book of 2023

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The author delivered very valuable insights into violence and taking steps to maintain personal safety. The book always address and provides and in-depth analysis and solutions for psychology worry and anxieties people experience in every day life. overall very positive and informative reading

The practical advice

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This was a surprise to me - it’s not a genre to which I’m characteristically drawn - but the practical and psychological lessons contained in this work are immensely useful. One of the most helpful points was that it is important to heed actual fear, a short-lived, visceral survival impulse, and that wandering around in a state of heightened anxiety actually undermines our ability to do so.
I can’t recommend this book highly enough: although it’s primarily written for an American audience, its lessons are universal.

Calm, informative and obviously instructed by years of experience.

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With sisters a wife and daughters this book will be passed around and hopefully kept in the back of thier mind.

Great tips

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A must read safety survival guide for everyone going about their daily lives - highly recommended reading for everyone to ease anxiety and increase safety awareness

Brilliant book

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