The Book of the Month for July is Gavin de Becker’s bestselling book “THE GIFT OF FEAR.”
De Becker’s book was published in 1997, (387 pages, Hardcover) and made the New York Times bestseller list for four months. Since that time, it has been published in 13 languages and in 2006 an abridged Audio CD was produced. (FYI For those of you who don’t like to read!) It has been endorsed by every major women’s magazine, and has been featured numerous times on the Oprah show and other television programs. Time and Newsweek has also run stories on the book.
The book’s primary purpose is to demonstrate through stories (drawn from De Becker’s life and his decades studying violence) that violent acts are NOT random and unpredictable. He believes there are distinct warning signs–we just need to learn to see them and appropriately decipher these signs.
Specific topics “THE GIFT OF FEAR” addresses:
* Recognize the survival signals that warn us about risk from strangers
* Rely on their intuition
* Separate real from imagined danger
* Predict Dangerous Behavior
* Evaluate whether someone will use violence
* Move beyond denial so that their intuition works for them
ALSO included are “higher-risk” situations and solutions:
What is the best way to respond to threats?
* Will the employee I must fire react violently?
* How should I handle the person who refuses to let go?
* What are the dangers posed by strangers?
* How can I help my loved ones be safer?
This book is a must-read for anyone in the Executive Protection field, and one to share with clients so they can help you to protect them!
Gavin has a new book out J2S (Just Two Seconds) with a compendium of attacks against at-risk persons. This book has lots of detailed tactics that will guide you step by step on how to prepare yourself as a bodyguard. I highly recommend this book for all personell who work in Executive protection/Law Enforcemnt. This is a must get book you can only benefit from it.
One of my earliest childhood memories was the assassination of JFK. As a veteran, and student of history, I was intrigued by the title and having read DeBecker’s “Gift of Fear” couldn’t wait to read his insights on this fascinating subject. “Just 2 Seconds” did not disappoint. Within a few sentences I found myself hooked. This book provides numerous insights on public figure attacks. It should be considered a must-read for anyone tasked with providing protection for another person, from the US Secret Service and the military to police officers and Hollywood bodyguards.
I’ve recommended this book to many friends and each has agreed with my assessment. Gavin and his team of experts are the go-to guys in the field of executive protection. The compendium of more than 400 pages of summarized attacks, attempted assassinations and other global incidents from the past 50 years provides a wonderful reference source.
If you are interested in executive protection, history, or simply want to peak inside the minds of the experts, I cannot recommend the fascinating book enough.
I echo Russell’s comments on Just Two Seconds. It is a must read for anyone in or contemplating a career in executive protection. An insightful, interesting & intriguing view of public figure attacks throughout the years, from those in the know. Check it out.
Gentlemen, FYI Gavin has a new book titled: Just 2 Seconds-Using Time And Space To Defeat Assassins. It has over 600 pages of priceless information for those responsible for at risk individuals. I found a link were they are offering advanced copies at a discount for friends and colleagues here it is: http://www.just2seconds.org
I wish the best to you all. Stay Safe. R
“The Gift of fear” is a great book. De Becker is a master at marketing to his target market!
Mike (The Bull) Smith
GDB knows his stuff, but unlike other experts in the field, he excels at presenting what he knows to the layman as well as to other experts.
Jones