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1997 book by Gavin de Becker From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence is a nonfiction self-help book (Dell Publishing 1997, republished with new epilogue 1998) written by Gavin de Becker. The book argues that every individual should learn to trust the inherent "gift" of their gut instinct.
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Author | Gavin de Becker |
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Language | English |
Publication date | 1997 |
Publication place | United States |
Media type | Print and Kindle |
OCLC | 36143575 |
The Gift of Fear spent four months on The New York Times Bestseller List, was a #1 national bestseller, and has been published in 25 editions, including two audiobooks and at least 15 foreign-language versions.[1]
By finding patterns in stories of violence and abuse, de Becker seeks to highlight the inherent predictability of violence. The book explores various settings where violence may be found—the workplace, the home, the school, dating—and describes what de Becker calls pre-incident indicators (PINS). By noticing PINS (events and behaviors that often precede violence), individuals can better predict violence before it occurs and, therefore, take the necessary precautions and actions to stay safe. The Gift of Fear also describes de Becker's MOSAIC Threat Assessment Systems, which have been employed by various celebrities and government agencies to predict and prevent violence.
In The Gift of Fear, de Becker describes pre-incident indicators to watch for:
The Gift of Fear spent four months on The New York Times bestseller list and was a #1 US bestseller.[2]
A reviewer for Time found the book's section on stalking to be the most informative part.[3] An instructor at the FBI Academy opined that the information in The Gift of Fear would be useful for law enforcement officers by providing "tools for assessing potentially violent encounters".[4] In the Boston Globe, Zachary Dowdy described it as "a how-to book that reads like a thriller".[5] Julie Barlow described The Gift of Fear in The Gazette as "surprisingly credible" and "strangely reassuring".[6] Carolyn Hax continued to recommend The Gift of Fear in her syndicated advice column 20 years after the book's publication.[7][8]
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