ms_gouldbourne's review against another edition

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emotional informative tense medium-paced

5.0

This book should be required reading for every human being alive - and no, I'm not going to say just women, although the safety information contained within is undoubtedly more relevant for women. I've read The Gift of Fear several times, and it shakes me to my core every single time. I will say that I find Lundy Bancroft's Why Does He Do That a lot more informative and sympathetic specifically on the subject of domestic violence, but I'm not going to remove any stars for that because Gavin de Becker's exploration of intuition is simply unparalleled. A must-read!

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thirteenlaurels's review against another edition

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informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.0


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lovejasmine's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

Literally everyone needs to read this book - non-fiction but reads like a thriller 

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faithaforman's review against another edition

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dark informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

Quite informative, definitely attempts to teach the difference between fear and worry, how to understand what our bodies try to tell us, and ways to keep safe. Sadly there is a need for this type of guidance, and decades after it was written it's as relevant as ever.

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sidneypearson's review against another edition

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informative medium-paced

4.5


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sassmistress's review against another edition

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informative tense fast-paced

4.5

Very informative and engaging. With all the heavy content, I'm not sure if it will exacerbate anxiety, but the author was intentional about trying to alleviate it. I did like the section on worry showing how to get to the root of the concern, rather than reacting to the surface fear. 

There are a few things I would take with a grain of salt, such as the interview questions (and reliance on "intuition") that are likely to result in ablist hiring decisions. The heavy focus on intuition, with all the examples given, likely creates some survivorship bias ("I had a bad feeling about x, and then something happened" may leave out all the times nothing happened). 

There is a good section on spotting risk factors for DV, and for that reason I may recommend it for teenagers. 

I didn't enjoy the chapter on assassination, as it has more of a "true crime" bent and was less applicable, but many people enjoy that sort of content. 

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squishmore's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I will buy this for every woman in my life. Gavin de Becker validates the rightful fear of the dangers women face every day. His book is written so that it’s 2 parts crime thriller/case studies and 2 parts pure insightfulness. He brings up the odd feelings one gets when they aren’t quite sure why, and explains the why hidden under the surface. Long story short, our intuition is a gift and we must listen to it every time. 

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luminifera's review against another edition

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dark hopeful informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

Would like even more example stories. A good book, especially for women.

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reefofchaos's review against another edition

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slow-paced

0.5

This book is incredibly outdated, lacks any nuance or understanding of intersectionality, and it is, quite simply, and ode to the author's presumed understanding of the young middle class cis white woman victim. Do not read this in the 21st century.

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mondovertigo's review against another edition

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informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0


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