Fear Less: Real Risks, Safety, and Protection in an Uncertain Age

Balance. Perspective. Common sense. Trusting your feelings. A reality check. Those are the watchwords of Gavin de Becker's highly informative, lively and supremely reassuring Fear Less. If I had the money I'd send this book to everyone I know...and especially to those who assign and edit terrorism stories in the broadcast/cable news media.Touted as "real truth about risk, safety and security in a time of terrorism" his main message (in my words here) is essentially this:"Whooa! Wait a minute: look at the FACTS and take a deep breath." It's a message that needs to be delivered more than ever, after the recent announcement about a suspect's arrest for reportedly looking into making a "dirty bomb."De Becker contends that in battling terrorism everyone -- citizens AND policy-makers -- can better contribute (and react) if they are more attuned to their intuition. Intuition is not only using common sense, but also being keenly aware of subtle bits of information that spark uneasy feelings. Still others believe intuition is a kind of spiritual voice. Whether it's about your neighbor, someone you see getting on a plane, someone leaving a package in a mall, etc. the author argues: TRUST and MONITOR these little intuitive alarm signals...and don't be afraid to ACT on them (tell authorities and risk being wrong).This book starts out with a story about about a terrorist plot sound just like one in the year 2002...except that it was a Nazi terrorist plot against the U.S. foiled during WWII. He points to times in history when all seemed bleak...yet the U.S. always survived. And what was so shocking at the time quickly became the new reality: people accepted it and lived with it, and moved on...until the next horror topped the last (and then that was accepted, etc).In a superb chapter titled Apocalpyse Not Now he debunks myths about biological, chemical and nonmilitary nuclear attack. His point: yes there are indeed WORST CASE scenarios but the realities of what would likely happen, the difficulty of making it happen, and the actual impact if it were to happen are not as simple or catastrophic as the news media may make them sound.The best chapter isin which in No News At Eleven, he debunks many qualifying and hype phrases used by the news media, especially broadcast and cable networks. His advice: turn off the TV and READ MORE PRINT news. He spares no one (he especially feels Fox News tries to heighten drama) and notes that his criticism of broadcast and cable journalism is aimed mostly at those who make the CHOICES of what to put on and how to package it to attract maximum viewership. "Every word you hear spoken is another choice, every image, every color -- all choices," he writes. "Combine the words, the graphics, the logos, the music, the urgency, and what you end up with is information hidden behind sensation -- and the sensation is fear." PERSONAL NOTE: I worked in the news media for nearly 20 years, as a freelance journalist overseas (check m

The government tells us to be extra alert - but never says what to be alert for. I saw the author on television and he provided more examples in one interview than I've seen in all the news and government report. This book was like a novel to me, but a novel that informed me and left me feeling more able to interpret all the messages we get every day about terrorism. Just today, another warning from the FBI - only this time, I know how to assess the threat to my safety - taught by an expert in threat assessment. I read the reader reviews for his other books too - and I've ordered them. But this one taught me so much. I recommend it highly. It has a list of resources for where to get accurate information, and a history of suicide hijackings (there were more than just Sept 11!), and a list of precisely how terrorist conspiracies might be evident to Americans in different professiona and industries. For me, the best part was the glossary of phrases and tricks used by TV news to make every story seem like an emergency. One reviewer said this author (De Becker) should get the Nobel Peace Price. He has my vote too - because this book protects our peace, including peace of mind - the peace that matters most.

Having read "The Gift of Fear", I was really looking forward to this book. Don't worry if you haven't read "The Gift of Fear" though before you pick this up. Gavin de Becker does a good job of summarizing his points about fear- intuition and the feeling of true fear are gifts from nature, the survival instincts that help to keep us alive.De Becker does a very good job of putting the tragedies of 9/11 into historical perspective. Today is a violent world, but so was yesterday AND tomorrow. Violence is a part of our nature. To accept that is actually an empowering thing. I think the author gives some very good advice to readers to help make you feel less paralyzed by the events we've seen this year and understand the difference between real risks and things we just worry about when we let our imagination run wild.This brings me to one of the parts of the book I enjoyed the most- the chapter on the media and it's role in heightening our worries. De Becker gives good advice which I think many people did after the first week, post-9/11--- TURN OFF TV NEWS! They are in the business of getting you hooked with sensationistic stories. Part of this chapter contains a list of the most often used words/phrases/cliches news broadcasters use. I'd never really thought about how many news stories I watch have the word "possible" in it. Too many of the "news stories" we watch are just stories about things that MIGHT happen, worst case scenarios, etc. I've definitely felt my stress level go down since I've starting getting my news from other sources (e.g. CNN).My only critism is that the book seemed a bit rushed. (However, the author admits that this was a book already in the works prior to 9/11 and given the appropriateness of the subject, work on it was accelerated so that it could come out sooner.)

When I ordered this book I was sure it to be a boring text type of write, The authors seemed to have foreseen this and took special time to make this a book to be finished. I finished it in my normal reading time, but I came away with more, this book leaves an imprint, every last precaution I remember. There are to many details to mention, but they are both new and old with up to date solutions that I do know most Americans even now are unaware of. I believe books like this will be one tool to help us all get through this era of terrorism. Not everyone can read the book. But we can pass along the message, if you have the time and money to read it, do so, it will help you and others when you tell them of it, and you will tell your friends if you read it, that's for sure. With that I'd like to tell you about another book well worth it that mentions the terrorism and helps significantly, SB 1 or God By Karl Mark Maddox.

As a psychotherapist and author who writes about facing fear (Embracing Fear, HarperSanFrancisco 2002), I am happy to see Gavin DeBecker's intelligent and realistic message being spread throughout our (now more than ever) fearful world. The emotion of fear cries out for reassurance, but reassurance can be effective only when it is credible. We all know there are no guarantees. And since we cannot see into the future, clear-headed intelligence and well-researched material like you will find in Fear Less is the best reassurance there is.