Review: The Gift of Fear
You know when your skin prickles and you just know something isn't right? That is instinct, something most of us ignore if we think it will cause us embarrassment. Gavin de Becker will convince you to react otherwise in his brilliant book, The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals that Protect Us from Violence . For de Becker, instinct is the gathering of data we cannot articulate but simply understand. If a voice comes from a location a person should not logically be traveling, if the gesture or tone of voice doesn't comfort us as it should, if the offer for help seems too forceful — our minds won't explain it to us, but upon reflection, it all makes sense. Equally important is knowing the difference between what should cause fear and how we invoke it in ourselves. Being petrified that you're in an empty parking lot is a waste of fear if there is no real threat. Using your spidey-senses to listen for the unexpected footsteps, however, is a good way to determin...