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Reviews tagging 'Violence'
The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin de Becker
30 reviews
mishaps's review against another edition
dark
informative
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Violence
erica_palmisano's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.0
I read this for a book club. I have heard of this book before and some things about it surprised me, but overall, I think the focus on individual action to the exclusion of systemic cultural issues kinda drove me nuts. I mean, the crime wave in the US had already crested and violent crime was down year-over-year for a while before the book was written, but you'd never know that if you picked this up. I appreciated the support he gave women and their instincts, but he could have come down harder on the patriarchy and the ways we encourage men to violate women's comfort, let alone bodily autonomy. It's just a very 90s away of looking at crime and its prevention, and I wish it had been updated instead of reissued with absolutely no new content. Also, one can write for the layperson and still help them see the underpinning of your thought and research, but unfortunately, no citations are offered for the content in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Violence
reefofchaos's review against another edition
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This book is incredibly outdated, lacks any nuance or understanding of intersectionality, and it is, quite simply, and ode to the author's presumed understanding of the young middle class cis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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Violence, Stalking, and Murder
mondovertigo's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, and Drug abuse
audra_etta's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault and Violence
herbivorehaunts's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
3.5
A little dated (the audiobook quality itself as well as some of the content) but informative. It got a bit repetitive at times as it is one of those non-fiction books whose format is starting each point with an example, and then going through that example at length while describing the psychological point being made. As well I'd like to point out that this is a very dark book at times. This is a very helpful book and the examples and topics discussed are necessary for the book, but it talks at length about victims of domestic violence, rape, murder, and lots of other very heavy topics so be aware going into this one.
I don't think the book is victim-blamey per se, but I will say that the author states both his data and stories from survivors in a concise, matter of fact way and doesn't warn or soften the blow for the reader. I don't think it is the intent of the author to victim-blame, but he can come off as a bit insensitive at times; this is a book presenting physiological scientific principles and is written throughout in a very textbook-like manner. If you have any sort of triggers having to do with domestic violence, rape, or other abuse I think it might be best to find a summary of the principles online instead of having to read account after account of very triggering subject matter.
It's a very validating book, and an important topic. Women's intuition is often mocked, and we are taught to be polite even to random strangers over coming across as rude. Women are socialized to ignore their intuition and fear signals and this often puts us in danger. F*ck politeness. Listen to the survival signals that your body sends to you.
I don't think the book is victim-blamey per se, but I will say that the author states both his data and stories from survivors in a concise, matter of fact way and doesn't warn or soften the blow for the reader. I don't think it is the intent of the author to victim-blame, but he can come off as a bit insensitive at times; this is a book presenting physiological scientific principles and is written throughout in a very textbook-like manner. If you have any sort of triggers having to do with domestic violence, rape, or other abuse I think it might be best to find a summary of the principles online instead of having to read account after account of very triggering subject matter.
It's a very validating book, and an important topic. Women's intuition is often mocked, and we are taught to be polite even to random strangers over coming across as rude. Women are socialized to ignore their intuition and fear signals and this often puts us in danger. F*ck politeness. Listen to the survival signals that your body sends to you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Rape, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Violence
calybe's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Stalking, and Murder
opalchainsaw's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Violence
catbells's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
ebmaher's review against another edition
dark
1.5
I've heard this book called a must-read for young women, and I guess I can see why: being told that your misgivings and your fear are important signs you should listen to and not barriers to being polite that you should push past and ignore *is* an important message. But frankly I was unimpressed with this book. It felt so sensationalized and exploitative in the way it was written. The best thing I can say is that it is a book about listening to your feelings and the feeling it gave me was a vague distaste.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence