Dangerous Instincts: How Gut Feelings Betray Us [Hardcover]

Mary Ellen O'Toole Ph.D (Author), Alisa Bowman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 13, 2011

Fear can't help you in a dangerous situation. A former FBI profiler shows you what can.

As one of the world's top experts on psychopathy and criminal behavior, Mary Ellen O'Toole has seen repeatedly how relying on the sense of fear alone often fails to protect us from danger. Whether you are opening the door to a stranger or meeting a date you connected with online, you need to know how to protect yourself from harm-physical, financial, legal, and professional.

Using the SMART method, which O'Toole developed and used at the FBI, we can confidently know how to:

• Respond to a threat in any situation
• Hire someone who will work inside your home like a contractor or housekeeper
• Figure out whether a prospective employee is a safe bet
• Know whom you can trust with your children

  An especially useful book for women living alone, parents who are concerned about their children's safety, and employers worried about employees who might go postal, Dangerous Instincts gives us the tools used by professionals to navigate potentially hazardous waters. Like The Gift of Fear and The Sociopath Next Door, it will appeal to anyone looking to make the right call in an ever threatening world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mary Ellen O'Toole, PhD, retired from the FBI in 2009. She lectures at the Smithsonian, and frequently speaks all over the world.
Alisa Bowman is the coauthor of six New York Times best- sellers.
Visit dangerousinstincts.com.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Hudson Street Press; 1 edition (October 13, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594630836
• ISBN-13: 978-1594630835
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.1 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #282,571 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

65 of 70 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating October 25, 2011

By Mike

Format:Hardcover

This book is really eye-opening. It's only a 1 in 8 million chance that a serial killer will come to your door, but clearly the chance you will meet, date, or work with a criminal or dangerous person is much higher than that. I don't really worry about being hacked into pieces or locked in a basement dungeon, but I think we all know someone who has been attacked, swindled, physically or emotionally abused, etc. because they or someone else didn't see the warning signs.

I've certainly let strangers in my house on the basis of a uniform or a friendly voice, and I usually put a lot of trust in my first impression when meeting someone. But this book shows you a lot of simple things you can do that will give you insight into what's really going on. I'm pretty easy-going and certainly won't use all the advice the authors give, but there's a lot of useful stuff in there. And just in case Ted Bundy shows up at my door, I'm a little more prepared!

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book you must read November 5, 2011

By Brette Sember

Format:Hardcover

This book is eye-opening. Many of things that we rely on to make decisions about other people are completely flawed. In short, our instincts are often wrong. It's frightening once you realize how "off" they really are. O'Toole offers a complete guide to changing how you think, evaluate others, and make everyday decisions which could have potentially devastating consequences. She provides excellent tips for how to evaluate people, interview people (such as for a job as a nanny or babysitter, or even as a painter), and how to read them. The 'rules' we have been taught to follow are often wrong and can often lead us into danger, and O'Toole points out all of the ways we open ourselves to danger.

I really appreciate the advice in this book, which helps you get inside your own decision-making process and retool it so that it will protect you and your family. This is also just a great read if you ever wondered about serial killers and psycopaths. O'Toole is an expert and offers fascinating vignettes about the criminals she personally worked with, as well as cases she worked on involving missing children. Be sure to read the section that compares how TV profilers do things versus how REAL profilers do things. It's revealing!

Some reviews have focused on the serial killer aspect. O'Toole is not telling us how to avoid serial killers (which are rare), but instead how to spot anyone who poses potential danger - especially things like theft, assault, breaking and entering, and other common crimes. In short, this is a primer for learning to be a better evaluator of others.

This is an important book for everyone to read, but I also think it ought to be required reading for young people heading off to college or to their own apartments. I will make sure my own daughter reads this book.

65 of 74 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars This book was not worth the amount of money I paid for it. December 26, 2011

By Kevin

Format:Hardcover

I'm about halfway through this book right now, and while I find it fairly enjoyable to read, I have some criticisms of it.

The following are my criticisms:
1. The author's writing style is simplistic, as though the book's content were dumbed down for the reader.
2. A lot of what the author writes about is common sense. For example, she suggests that those who own a handgun participate in target practice and learn how to use the weapon safely, which should be completely obvious to those who are considering owning this type of weapon.
3. The author makes herself sound a bit pompous by repeating her FBI-related accomplishments several times. Yes, we understand that she's a retired FBI behavior analyst who has participated in several high-profile investigations, and no, we don't need her to mention that over and over again.
4. I spotted a couple of typographical errors in the book, which isn't a huge deal, but bothers me nonetheless.

What I like about this book:
1. I have learned some interesting facts from the book. For instance, I learned the definition of "psychopath," and the difference between the terms "psychopath" and "sociopath." One might find me naive for not initially knowing what the definitions mean, but I don't have a strong educational background in psychology or criminal justice, so I'm glad the author chose to share some of her expertise in these subject matters.
2. Although I consider myself a fairly rational, level-headed person who's adept at making major decisions, it doesn't hurt to be reminded of factors that should go into my decision-making process, such as whether a particular situation poses a "high," "medium," or "low" risk. Hence, some of the book's common sense explanations, and some of the exercises scattered throughout the book, were useful to me.

I paid $26 for this book, which I now regret, because the price doesn't match the quality of what I'm reading. However, reading the book hasn't been a waste of time, and I would recommend people to buy it on sale or at a bargain price.