Customer Reviews

Lessons from Armed America

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I think I can effectively describe the book in one word...Wow! The stories of the real life defensive encounters of ordinary people really brings to light that bad things do happen to good people. But those who have prepared themselves for that reality can and will survive. The break down of the complex legal, physiological and psychological aspects of self defense are made easy to understand. And with great emphasis on the importance of training your brain with "software" in addition to the hardware in your holster

Bottom line;

- Anyone who is thinking about or on the fence about armed defense needs to read this book Right now

- Anyone who is experienced with armed defense needs to read this book frequently

- Any armed defense instructor who doesn't mention this book to his or her students is doing them a great disservice and needs to start.

Lessons from Armed America is going on my bookshelf right next to my books and videos by Mas Ayoob, Clint Smith, Tiger McKee and Chris Bird. This book easily stands shoulder-to-shoulder with them.

I am a teacher of both Bible studies (as a calling) and compliance with government regulations (as a profession).

In my work, I develop training for adults on some very complicated regulatory issues such as trade sanctions, anti-boycott, hazardous materials, and export controls. I know, dry stuff. But one of the methods we use is simulation based training, which places the student in a scenario and then lets them react to the different types of video, telephone, e-mails, and other events. Including some no-win scenarios. We then go through and explain the results and the ramifications of their decisions. It significantly improves retention.

As I was reading this book, I was struck by the same techniques that the authors were using. Mark Walters presents the scenario and what the results were, and then Kathy Jackson breaks it down and provides instructional information. It was very effective, and very well done.

I am one of those people that learn well from reading. I have read Massad Ayoob's "The Gun Digest Book of Concealled Carry", "In the Gravest Extreme", "The Truth about Self-Protection", and Gabe Suarez's Tatical Pistol series, among many other authors. All very good books, but I truly believe that I learned more, retained more, and could apply more, from "Lessons from Armed America".

Well done, and thank you for the time and dedication it took to put this book together.

Coyotes don't tangle with wolves, wolves don't tangle with sheep dogs, and all three are wary of cornered cats. In the land of two legged predators and victims, the criteria for being a "sheepdog" or "cat" (i.e., not "victim") are mindset, attitude and preparedness. However, in addition to mindset, most animal species are anatomically equipped with effective tools (e.g., fangs, claws, strength, size, speed, etc.) to defend themselves against dangerous predators. Unarmed, most humans are not. Firearms can even the odds.

Mark Walter's and Kathy Jackson's "Lessons from Armed America" is an essential primer on self preservation and both authors are uniquely qualified to write this book. Kathy Jackson is the creator [...] and the Managing Editor of Concealed Carry Magazine ([...]). Mark Walters is the host of Armed American Radio ([...]) and the column editor for "The Ordinary Guy" column of Concealed Carry Magazine.

One fateful day, you may have to defend your life or the life of a loved one against a deadly assault. Jackson and Walters provide the essential information you need to begin making intelligent, common-sense preparations for that uninvited possibility. The formula is simple. Guns are good because in the hands of good people, guns save lives. However, owning a gun for defensive purposes and having a concealed carry permit require proper education. Reading this book is an important first step because there are many lessons that must be learned by those who choose to go armed. This book teaches those lessons and that's why I am recommending that my defensive handgun students read this book.

Bruce N. Eimer, Ph.D.
Board Certified, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Co-author of "Essential Guide to Handguns"
Columnist with Concealed Carry Magazine
NRA Certified Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor
Founder of [...]


Essential Guide to Handguns: Firearm Instruction for Personal Defense and Protection

Just received my copy -- Below is an excerpt from the book absolutely meant to get you interested in owning your own copy :.

Already I find the defining question and compelling "answer" on page 26.

The question? "Who decided that this conflict was worth a human life?" When an assailant raises a deadly weapon toward an innocent person, the assailant has already made the most important choice of the day: he has decided that someone is going to die.

The only decision left for anyone else to make is whether the person who dies that day will be an innocent victim, or one of society's predators. Each individual must decide alone what it will take for them to say to an attacker, "Not me. Not mine. Not today."

Wow! I have to say this book is packed FULL of information. In fact, if I was going to complain about anything, I'd say that it is too packed - too much to absorb in one reading.

This book is not so much about how to carry a concealed weapon or what kind of gear to use. Nor does it waste time trying to convince you that you need to buy a gun. It is more about the nitty-gritty details of defending yourself. It is about the physical, emotional, legal, and practical aspects of self-defense. If you want to know the unglorified truth about what it is REALLY like to defend your life, this book is for you.

Kathy Jackson and Mark Walters provide an outstanding overview of core legal, psychological and ethical issues that may be faced by someone put in the position of necessarily using force in self defense. There are plenty of books out there dealing with the tools and techniques. And there are some very technical studies on the subjects covered by Ms. Jackson and Mr. Walters. But it's good to see the "software" issues dealt with in such an accessible way.

I found the format especially helpful. Mr. Walters tells the story of a particular real person's "bad day." We read about Mr. Walters' encounter with a would-be attacker who blocked his car in traffic. We read about the politician who opposed legislation allowing honest citizens to carry a gun -- until his own run in with an armed mugger. We read about the man who was shot at in a friend's backyard, and you had to shoot back to survive. We read these and four more stories of ordinary people who found themselves in an unsought violent struggle for survival.

And Ms. Jackson then shows us what can be learned from the event. She tells us somethings about the laws of using force for self defense. She talks to us about making the highly personal decision to go about armed (where legal). She introduces us to the self defense mindset. And she explores with us some of the physiological and psychological affects one may experience during and after a violent encounter.

Definitely well worth reading.

I got the book some time ago but had no chance to read it for a while. One day, a visiting friend whom I taught to shoot was over and she picked up the book. Some time later, she said in a voice suggesting a recent epiphany: "NOW I understand why we carry guns!" Intrigued, I read the book in the following three days and found it excellent. I've read about some of the events described before, but the astute, plainly written and well documents analysis of the gunsfights brought the information to a whole new level. It is a book I recommend to anyone who carries a defensive weapon and even more to those who are considering getting guns and training.

Interesting and generally well-written information that will be useful to anyone who carries or keeps a firearm for personal protection.
Sadly, the adaptatiom from the printed page to Kindle has resulted in a difficult to read mixture of text and footnotes with page breaks in the middle of the screen. Good. current info with useful reference notes (if you can puzzle them out from the text).

This excellent book is appropriate for anyone who is interested in his or her personal safety. The format is outstanding -- it pairs anecdotes of actual violent incidents with well-researched factual information about the realities of using firearms and, to a lesser extent, other tools, to protect you and your family from harm. Importantly, the book contains clear information about the legal, physiological, and psychological issues associated with using deadly force. Additional guidance covers topics such as defining boundaries and dealing with stalking. I have already recommended this book to several close friends.

Listen folks, I have 20 years of firearms experience. Just to get that out of the way. Now lsten to me, this books' title does it no justice. You may be thinking, ok "stories of people who had shooting situations". Further from the truth. This book is filled with so much information and great information at that, you won't put the book down until you are done.

Now when you read this book, don't get all he-man on the world and feel you are ready to handle anything. Altough you will feel better about going out and have a better outlook, make sure to be smart about getting a professional class from a live competent instructor.

Again the book is great, I am not a friend, or paid advertiser for this book. Just a guy who read the reviews and figured I would give it a go and I tell you the money was well spent on this one...

Get this book and learn something from it...