Customer Reviews

The Personal Security Handbook

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First off, allow me to explain my credentials to review this book. I am a security professional, and for the last two years have provided physical security for a US military installation in the Middle East. I have taught women's self-defense classes, assisted in training of force protection officers, and always try to maintain my own training and teaching skills.

Do not buy this book unless you want statistics. It's not a "personal security handbook" by anything but title. It would be better titled as "Statistics of Risk Management." The book tries to cover too much and ends up covering nothing very well. My definition of personal security does not cover the "Food Pyramid" or the dangers of smoking. Both may be a risk, but do not affect your security.

The book does not contain much in the way of specifics about security management and provides no details of how to implement the few suggestions it does have. "Quit smoking," "install good alarms," and "don't go to high crime areas" are typical suggestions. No mention of what good alarms are, how to quit smoking, or what defines high crime areas.

The book is a wealth of statistics, but no sources are ever directly quoted and that limits their value in my mind. Occasionally sources are indirectly quoted, such as "FBI data suggests that..." and then shortly thereafter a list that may or may not be related to the statement with the FBI data. Statistics in the book also tend to contradict each other. As an example, P. 38-9 has data from Atlanta on victims fighting back against property crime. 40 non-firearm wielding victims were injured while fighting back, for about 25% injury rate among victims. 3 fought back with a firearm, and none of those were injured, obviously resulting in a 0% injury rate. Yet, on the next page it informs you "having a gun doesn't improve your chances of confronting a criminal without getting injured." Seems like in the statistics just quoted it reduced your chances of being injured by 100%.

The editors are biased against firearms but with no real reasons quoted. The only mention is paraphrased as "unless you are an avid hunter, you are more likely to harm someone in your family than an assailant." No source or definite statistic is given. Statistics that show you are in more danger once you bring a handgun into your home rely heavily on suicides. If you remove the people who commit suicide within two weeks of their purchase, firearms purchasers are just as safe or safer (depending on other criteria) as a non-gun owning household. Basically, if you aren't suicidal you aren't in increased danger from buying a firearm.

They recommend Mace-type products or stun guns instead, despite mentioning that most attackers who aren't related to the victim are drunk or high when they attack and drunks/high-ons are more immune to the pain of Mace. I always let women in my classes Mace me if they want, just to prove it doesn't work instantaneously and won't stop a determined attacker. I've been Maced with different brands and strengths as many as five times in one night, using Sudecon wipes and 15 minutes recovery time between "attacks." Don't rely on condiments to protect your life, but if you do, practice with it and know it's limitations, and most importantly have a backup plan for when it fails.

Lastly, the book recommends being passive in the face of aggression, which in the real world simply doesn't work. It didn't work on the flights of 9/11. It didn't work for fast food workers who let themselves be led into a walk in freezer, bound hand and foot, and then executed. Even the authors of the book say in their car jacking section: "In worst case scenarios...violent crime against the victim as well...kidnapping, rape, assault, robbery, and murder." Two pages later they tell you not to resist a carjacker! Not resist someone who may be about to rape, rob, or murder you? Not only is that obviously a poor idea, it's against every human instinct and law of nature.

I don't normally take the time to review books or recommend alternatives, however I felt this book was irresponsible and possibly dangerous to anyone who did believe the editors. I recommend Massad Ayoob's book "The Truth About Self Protection," despite the fact that it's older and some of the brand names are outdated, because his advice is excellent. Ayoob is a former policeman, current self-defense instructor, contributor to defense-oriented magazines, and also works as an expert witness in self-defense court cases. He knows a lot more about personal security than "The Silver Lake Editors." Learn from the experts.

More time spent on stats than solid advice. Look elsewhere for viable advice on protecting yourself.

This book is great! It's written for ordinary people--and it explains "security" in the broad context of what it means to keep yourself and your family safe.
Security is more than just a bunch of martial arts dance steps. It's knowing what to look for in a crowd. And what to do when a hurricane is coming your way. It's NOT about fighting people; it's about avoiding risks.
That's something that most Americans don't realize. The best way to keep yourself safe is to keep away from dangerous situations.
A friend of mine recommended this book because he's been saying for years that security isn't about plywood and duct tape--or TV cameras and hand guns. Those are all just tools. Understanding security means knowing how and when to use those tools.
This book gives you that understanding.
I also bought Silver Lake Publishing's book on Identity Theft. It's a kind of a companion book to this one--and it's also very good. But this book has a broader view.

I'm a financial and legal consultant who handles personal finance and security issues for high-net-worth individuals on the West Coast. I've been recommending this book to my clients for about a year. Most of them find it very useful. It's the most comprehensive guide to personal security for lay people on the market.
The best security decisions that most people can make are the things NOT to do and the places NOT to go. This book explains why this is so and how ordinary people can make sure they minimize risks and dangers in their lives.

Both personal and home security are increasing issues in our dangerous world - and The Personal Security Handbook tackles both, with chapters offering practical, tested tools for keeping both self and possessions safe, whether at work or at home. From physical security to online risks, disaster preparation, and watching out for encounters with strangers during travel, The Personal Security Handbook is one of the few to address all kinds of security issues pertaining to both possessions and self, and should be on the bookshelf of every consumer.