The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence is a 1997 self-help book by Gavin de Becker, a security specialist. The book argues that every individual should learn to trust the inherent "gift" of their gut instinct when it comes to situations of danger or potential violence, as these instincts are often our most reliable means of self-protection. The Gift of Fear spent 16 weeks on The New York Times Bestseller List.

Summary

By finding patterns in stories of violence and abuse, de Becker seeks to highlight the inherent predictability of violence. The book explores various settings where violence may be found—the workplace, the home, the school, dating—and describes what de Becker calls pre-incident indicators (PINS). By noticing PINS (events and behaviors that often precede violence), individuals can better predict violence before it occurs and, therefore, take the necessary precautions and actions to stay safe. The Gift of Fear also describes de Becker's MOSAIC Threat Assessment Systems, which have been employed by various celebrities and government agencies to predict and prevent violence. In The Gift of Fear, de Becker describes pre-incident indicators to watch for:

Reception

The Gift of Fear spent 16 weeks on The New York Times Bestseller List. A reviewer for Time found the book's section on stalking to be the most informative part. An instructor at the FBI Academy opined that the information in The Gift of Fear would be useful for law enforcement officers by providing "tools for assessing potentially violent encounters". In the Boston Globe, Zachary Dowdy described it as "a how-to book that reads like a thriller". Julie Barlow described The Gift of Fear in The Gazette as "surprisingly credible" and "strangely reassuring". Carolyn Hax continued to recommend The Gift of Fear in her syndicated advice column 20 years after the book's publication.