A Nurse with a Gun

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Meditations on Violence

Over the years, I have found that while crimes of violence usually have common denominators leading up to the actual physical assault, many if not most people are woefully unprepared to deal with a violent attack on their life. On Grant Cunningham's blog, I learned about this book, Meditations on Violence by Sgt. Rory Miller. Meditations on ViolenceThe author is a corrections officer with real world experience surviving desperate and violent confrontations with hardened human predators in the course of a day's work.

In the dojo of indisputable reality, Miller paints a stark portrait of what works, what doesn't, as well as the myths fantasies that many people cling to regarding their ability to survive and cope with life altering violence. As Miller states early in the book, "you are what you are, not what you think you are."

From Lawrence Kane's review of the work on amazon.com:
"This is a guy who routinely survives brutal encounters that would leave the average person physically and emotionally shattered. Unlike most martial arts instructors, he has first-hand experience that separates longstanding myths and heroic fantasies from merciless reality. Using interesting personal vignettes backed up by solid research and indisputable logic he conveys this hard-earned wisdom in a highly effective manner. His insights on how to make self-defense work and overcome subconscious resistance to meeting violence with violence could very well save a reader's life one day.

While the author's no-nonsense tone can be a bit "street" and his examples a bit graphic at times, his psychology degree shines throughout the writing as well. This combination makes for a fascinating read. One of the best features of the book is an informative matrix that addresses various types of violence, demonstrating how they differ from each other and how the lessons from one type may not apply to the needs of another. Other important topics include the dynamics of violence, predator mindset, adapting training to the realities of violence, making physical defense work, and the after-effects a sudden assault or long-term exposure to a violent environment."
Grant's endorsement is good enough for me. Now I just need to find another worthwhile book so I can get the Super Saver shipping discount.

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13 Comments:

Blogger Robert Langham said...

Hell, I Was THERE." the Elmer Keith Autobiography.

10:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Unrepentant Sinner: The Autobiography Of Col. Charles Askins

1:16 AM  
Blogger Old NFO said...

Any Cooper book!

7:24 AM  
Blogger Diogenes said...

1776 by David McCullough

8:15 AM  
Anonymous HankH said...

Xavier,

Stephen E. Ambrose is my new favorite author; I own 5 of his books and he definitely makes history come alive. My personal favorites (so far!) are "Undaunted Courage (about Lewis & Clark) and "D-Day". If you haven't read anything by Ambrose I highly encourage you to check out one of his books.

HankH

8:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"A BOOK OF FIVE RINGS" by Miyamoto Musashi. Great book on the mindset needed to survive hand to hand or armed combat.

10:01 AM  
Blogger Asphyxiated Emancipation said...

Read it. Very well done, puts into words many things I knew on a visceral level, but could not articulate. I don't have nearly the level of experience as th author, but I have been in enough scrapes and altercations to recognize the truth in this book.

Well worth the read, and a bargain at double what I paid for it.

Looking for other books to go with it, you might try something by Loren Christenson or Mar MacYoung(sp?).

1:53 PM  
Anonymous Matthew Carberry said...

At first blush it seems like a good companion work to Marc MacYoung's work on "No Nonsense Self-Defense".

5:26 PM  
Anonymous Blake said...

The Book of Five Rings, or The Art of War are two required books, if you have not read them already.

Self Defense Moves

7:39 PM  
Blogger Isaac Coverstone said...

"The Seven Myths of Gun Control", mostly preaching to the choir, but very well written, good book to loan out to new shooters. Provides tons of ammunition against anti-gun propaganda.

7:55 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My recommendation is on a different subject: The Hot Shoe Diaries by Joe McNally.

J.

10:12 PM  
Anonymous Rowman said...

Here's my contribution to suggestions for a book. I've heard the author on the radio twice this week. Sounds fascinating.

Soft Despotism, Democracy's Drift
http://www.hillsdalesites.org/personal/prahe/

Row

10:28 PM  
Blogger Priest said...

Rory Miller also has a blog with some very interesting archives at chirontraining.blogspot.com

9:41 PM  

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