
The Gift of Violence
Practical Knowledge for Surviving and Thriving in a Dangerous World
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Narrated by:
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Matt Thornton
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Salome Thornton
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Peter Boghossian
About this listen
In today's modern world, we are largely isolated from the kind of savagery our ancestors faced on a daily basis. Although violence was as natural to our evolutionary development as sex and food, it has become foreign to most of us. At once demonized and glamorized, but almost always deeply misunderstood.
Our hard-earned and hard-wired instincts—our evolved and trained ability to survive and overcome violent encounters—have been compromised. Yet, as even a cursory look at news headlines or a police blotter will reveal the threat of violent crime is ever-present, and those we've entrusted to protect us cannot always be relied upon.
The Gift of Violence tells the story of this vulnerability, providing the average person with all the knowledge they need to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of violence and to increase their chances of surviving a violent encounter. Based both on the author's decades of experience teaching everyday people how to defend themselves and on a rational approach to the scientific data, The Gift of Violence offers clear, easy-to-remember lessons for people of all ages and abilities. It is designed to empower those who've been affected by violence or are concerned that they or their loved ones could be—in short, it was written to help good people become more dangerous to bad people.
Every listener will be armed with the necessary knowledge to harness the power of violence for themselves, and in the process, not just smarter and stronger, but also safer.
©2023 Matt Thornton (P)2023 Pitchstone PublishingListeners also enjoyed...
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great book beyond awareness
- By Theresa S. on 03-20-24
By: Gary Dean Quesenberry, and others
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Deadly Force
- Understanding Your Right to Self-Defense, 2nd Edition
- By: Massad Ayoob
- Narrated by: Massad Ayoob
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Deadly Force, 2nd Edition is a continuation of Ayoob’s mission to educate gun owners on all aspects of lethal force laws. Drawing on more than four decades of experience as an expert witness for the courts in weapons and shooting cases and serving as a fully sworn and empowered part-time police officer for 43 years, Ayoob also educates through his Massad Ayoob Group classes such as the Armed Citizen’s Rules of Engagement.
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Important update of a classic
- By Tim on 05-09-23
By: Massad Ayoob
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Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life
- A Former CIA Officer Reveals Safety and Survival Techniques to Keep You and Your Family Protected
- By: Jason Hanson
- Narrated by: Jason Hanson
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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The New York Times best seller that reveals the safety, security, and survival techniques that 99 percent of Americans don’t know - but should. When Jason Hanson joined the CIA in 2003, he never imagined that the same tactics he used as a CIA officer for counter intelligence, surveillance, and protecting agency personnel would prove to be essential in every day civilian life. In his engaging and empowering book Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life, Jason shares this know-how with listeners.
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Fantastic, Practical and Useful Information
- By Sara on 10-08-15
By: Jason Hanson
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Comfort in Darkness
- The Invisible Power of Jiu Jitsu
- By: Rickson Gracie, Peter Maguire - contributor
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 5 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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A mythic figure in fighting and a legendary member of the “first family of martial arts,” Rickson Gracie is considered the godfather of what we recognize today as Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Although Rickson’s three decades of total dominance in Jiu Jitsu is astounding, even more astounding is the serenity and spiritual depth of his approach to combat. For Rickson, Jiu Jitsu is a metaphor for life. Some consider Jiu Jitsu a martial art, others consider it a sport, but to Gracie, it is a philosophical system he uses to face and evaluate life’s challenges and maintain happiness and mental balance.
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Basically a rewrite of, “Breathe”.
- By Reece on 11-20-24
By: Rickson Gracie, and others
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100 Deadly Skills
- The SEAL Operative's Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation
- By: Clint Emerson
- Narrated by: Pete Simonelli
- Length: 3 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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100 Deadly Skills contains proven self-defense skills, evasion tactics, and immobilizing maneuvers - modified from the world of black ops - to help you take action in numerous "worst case" scenarios from escaping a locked trunk to making an improvised Taser to tricking facial recognition software. With easy-to-understand instructions, Emerson outlines in detail many life-saving strategies and teaches you how to think and act like a member of the special forces.
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Only a small fraction of the information is useful
- By Mike Kirby on 11-18-15
By: Clint Emerson
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The Danaher Diaries
- Over 100 of John Danaher's Musings on Jiu-Jitsu, Kaizen, Training, and Living
- By: Heroes of the Art
- Narrated by: David Sweeney-Bear
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Since he burst onto the scene as George St. Pierre’s grappling coach in the late 2000’s, John Danaher has risen to be recognized as one of the foremost minds in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and competitive grappling. More than just a coach, Danaher has garnered a reputation as a philosopher of the art. His social media is read by hundreds of thousands, serving as daily inspiration for students around the world. Danaher is able to take the complex and often contradictory rules of jiu-jitsu and break them down into universal concepts.
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Collection of golden nuggets from a genius
- By Michalis Petrou on 07-09-21
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R.A.T. Fight: Combat Secrets of the World's Deadliest Fighters
- Rapid Assault Tactics
- By: Paul Vunak
- Narrated by: Rick Font
- Length: 1 hr and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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R.A.T. Vunak’s infamous move, virtually impossible to defend, even for a world-class fighter, is known as the R.A.T. In a real fight, the R.A.T. means "game over." The SEALs desired it, but only Vunak possessed it—until today. R.A.T. Fight teaches you how to handle any situation you might find yourself in, completely dominating any thug, street harasser, or punk who decides to try to ruin your day. It eradicates panic and fear, replacing them with cold, focused violence.
By: Paul Vunak
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The Way of Ronin
- Defying the Odds on Battlefields, in Business and in Life
- By: Tu Lam
- Narrated by: Tu Lam, Pun Bandhu
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Tu Lam is known not just for his remarkable accomplishments in the military, as a decorated Green Beret in more than two dozen international war zones, but for his exceptional work outside of it. His fellow soldiers know him for his successful company that he runs with his wife providing aid to military and law enforcement, as well as his tireless charity work for veterans with physical and mental disabilities. Others know him from his popular History Channel television series Forged in Fire: Knife or Death, or for his appearance in and contribution to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
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This book reawakened my soul
- By Jonathan on 05-24-24
By: Tu Lam
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Left of Bang
- How the Marine Corps’ Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life
- By: Patrick Van Horne, Jason A. Riley
- Narrated by: Danny Campbell
- Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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You walk into a restaurant and get an immediate sense that you should leave. You are about to step onto an elevator with a stranger, and something stops you. You interview a potential new employee who has the résumé to do the job, but something tells you not to offer the position. These scenarios all represent "left of bang", the moments before something bad happens.
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Easier to follow when read
- By Chris Hutchinson on 04-29-16
By: Patrick Van Horne, and others
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On Combat
- The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace
- By: Dave Grossman, Loren W. Christensen
- Narrated by: Dave Grossman
- Length: 18 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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On Combat looks at what happens to the human body under the stresses of deadly battle and the impact on the nervous system, heart, breathing, visual and auditory perception, memory - then discusses new research findings as to what measure warriors can take to prevent such debilitations so they can stay in the fight, survive, and win. A brief, but insightful look at history shows the evolution of combat, the development of the physical and psychological leverage that enables humans to kill other humans, followed by an objective examination of domestic violence in America.
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Just what I needed.
- By Jonah on 03-21-17
By: Dave Grossman, and others
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The 32 Principles
- Harnessing the Power of Jiu-Jitsu to Succeed in Business, Relationships, and Life
- By: Rener Gracie, Paul Volponi, Jocko Willink - foreword
- Narrated by: Rener Gracie
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Jiu-jitsu is more than a martial art; it is a lifestyle that promotes health, confidence, self-determination, and balance. Famed jiu-jitsu instructor Rener Gracie presents the core teachings of jiu-jitsu and explains how they can apply to all of our daily lives.
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A Long Informercial
- By amazonreviewer on 08-25-23
By: Rener Gracie, and others
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The Danaher Diaries, Volume 3
- Over 100 more of John Danaher's Musings on Training, Thriving, Quarantines, and Mastery
- By: Heroes of the Art
- Narrated by: David Sweeney-Bear
- Length: 3 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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With the world or combat sports put on hold and hundreds of thousands of students training from home in 2020, the mental study of jiujitsu has become more important than ever. In the highly requested third volume of the Danaher Diaries, there are now over 100 musings from the mind of John Danaher from before and during the worldwide pandemic that drove the BJJ community out of gyms and onto various online training programs. Danaher's writings cover the timely to the timeless as he reflects on the current state of jiujitsu and it's unchanging constants.
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Consistency of valuable content.
- By Will Cohen on 06-19-24
What listeners say about The Gift of Violence
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- Heath Hoover
- 08-07-24
A very thorough common sense approach to situational awareness and violence.
I can’t even begin to start on how valuable this book is. I have five daughters and three sons and I’m going to somehow make my daughters and sons Listen to this book. Especially women…not to sound sexist but If I do -get over it.
You don’t need a black belt in jujutsu(I have a purple belt). You don’t need to be a hand to hand instructor (I studied Thai boxing for seven years) this book gave me so much NEW information and re-reminded me of the edge I lost.
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- Rockenvelop
- 07-20-23
Great information
I very much appreciated the author’s candor in describing all the BS in the martial arts world. He did so respectfully while debunking the myths of magic techniques. Excellent book.
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- Andrew
- 12-16-23
Essential
Common sense on the preservation of what you love. Good listening as well. Looking into BJJ programs for myself.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Matthew J Tubolino
- 03-10-24
Very insightful and useful!!!
The perfect intro and in-depth look into this crucial phenomenon! Every person should read and heed!
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- Adrián
- 10-07-23
Fundamental
This book is to be read or listened to by anyone interested in self and loved ones protection.
It gives a complete overview of all aspects related with violence and self-defense to take into account: common statistical dangers, reality grounded training practices and prevention tactics for your family and yourself.
Totally recommended, it was long since a so profoundly impacting listen.
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1 person found this helpful
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- AE Perez
- 09-29-23
Great content
Honest and challenging truths about violence and about men.
A well researched book. Glad the author narrated the book.
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- Aldous
- 11-11-23
Transformative
I didn’t know what to expect when I began this book, but found it to be deeply engaging and fascinating along with being well researched and informed.
After completing it, I have a deeper understanding about my personal psychology and how to continue progressing on my life’s path.
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- Anthony W. Shallin
- 01-01-24
Best martial arts book there is.
This is the best book I have listened to in a long time. It is also the best martial arts book I have ever heard or read. I recommend it for anyone, beginner to advanced. The author explains concepts in a way that makes sense and is evidence based. Very clear and very practical.
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- Okanda
- 06-26-23
It's for everyone
This book is a difficult read, and everyone should read it. It is not difficult in the usual sense - it’s not long, or technical, or obtuse, or difficult to understand. In fact, it is simple, straightforward, and logical. At times, however, it is difficult to accept. It will make you feel things about yourself that you don't want to admit are there. It may bring up things from your past that you don't like to think about. It is not a particularly violent book. There are a few descriptions and examples of graphic violence to make important points, but the point of the examples isn't to shock you or make you cringe or to tell you brave stories of heroism.
The audiobook is narrated by the author. Matt Thornton's speech has likely been honed by his decades of teaching martial arts so he has an excellent narrating voice and it is always a treat to listen to a book narrated by such an author because their meaning and passion is completely unfiltered.
The Gift of Violence cites many classic works of logic, psychology, and evolution, but one book not cited that it reminds me of most is On Aggression, by Konrad Lorenz. While On Aggression is almost exclusively about the evolution of violence and aggression, TGoV is about rebuilding your relationship with violence. Does that mean making you a more violent and aggressive person? No, in fact the moral of the story is quite the opposite. In fact if you learn to embrace and come to terms with your inherently violent nature, you may end up leading a safer and less violent life than you currently do.
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- Sarah W.
- 11-30-23
Inspiring
Great job, Started my journey to a better me. Gave me the confidence to show up at my first BJJ class at the young age of 44. Thank you!
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