What is a good book for a new person to defensive shooting

[nosimij]

I am looking for some book options for my Father who just made the leap to thinking/believing he needed a defensive handgun.  I know he will not travel for extensive training, but I want to plant some seeds of thought.  My first thought was stress fire by Ayoob.  I have read Stress Fire II and found it informative, but I have a different mind set than he does.  I also do not want to go too tactical on him and drive him back the other way.  I just want him to realize that 5 rounds a year training is not enough.  I have also thought of Trail Safe, but I have not read it either.

Any suggestions?

[jaybet]

Trail Safe is a good book for awakening the idea of awareness and the possibilities of a conflict. It is also pretty big on problem avoidance. It won't help with the training philosophy mindset much but it's good reading, especially if he's going to carry.

[Majer]

Massad Ayoob's "In the gravest extreme" should be a must read for anyone who is thinking about carrying a defensive pistol.I can highly recommend it even if it is a bit dated.(I first read it back in the early 80's)

[tombogan03884]

Trail safe, by our host Micheal Bane, is good for addressing mindset, Ayoob's Gravest extreme is, as Majer says , dated.
The latest from Ayoob may be a better choice since it addresses many aspects of Concealed carry.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/0896896110?tag=blmawiagu-20&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0896896110&adid=0DH9KE692D0Q9TTKGVNG&

[PegLeg45]

A big plus on Trailsafe.

Also, you didn't post your father's age, but another angle to consider is there are several "dated but relevant" books that can introduce the mindset and thought process behind defensive gunning. Almost anything by Jeff Cooper and Bill Jordan might ease him into the right frame of mind and than he can "turn and burn" on some newer stuff.


http://www.jeffcooperbooks.com/

http://campingsurvival.com/nosecplacwin.html

[Sponsor]

[fightingquaker13]

This might sound odd, but fiction might be better than fact (insert your political science joke here ). Seriously, if what you are doing is dealing with mindset, well, a little Tom Clancy or the like might go a long way without being heavy handed. Something like "Without Remorse" or its equivalent is what I was thinking. Granted this has bupkiss on technique. However what we all know is that SD consists of four elements.
1 Mindset
2 Situational Awareness
3 Having a weapon on you
4 Being able to use it effectively when necessary

I put them in this order because if you follow the first three steps, the fourth one will be a lot less likely to be an issue. I mean seriously, how often does an assault victim say "If only had brand X ammo'? And really, what do most quality SD courses focus on?  I think that being able to make that mental shift is the key. You have to realize two things. First that we live in a dangerous world. Second you don't have to be a victim if you do a few simple things that don't make you a paranoid nut job and really don't require any major life style changes. You just have to look at the world in a slightly different way.Once the Old Man starts seeing things this way he should be the one asking you to go to the range with him. I think all the books mentioned are good, and great for technique, but step one is making someone WANT to read them, and want to practice. You might have already crossed that threshold, in which case ignore my post, but the first step is getting someone to think that that old .38 would be better off riding in their pocket rather than in the night stand.  Just my .02. Good luck.
FQ13

[les snyder]

nosimij...you mentioned training in addition to mind set....I would recommend any of the Viking Tactics videos by Kyle Lamb

[nosimij]

Thanks for all the advice.  i do not know if she has read Without Remorse perhaps I should dig out my copy.  Maybe I could reread it.  I think it has been at least 15 years since I read it, I think it is the best of the series.  I did get Trail Safe for Christmas.  We are reading it together.

[MikeBjerum]

The book idea is good, but better would be to get him into a training course.  There are many good courses out there, and you can never go wrong by working your way through the basics first.  If you want to go the NRA route it would be Refuse To Be A Victim, Basic Pistol, Personal Protection In The Home, and Personal Protection Outside The Home.  Many trainers and training companies have similar programs with multiple courses, so look around.  

There is only so much a person can learn from a book, tv show, or dvd.  I like media for whetting the appetite, but for actual education and skill building training with real people that are trained is the way to go.

[tombogan03884]

The great thing about books and videos is that it shows people that there is far more involved than just buying a gun and a box of ammo.
It drives home the point of how much they don't know.