First Defense

Dr. Hopkins makes a compelling case that the most important self-defense tool you own is the anxious feeling you have been trained to ignore — and that reframe alone makes this book worth the read for most adults. The self-study exercises give it real practical traction, and the sections on women's and children's safety are handled with clinical care rather than sensationalism. Readers expecting a physical technique manual will be disappointed; readers open to a psychological approach will find something genuinely useful.