The Little Black Book of Violence
What Every Young Man Needs to Know About Fighting
- 2009 INDIES Finalist
- Finalist, Young Adult Nonfiction (Children's)
Violence always has consequences, ranging from pain and death to criminal indictments and expensive civil law suits. Unfortunately, many people, especially young men filled with testosterone and adrenaline-laced bravado, do not realize just how brutal and life-altering a sudden street fight or bar brawl can be. “The only fight you know you’ll win, the one you are guaranteed to walk away from with all your parts and pieces fully intact,” the authors of this book write, “is the fight you never get into. This is what Sun Tzu meant when he wrote, ‘To subdue an enemy without fighting is the highest skill,’ more than 2,500 years ago.”
Every time a person engages in violence, no matter how small and trivial, it has the potential of escalating into some-thing that has lifelong consequences. Young men need to understand and avoid behavior that can lead to such dangerous situations, and this book offers wisdom from martial arts masters who lived centuries ago as well as numerous present-day examples of how violence has destroyed lives. In potentially explosive situations, men must ask themselves, “Is this really worth fighting over?” With numerous frightening stories provided by the authors of how violence has led to untold grief, most often, the authors say, the correct response is “No.”
But the book offers more than just sound advice on avoiding violent encounters. Sometimes, fighting may be unavoidable, and the authors provide practical tips on how to fight and survive a violent attack and how to best deal with the after-math of violence.
Authors Kane and Wilder are well-qualified on the subjects of violence and self-defense. Both are martial arts masters and authors of books in that field. Kane is a security official at football games and has vast experience with all kinds of violent encounters; Wilder has earned black belts in three different disciplines.
Complete with forewords by a police sergeant and an expert—aptly named “Animal”—who has survived of all kinds of street violence, this book belongs in the hands of every young and not-so-young male. Fathers in particular will want to purchase this book for their sons who are coming of age, both to help them learn why and how to avoid violent situations but also how to defend themselves should there be no other option.
Reviewed by
Alan J. Couture
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
