As with any book authored by Christensen, one feels the reality and truth of the content. This book is no different, it is enlightening to all inexperienced and experienced police officers. It should be mandatory reading for all police recruits in the academy as well as veteran officers on the job.

The mind MUST be prepared for what it will go through during a lethal encounter and more importantly, what it will go through after the encounter; unless of course you lost and are DEAD. Then, your loved ones must now deal with your failure to have survived. Do not do that to them ! Read this book, train and be prepared.

"The mind must be trained and then the body will follow." Anthony M. Cataldo www.blackbeltdojo.com

This is a very important book about officer survival. The focus is not on tactics, but on mental aspects of combat, and especially the aftermath of violent encounter.

The book starts with introduction of Survival triangle: You have to survive both physically, mentally, and legally to fully survive an violent encounter. The authors keep that in mind through the book, while the stress is on mental survival. Next the authors discuss the selection process of police recruits, and the nature of violence the police are forced to encounter in their line of duty. Next they give a thorough explanation of fear and itýs effects on a person, and they address the issue of training, as well.

The main portion of the second part of the book (about 100 pages) is real-life stories told by cops, and the authorýs comments of the events. There is not any tactical reviewing, but the incidents are discussed on a psychological point of view. At the end of the second part there is a chapter of psychological injuries, starting from physical effects right after the incident, going to post-traumatic stress disorder and difficulties with relationships with other persons.

The third part of the book covers the treatment of a traumatic event survivor. The authors cover all aspects: What the survivor himself can do, what his superiors, family members, peers and so on can and should do. The authors also stress that there are many different kinds of encounters that can cause post-traumatic stress disorder other than gunfights, and that all participants of such encounter can develop mental problems, not just the ones who pull the trigger. There is also advise to detectives who investigate officer-involved shootings.

All things considered, this book is a very complete package. It is easy to read and the text is not too "scientific" for a layman to understand. This was the first book by Loren Christensen I have read, but it sure wonýt be the last!

As a former Oakland, CA police sergeant and veteran of a number deadly force encounters, I can recommend this book to all street officers. In 1972 I was involved in an incident with an armed suspect who was killed. Today I can still relate the incident second by second. It will never leave me. This book allows you to gain from experience of deadly encounters without having to go through it yourself. This is very helpful and will certainly save lives. I recommend the book.

Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D, author of Managing Police Stress. docwifford@msn.com

Finally, the much anticipated book by police psychologist Dr. Alexis Artwohl and 25-year police veteran Loren W. Christensen has been released.

Deadly Force Encounters sold so fast that it went into a second printing one week after it was released.

Caliber Press has praised this book as a must read!

This one-of-a-kind book reveals to law enforcement officers, agencies and citizens the hidden dangers of deadly force encounters.

The authors help officers understand how to stay alive when faced with a kill-or-be-killed threat and gives them information and resources on how they and their families can survive the personal and professional pandemonium that follows.

From training tips and first person accounts by officers who have survived deadly threats, to the impact on the officers' familes and traumatic incident debriefings, this remarkable book offers a wealth of information about deadly force encounters. It is a must read for officers, command staff, mental health professionals and citizens.

Chapters include:

Shocking personal accounts of officers and their families The Survival Triangle: Physical, legal, psychological The nature of police work and violence Mastering the psychobiology of fear Perceptual, memory and cognitive distortions during traumatic events The 4 R's of deadly force training Recognition and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder Making yourself stress resistant The four tyupes of traumatic incidents Helping officers' families Administrative guidelines for agencies Peer support recommendations Guidelines for investigators on investigating shootings and interviewing officers The components of a comprehensive officer survival program