100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative's Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation Paperback – Illustrated, October 13, 2015

100 Deadly Skills is an engaging, eye-opening guide that goes beyond just military tactics—it’s about situational awareness, survival, and preparedness in real-world scenarios. Written by a former Navy SEAL, this book breaks down skills and techniques in a way that’s easy to understand and practical, even if you’re not in special ops.I originally picked this up because I work across a lot of different fields (from private investigations to philanthropy to meditation and shamanic journeying—I know, I’m well-rounded!). But this book really tapped into the importance of being aware and prepared no matter what world you’re operating in.The illustrations are great, and the step-by-step explanations make even the most intense tactics feel accessible. It’s a mix of serious survival skills, security tips, and fascinating strategies—stuff you might not ever need, but it’s cool to know you could.Amazon delivered it quickly and in perfect condition, as always.If you’re into self-defense, preparedness, or just enjoy learning skills that could make you feel more confident in unexpected situations, this book is definitely worth the read. It’s fascinating, fun, and makes you think differently about the world around you.

I saw the author, ret. SEAL Clint Emerson, discussing this book on television and after seeing him elaborate on a sample of “skills”, I immediately ordered it. 100 DEADLY SKILLS offers a wealth of common-sense techniques used by elite military operators that can be applied for civilian use (for the most part). I found the book’s value centered more on making the reader smarter, more aware and more prepared; not as a tool to instigate trouble.I like (“American Sniper”) Chris Kyle’s simplified view of people: there are the sheep, the wolves that prey on the sheep and those who take on the wolf to protect the sheep … the sheepdogs. 100 DEADLY SKILLS’ purpose is to provide readers with enough necessary information to become sheepdogs. The method is simple, provide the sheep (easy victim) with the same tools and know-how wolves (criminals, terrorists, etc.) use on their prey … fighting fire with fire.The simple presentation of the material is particularly effective. There are no long, laborious chapters of text to sift through. Emerson generally uses a two-page technique for each of the 100 skills he presents. The left page provides a brief, easily understood explanation of a particular skill and the right page offers a simple step-by-step graphic presentation of the skill. This one-two punch makes a solid impression that is easy to remember. The range of skills covered in the book is diverse and some of the skills are a little extreme (hopefully, most readers will wonder why they need to know how to dispose of a body). But, again, I sense that the purpose of this information is less about actually USING each and every skill as it is making people understand that most of the skills presented are already commonly used by those with ill-intent … the power is knowing what they know and finding ways to avoid or effectively counter their methods. Emerson calls the understanding/use of these skills characteristic of the “Violent Nomad” (or, in Chris Kyle’s world, the tools of the sheepdog).So, for those of us who don’t really have a need for knowing how to: Dispose of a Body (skill #86), Steal a Plane (#26) or Cross Enemy Boarders by Sea, Air and Land (#11, #12 and #13) … what does reading such a book offer? Quite a lot, actually. First of all, I read this book while on a vacation and it provided several practical tips pertaining to everyday travel: how to hide things in a room and how to discover whether or not your suitcases have been opened. Additionally, it revealed how unsecure you really are in your hotel room with instructions on how to bypass hotel room doors and unlatch door locks. The section on surveillance techniques probably won’t come in handy for most, but understanding how to detect and lose those who may be sizing you as a potential victim certainly may be useful. Educating people on personal, cultural, situational and third-party awareness (#17 Blend into Any Environment) is probably one of the most important skills presented in the book because it’s the one skill that can be employed to avoid using most of the other skills (by having the presence of mind to avoid a potentially deadly encounter). 100 DEADLY SKILLS is filled with useful instructions on weapon improvisation, defense and safety techniques that certainly could be useful in dire situations; as well as common inconveniences, like being locked out of your home (#50 Defeat a Padlock or #53 Discretely Open a Garage Door).100 DEADLY SKILLS is a tremendous source of USEFUL information that gets readers out of their comfort zone. Most everything presented is based on common-sense and uses common household items with a little ingenuity. Some may see such a book as equivalent to “giving the fox the keys to the henhouse”, but the author asserts most all of the items discussed in the book are commonly used by criminals/terrorists; we just don’t realize it. By giving us a better understanding of the criminal-mind’s ingenuity, we are better prepared to avoid/survive a negative encounter (especially for those who travel to less-than-friendly parts of the world).

“In the face of true catastrophe, a basement full of canned peas and distilled water isn’t likely to be much help,” writes Retired Navy SEAL Clint Emerson.Yikes. Buy this book and delegate your reading to the person on your team who has the courage and savvy to anticipate your next crisis.The author adds, “…in a world full of unexpected, ever-changing threats, an unseen army of trained civilians is a powerful weapon.”“When crisis strikes, it takes only a basic level of knowledge to distinguish a victim from a survivor—or from the levelheaded leader who shepherds a panicked group of would-be victims to safety.“In other words, the purpose of this book is not to make you more dangerous, but to make you significantly safer.”Trust me. You’ve never, ever read a book quite like this one—and it’s not for the timid.A national bestseller, "100 Deadly Skills," is riveting. The subtitle says it all: “The SEAL Operative’s Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation.”Each of the 100 chapters (most with just a page of instructions and a facing page of simple, step-by-step illustrations) details what to do when you encounter a dangerous or deadly threat, an active shooter, a hostage situation, or worse.Had I reviewed “100 Deadly Skills” a year ago, I would have invested several paragraphs in building a case for why your organization or company needs this book. Today, however, you understand. Sadly, these locations are the motivation for being prepared: San Bernardino, Paris, Brussels, Istanbul, Orlando. (There are more.)This hair-raising book is divided into nine sections: Mission Prep, Infiltration, Infrastructure Development, Surveillance, Access, Collection, Operational Actions, Sanitization, and Exfiltration and Escape. (OK…I’m sure I’ve already lost a few readers—but stick with this. What person on your team should read this?)Here’s a taste of the chapter titles that popped off the page for me:002 – Create an Every Day Carry Kit013 – Cross Enemy Borders by Land017 – Blend Into Any Environment018 – Hotel Security and Safety Awareness019 – Prevent a Hotel Room Invasion029 – Turn a Pen Into a WeaponDETECTION AND DOGS:038 – Detect Tampering of Personal Effects041 – Detect Tracking Devices059 – Hide Information in Plain Sight060 – Hide and Extract Data Using Everyday Phones082 – Create a Hasty Disguise083 – Get Past a Guard DogDROWNING AND DUCT TAPE:086 – Create a Rappelling Harness087 – Escape a Multistory Building088 – Survive a Drowning Attempt089 – Escape from an Automobile Trunk098 – Defeat Handcuffs099 – Defeat Zip Ties100 – Defeat Duct TapeEach two-page chapter includes several pointers on the topic, and the accompanying illustration (remember the old “Boy Scouts Handbook” hand-drawn pictures?). There are 100 “BLUFs” (Bottom Line Up Front) short summaries. Example: the BLUF for No. 024: Escape and Evasion Vehicle Prep reads, “E&E vehicle preparation can be the difference between capture and freedom.”This not a macho book—it’s a discernment guide with a “be prepared” mindset. “When confronted with unexpected danger, in many cases the safest course of action is escape. In the face of an active shooter [No. 073: Survive an Active Shooter], the first option (if conditions allow) is to run—and the last is to fight. If a thief wants your valuables, hand them over.”So how do you defeat duct tape? The BLUF notes, “Duct tape is the most commonly used restraint upon initial abduction.” Five steps (COAs: Courses of Action) are illustrated. I’m memorizing those!You don’t have to be a Navy SEAL to master these 100 deadly skills. Written for civilians, this book will be read by every person who receives your thoughtful gift.