Soft Targets: A Woman's Guide To Survival (ISBN 1589801989)

From date rape to purse-snatching and kidnapping:
Women are typically easy targets for violent predators. In Soft Targets: A Woman's Guide To Survival, veteran police detective Michael L. Varando offers up truly invaluable lessons from his work on the front line of crime scene investigation, using case studies from his career to advise women on how to avoid becoming 'soft targets' for predators. From date rape to purse-snatching and kidnapping, chapters discuss why and how predators choose their targets - and what makes them 'soft' and desirable over others.

Excellent information for protecting your loved ones.:
Soft Targets by Michael Varnado is a must read for anyone who really cares about protecting their loved ones. It is well written in language easily understood. If you want to keep your family safe, don't miss this one. Sheriff's Deputy John William Bell

Excellent Criminal Justice Resource:
As a recent Criminal Justice degree graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans, I would gladly recommend Detective Varnado's new book to be utilized as a textbook within the university's curriculum. It is the first book that I have encountered both as a student and a consumer that focuses on true life crime stories, self-defense techniques, and portrays a Christian viewpoint of law enforcement. It is an easy read and a must-read for all Criminal Justice majors and professionals as well as all of the "soft-targets" mentioned in the book.

Cheap and mean vanity book pretending to be a self help resource.:
Here's a very strange and nasty little book written by a hard line Christian ex-cop from the deepest south with a great big ax to grind, and a bigger "I am considered an expert detective" God-fearing "Sherlock Holmes" attitude. From the awful quality of the black and white photos to the often lurid "warrior for the Lord" text, the book has a real Gothic feel. "Detective Mike" as author Varnado calls himself, shares sweaty observations about a (real) close friend: "the ...top half of the starched uniform clings to Denver's giant frame, revealing his well-kept upper arms and chest..." mixed with bitter personal diatribes against big city law enforcement professionals whom he considers unworthy. All this comes together with plenty of good old fashioned Christian head shaking disgust stirred in. In keeping with the Jr. high school narrative level of the writing no noun goes without an adjective or two or three making every page twice as long as it has to be and just as amateurish. Hands are never just hands, they're always greedy, eager, dirty, trembling, and so on. Page after page. Interestingly "Detective Mike" Varnado also has supernatural (undoubtedly Christian) powers of mental projection, so no wonder he's such an expert detective. These abilities place the author's mind inside the heads of dying victims so that he can reveal and voice for the reader the final thoughts of the unconscious before they pass into death, and even after! (Why didn't Pelican assign this guy an editor?!) Odd too that this book is titled "A Woman's Guide to Survival" when women are mostly dismissed offhand as uncaring, cold-hearted criminals in many of these crime profiles without even an attempt at objectivity. Forget Christian sympathy. The case of Jill Miller profiled in the book is one such example. Here's a high profile trial that was politically manipulated from the start, complete with suppressed evidence, lying witnesses, tragically inept defense attorneys, and a rigged, woman-hating jury. But no mention of that. Two years later it took New Orleans Times Picayune reporter James Gill to parse out and expose the reasons behind Ms. Miller's railroad ride to a life sentence. But then again what should one expect? Mike Varnado is a native son of Washington Parish, Louisiana where a town (Varnado, La. pop 342, 89% white) is named after his family. Google search Washington Parish with the word "Klan" and you'll find out about the quaint history and impartial quality of law enforcement in Washington Parish immediately. Most of all it is a shame that an imprint with the promise and potential of Pelican chose to commit this mean, conceited little vanity book to the light of day under its imprint. A final note: several other reviews of this book are shills by Varnado friends and relatives. Check them out. But then again, if you read this book you're not surprised.

Best resouce available!:
Detective Mike Varnado has done it again! Similar to "Loss of Faith: Victims of Dead Man Walking", he has taken true to life crimes, not those of the Hollywood version mind you, and detailed them in an easy to understand format to protect yourself and others from from tragedy. This book not only explains the backgrounds of the criminal acts and victims of crime, but also explains what could have and should have been done to best avoid the worst case scenario. While this book may not save every person in the world from the criminal mind, it will most certainly make you a harder target to be taken advantage of. This is a MUST READ book for anyone within the criminal justice system, homeland security, and even those of a most passive mindset. Criminals DO exist. Please don't think you may never be a victim. Read the book, and your chances of becoming a victim of crime are reduced significantly. Detective Mike rocks! I've never met the man, but it is clearly obvious he knows what he's talking about. Don't be fooled by Hollywood granduer - learn it from the source. A man who's spent a lifetime making sure everyday citizens do not have to fall prey to crime.