Good reads for gals... and guys

A gal recently asked me if I could recommend some books about guns and concealed carry as she is somewhat new to firearms and is thinking about getting her concealed carry license here in Ohio.  I looked through some of the possibly hundreds of firearm-related books the gals and I have collected and pulled a few off the shelves.

The Cornered Cat: A Woman's Guide to Concealed Carry by Kathy Jackson is a great book that is thorough, yet an easy read, and specifically covers things from a woman's perspective.  Gila Hayes' Personal Defense for Women goes beyond handguns and discusses both rifles and shotguns too.

Three other books I grabbed deal more with background information and mindset for someone who's interested in self-defense with a firearm and concealed carry.  If you're not sure that you need to be armed to defend yourself or your family and the ramifications of the choice to be armed... I think that Lessons from Armed America by Kathy Jackson and Mark Walters or Thank God I had a Gun by Chris Bird will provide a good overview of reality and things to consider while exercising your second amendment rights and the God-given right of self-defense.

The Concealed Handgun Manual (with a new/different cover if you're looking for it) by Chris Bird is a comprehensive book that covers everything from what to carry and how to carry to legal considerations and mindset.  I really think as you read through it, he does a great job providing a good, unbiased look at many aspects of selecting, carry, and staying alive while carrying a concealed firearm.

Two other books that are very well done are the NRA Guide to the Basics of Pistol Shooting and Gun Proof your Children by Massad Ayoob.  The best way to pick up the first is by taking an NRA Basic Pistol Course instructed by an NRA Certified Instructor such as myself.  The latest addition is updated and really does a thorough job discussing the basics of safety, shooting, and maintaining your pistols.

We may have every book ever written by Massad Ayoob.  I picked up Gun Proof your Children at least twenty years ago.  While the book design and text could use a bit of updating... the basic philosophy, information, techniques, and mindset about children and firearms are still on target.  If you have kids, you should gun proof them... not hide your firearms and pretend they don't exist... 'cause the kids will cross paths with guns at some point in their lives.

So if you know a gal, or anyone thinking about firearms and self-protection or concealed carry... while there are many other good books out there, these are just few good reads for gals... and guys.