Safe at All Times

With the first anniversary of September 11th fast approaching, veteran cop Rodgers gently reminds readers that while it's understandable to fear terrorists, it's the everyday events-car accidents, burglary-for which they should be prepared. This volume, she suggests, is a ""secret weapon"" for ""positive action"": a clearly developed and easy-to-read guide to staying safe, whether at home or abroad, by knowing what to do in a flood, in an internet chat room or during a mugging, and even how to ""prepare for fear,"" raise streetwise kids and protect against eye strain at work. Rodgers, a confident coach, discusses numerous self-defense techniques, from how to get away from an attacker to how to use cell phones or pens to injure him. Recognizing that a person's natural squeamishness might prevent him or her from proper self-defense, she makes sure to encourage: biting an attacker may be ""repellent,"" she says, but it also might be life-saving. Illus.