Author Tom Givens has more than four decades of experience as a firearms instructor, has carried a gun professionally in one form or another for 50 years, and spent 25 years in various aspects of law enforcement and specialized security work, with stints in street patrol and investigations. Givens also owned and operated a firing range and training center for more than 18 years. During that time, he oversaw the firing of about 1.5 million handgun rounds each year, with all types of handguns. He trained about 2,500 students each year, including private citizens, security personnel and police officers, military police, intelligence units and Special Forces detachments. He has been involved in armed confrontations both as a police officer and as a private citizen, and has seen firsthand how decent people, with proper training, can fight back and overcome criminal attacks.