Books by Meg Stone
IMPACT Executive Director Meg Stone is the author of two critically acclaimed books published by Beacon Press. Her writing helps readers make connections between personal safety and political change.
THE COST OF FEAR
“Meg Stone provides a deeply needed resource that expands rather than diminishing options for women.”
When it comes to avoiding violence, most women have gotten a lot of questionable advice, like “don’t wear a ponytail, an attacker could grab it” or “or “don’t go shopping alone.” The Cost of Fear exposes how sexist safety advice keeps us small - and offers a bold, evidence-based path to true personal and collective safety.
At the intersection of feminism, public safety, and social change, The Cost of Fear empowers us with evidence-based tools to resist coercive control, reclaim our power, and join the fight for social justice - not by shrinking our lives, but by expanding our agency.
DON'T FIGHT BACK
A specific image of violence and how to avoid it lives in a lot of our imaginations. What some of us fear most is shaped not by the strongest evidence but by the most viral horror stories.
Meg Stone, a violence prevention expert, traces the origins of these myths and how they are used to scare us into submission. While political leaders and social-media influencers use myths about crime to divide us, this book equips readers with facts and concrete action steps.
Stone breaks down these myths into four parts:
- How Attackers Behave: what the research shows about whether fighting back makes attackers more angry.
- What (or Who) to Fear": a treatise on the impact of media inaccurately reporting a "crime wave"
- What You Should Never Do": including the myth that an attacker could grab your ponytail-very unlikely
- What You Should Always Do": should you really always trust your intuition?
Each chapter offers practical strategies for people to keep themselves safer and how to contribute to social change that builds a safer world.
Review
What people are saying about the cost of fear
Meg Stone has written a powerful, accessible, and devastatingly acute analysis of the pervasiveness of gender-based violence and why our efforts to prevent it have failed, packed with expert insight drawn from her decades-long career and practical tips to empower women and others who are targeted. The Cost of Fear moved me, enraged me, and educated me. I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about it. I wish this book weren’t necessary. But until we live in a better world, get this book.
Alex Marzano-Lesnevich
author of “The Fact of a Body”