The Art of Protection: Practical Layers for Life, Property, and Peace

The Art of Protection: Practical Layers for Life, Property, and Peace — by R. A. CalkinsProtection isn’t a single device or a one-time purchase. It’s a posture: a braided, dependable system you build so that when something goes wrong, you keep what matters and recover with dignity. In plain language and with a steady, non-alarmist eye, R. A. Calkins walks readers—homeowners, small business owners, ministry leaders, facilities managers, and anyone responsible for people or place—through a practical method for making bad days survivable and good days ordinary.At the heart of the book are five verbs that become your checklist and your compass: Deter. Detect. Delay. Respond. Recover. These five simple actions form an order of operations you can use at the scale of a front porch or a campus: reduce the chance an incident starts, know when it’s happening, buy precious minutes, act with purpose, and rebuild afterward. Untitled documentCalkins rejects both panic and gimmicks. Instead you get tested, immediately usable tools: a weekend risk assessment that prioritizes what actually matters; a “minutes you own” framework that aligns your plans with realistic emergency response times; a quick starter audit for doors, lighting, and alarms; and low-cost, high-impact fixes that add up. The book teaches how to think in concentric rings—public facing, approach, envelope, core—so each layer satisfies the five verbs on its own and the whole system keeps working when one strand fails.Readers will appreciate the concretes: where to place smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms, how to choose strike plates and locks that actually delay forced entry, what a useful inventory of valuables looks like, and how to stage response kits and backups so recovery is fast. Calkins also gives budgeting guidance so preparation doesn’t bankrupt you—his 70/20/10 rule (70% to deterrence/detection/delay, 20% to response training and tools, 10% to recovery planning) keeps effort and money in proportion. Untitled documentWhat this book delivers is stewardship, not fear. Its voice is practical and humane: protection is framed as an act of care for people, property, and mission. Real examples—from homes and small shops to churches and clinics—plus templates, checklists, and plain numbers mean you’ll finish a chapter with something to do that afternoon.If you want a clear, field-tested approach to making your place safer and more resilient—without jargon, sales pitches, or overbuilt fantasies—The Art of Protection hands you the map and the tools. Build layers, practice the plan, and buy yourself peace.