Daniel R. Engel was born on February 24th, 1953 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Dan grew up on the West side of Cleveland Ohio amid gang related activity through the years. There were drive by shootings periodically and gangland ­ fights where one with about 35 people broke out right in front of his house, leaving some dead, and bullet holes in Dan's house. At times Dan had to physically ­ fight his way out of confrontations with thugs who had guns periodically. Dan had to earn what's in this book through the school of hard knocks.

Dan enlisted in the United States NAVY and was accidentally shot by his buddy. He eventually retired from the NAVY and returned to Cleveland.

Dan relocated to Beaumont, Texas where he resided for 20 years with his family before returning to Cleveland after the passing of a daughter and his wife. Dan had more confrontations with thugs and their guns in Texas while he was there. Due to his constant watch for thugs and crime, he narrowly escaped a car-jacking after returning home to Cleveland. All in all, Dan says you can never be too careful, and you should always expect and be prepared for the possibility of trouble.

This book, The Truth About Firearms & Concealed Carry describes various scenarios where thugs were up to no good and explains many ways to educate yourself to deal with them and try to stay alive. There's also a great deal of other information regarding ­ rearms, holsters, tips on training and so forth. If you want to try to learn something beyond what you know now, give this book a try and see if you might learn something to try to save yourself and your family.

If you learn only one thing that helps save you, it was well worth the effort.

Dan's book, The Truth About Firearms & Concealed Carry is a compendium that meets the beginner and advanced gunners expectations all the way. Just what we need. The language, images and writing style lifts the reader into a world to want to learn more. His constant theme of safety, knowledge, practice, and pay for quality equipment is counter cultural to today's cost cutting philosophy. I'd recommend his book to anyone I can.

JOE WADOWICK