Becoming Bulletproof: Protect Yourself, Read People, Influence Situations, and Live Fearlessly
Written by Evy Poumpouras
Narrated by Evy Poumpouras
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
Becoming Bulletproof means transforming yourself into a stronger, more confident, and more powerful person. Evy Poumpouras—former Secret Service agent to three presidents and one of only five women to receive the Medal of Valor—demonstrates how we can overcome our everyday fears, have difficult conversations, know who to trust and who might not have our best interests at heart, influence situations, and prepare for the unexpected. When you have become bulletproof, you are your best, most courageous, and most powerful version of you. Poumpouras shows us that ultimately true strength is found in the mind, not the body.
Courage involves facing our fears, but it is also about resilience, grit, and having a built-in BS detector and knowing how to use it. In Becoming Bulletproof, Poumpouras demonstrates how to heighten our natural instincts to employ all these qualities and move from fear to fearlessness.
Evy Poumpouras
Evy Poumpouras is a former Secret Service Special Agent and on-air national TV contributor who frequently appears on NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and HLN. She also costars on Bravo’s Spy Games, an espionage-inspired reality competition. Evy holds a MA in forensic psychology from Argosy University and a second master’s degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She is also the recipient of the United States Secret Service Medal of Valor for her heroism on 9/11 and has been part of the protective details for former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Gerald Ford. She is also an adjunct professor for The City University of New York where she teaches criminal justice and criminology.
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Reviews for Becoming Bulletproof
408 ratings49 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be a mixed bag. Some reviewers praise the book for its educational and empowering content, refreshing perspective, and practical tips. They appreciate the author's personal stories and insights into her career as a protector. However, there are negative reviews that criticize the book for being repetitive, having irrelevant personal experiences, and lacking original thoughts. Despite the mixed reviews, the majority of readers find value in the book and recommend it to others.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5
Nov 8, 2023
I couldn’t get through the first chapter. Skipped to the second. Removed
Idk I’m sure there is good information in there somewhere but those personal stories just dragged.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
Evy is an incredible person and my newest mentor. Reading about her life experience was inspiring to a young girl and she delivers her wisdom in a practical yet personal way. I am so glad I read this book and will recommend it to everyone I know. I am just so impressed by the strength of character she displays throughout her life, and am so inspired to achieve those daunting dreams in my own life. Thank you Evy, I especially loved hearing the bonus discussions between you and your husband in the audio book.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
This book is great. If you want to learn how to read people. Give this a try!1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5
Apr 6, 2025
Trite and rehashes many ideas and for quite a few doesn’t give credit to the source of the idea.. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Mar 24, 2025
Very insightful and made me think about things like pre-planning and knowing where all escape routes are in case something happens - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Dec 3, 2024
Grateful that you shared your experience. I really enjoyed this book. Highly recommend. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Jul 29, 2024
Pretty sound advice, some is obvious, some I need to think about. Just a hint of self promotion in the book. Entertaining book. Worth the time to read it. Love the emphasis of critical thinking, and it even slays a few sacred cows…. My kind of book. I bet she is terriffic motivational speaker. Wonder if she has a TeD Talk? - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Jul 17, 2024
This might have just become the best book I’ve read (listened to). I started putting Evy’s tactics into play while still reading and anything I tried, worked! This was so good I think I’ll reread/relisten from the beginning just to grasp anything that may have not stuck my first go around. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Nov 8, 2023
What I liked about this book is that most of the information is given from the author's first-hand experience so it feels authentic. She talks about security, in general, how to approach difficult life obstacles, how to persist towards your goals, and how to relate to other people, including when you are threatened.
Having worked in the Secret Service has its toll, and the book shows many learned lessons from different situations that the author was in. - Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5
Nov 8, 2023
Damaged audio. I don’t know what happened, please help ? - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
Great book. I hope to listen to it again. Recommending to others. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5
Nov 8, 2023
Audio is too poor and muffled to listen to, had to stop. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
Awesome book! The best practical guide i had the pleasure to knew! - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
Very informative and awesome tips given. Would recommend a awesome read. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
The best way to combat fear is your willingness to help others. That's a core theme that I've seen throughout this book, and a theme I'll instill in myself for others. Thank you, Evy! - Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5
Nov 8, 2023
I…I…I , Me…Me…Me. Nothing but biography not useful for others - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Nov 8, 2023
It's a good book, I really found it so useful, the only part y was not too excited about is when she talks about the presidents, it was Short but still my least favorite part, other than it it's an amazing read. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
Great Read! I LOVE that she narrated it, makes it feel so much more personal and direct. I love her tenacity & character! Wild Woman! ❤️
The interview style with her husband was also pretty cool! Overall amazing book for someone struggling with self confidence! She has a few fantastic exercises for building self confidence, strength & literal physical self defence. Really cool hearing about her job being a CIA Agent and the responsibilities it entails!
Read this book...or listen to it, trust me you won’t regret it!! - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
This is a great book! Seriously a game changer on how one can take control of their life in any situation or circumstance. I highly recommend anyone to read it. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
At first I was thinking, I want my daughters to read this, my sisters, my girlfriends! And then, I just wanted everyone to read it. My son's, my husband, my brothers. Evy writes in a way that I imagine is similar to the way she approaches relationships. She is engaging, warm, articulate, and passionate about this information. Really well done! - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
Very educational and empowering for me as a woman…well written. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
This book not only gives practical skills on how to protect yourself, it provides you a new perspective on mental resilience that can apply to any situation.
Amazing read! - Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5
Nov 8, 2023
Bland book on mental toughness, stocked full of irrelevant person experiences, no original thoughts, garbage. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
Amazing book and audio reading!
Evy is becoming like a role-model to me - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5
Nov 8, 2023
Seemed to be very repetitive. A bit informative but wouldn’t recommend - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
Strong woman, strong inspiration. For me it was insightful to build up mental and emotional resilience - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
Refreshing perspective. Wide scope of content - broadly interesting and relevant for me. If a small section is not on your priority list, its likely that the next chapter is. Sections developed specifically for the audio book provide engaging reflection and background on text-centric content. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
The knowledge you gain from this book will surely serve you on a day to day basis. A help to teach you how to build a mental fortitude against critical situations in both inter and intrapersonal aspects. The time you invest in this serves its worth. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Nov 8, 2023
Humanity, resiliency, and preparedness.
Really enjoyed this audiobook. Will have to go at it a second time. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Nov 8, 2023
I think she could have gone into more details at times and focused less on her own story