A Double Book Review and Some Thoughts on Preparedness

I have spent the last week or so delving into the knowledge presented in How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times, as well as Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse. Both books are by James Wesley Rawles, the author of Survivalblog.com. I have to say that I highly recommend both of James' books and also his website for anyone interested in the subject of preparedness or survival.


How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It is a nonfiction book that provides a good overall view of various disasters and how to prepare for them. This information can then be used to direct readers to more detailed information provided in other resources. I highly recommend it for those interested in getting their feet wet in the world of preparedness. Patriots is a novel about a group of survivalists as they band together to survive an economic collapse. Shortly after the stock market crashes, food and fuel shortages cause riots and widespread looting. Eventually those unprepared for hard times resort to cannibalism and thievery to survive. This book is a must-read. It is extremely entertaining and packed full of information. One of the reviews I read on Amazon.com stated that you'll read the book twice: once for fun and once more with a highlighter. It's true. If nothing else, Patriots will inspire you and give you ideas for preparing for whatever disasters that may come.

On the subject of preparedness, my family has spent a lot of time lately thinking about preparing for disasters. A couple of years ago a regional ice storm knocked the power out in a large area for about four days. My family was caught unprepared for such a long-term power outage. With several animals on the family farm to care for we decided to stick it out, hoping and praying for the power to be restored every day. I experienced nearly running out of fuel in my Jeep, witnessing a run on portable generators, and the indignity that results from a lack of sanitation. With the almanac forecasting an extremely harsh winter in my area, we have taken the issue of preparedness seriously.

Now we are not paranoid crazies stocking up enough food and water to hide out for years on end like many survivalists claim to do. We are simply a family of people willing to work together to endure natural and man-made disasters. I highly recommend that you take steps to prepare your family for the same. Even if it means purchasing prepackaged 72-Hour Survival Kits it is better than nothing. Couple that kit with a decent pump shotgun and some ammunition and you will be able to provide food, water, shelter, and security for your family for the short term at the very least. Do something, even if it isn't expensive. Buy some extra toilet paper, a few bags of dried beans, and have at least a gallon of water per person, per day on hand.

For some further reading on the subject consider looking at James' blog mentioned above. Also look at Suburban Survivalist, and search for "preparedness" on iTunes for a good variety of podcasts on the subject.