The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Extreme Edition: Extreme Edition

by Joshua Piven, David Borgenicht

How could it get any worse? For the latest book in the phenomenally successful Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series, the authors have pulled out all the stops, harkening back to the core appeal that made the first book a runaway bestseller. Here are all new scenarios for living life on the very edge. Imperiled readers will learn immediate, hands-on strategies for surviving an elephant stampede, a 16-car pile-up, a mine collapse, and a nuclear attack. Discover how to take a bullet, control a runaway hot air balloon, break a gorilla's grip, endure a Turkish prison, and free a limb from a beartrap. Whether stranded on an iceberg, being chased by a pack of wolves, spinning out on a motorcycle, or being buried alive, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Extreme Edition has all the right stuff for those times when everything goes wrong.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Humor, Survival, Self Help, How To

180 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Josh Piven is a television writer and producer, speechwriter, playwright, and the author or co-author of more than twenty non-fiction and humor books, including the worldwide best-selling The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series.

He wrote the teleplay and serves as producer of Don The Beekeeper, a half-hour children’s TV show about honeybees and urban beekeeping. His most recent stage play, a holiday farce called No Reservations, had its world premiere in November-December, 2013, to great success and critical acclaim. More information. His next play is Muddled.

Josh likes to refer to himself in the third person.

Piven is perhaps best known for his famously tongue-in-cheek worst-case books, books that offer readers real-world (though often hilarious) advice on surviving worst-case situations that they might—but hopefully won’t—encounter: everything from “how to fend off a shark” and “how to wrestle an alligator” to “how to avoid the Freshman 15” and “how to determine if your date is an axe murderer.”

Piven is an honors graduate of the University of Pennsylvania—and living proof that English majors aren't necessarily failures.

Reviews

[E_h · Rating 3 out of 5]

after reading this book
now i can steal a car :D

[Mohamedridha Alaskari محمد رضا العسكري · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful handbook. It makes you take the right action in the right time.

On one hand it changes many wrong habits when you fall in a worst case scenario - On the other hand it teach you very easy and simple techniques to pass the accident with less impacts.

I believe the book has no sufficient illustrations and some appendix "making tools techniques for instance" Hope they'll add more in the next edition!

[Leahlady · Rating 4 out of 5]

So serious, you have to laugh and ask yourself, "Is this for real?" Everything from the comparatively commonplace like car accidents, choking, heartattack, and sterilizing a wound to the the possibly outrageous (for some of us) landing a helicoptor or escaping from wolves, rhinos or a gorilla!

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sure, I’m unlikely to be in many of these extreme situations (unlikely to go bungee jumping or need to cross between buildings on a wire), but these fear inducing scenarios also covered surviving a car rollover and ... a ‘flu pandemic (written in 2005)!

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know how to survive pretty much anything now!

[Cathy Brister · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun book! Even though several of the scenarios may never take place....It is just interesting and exciting so see what you need to do in each of the situations!

[Richard Crater · Rating 3 out of 5]

A handful of useful tips for possible use in actual situations. All others are a long shot. Still entertaining and informative.

[jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

fun book, read it in about an hour and a half on the train and i feel far more prepared to face being trapped in the sewer now

[Sam Terray · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished the guide in one sitting. It was quite the easy read. Definitely will be checking out other titles in the series that are a bit more applicable / realistic.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very entertaining read, but I wasted far too much time prolonging my time to read it.
I could have read this in a day and I will attempt to do so with the college version which I will begin when I arrive home.

There are some scenarios in this book that are ridiculous, but possible: such as avoiding a stampede of elephants.

The everyday scenarios, like saving yourself from choking or a wild taxi ride, are more believeable to happen.
Now right on the first page this book sets out a disclaimer warning readers not to attempt these scenarios unless it is the worst case and as a final last-resort.

I hope I never have to deal with some of the horrors in this book, particularity: How to Survive a Rollover, or a quadruple blowout, or how to sew up a gaping wound. These emergencies are scary and gross.

Chances are I will forget most of this stuff unless I re-read the book several times in order to concrete something in my mind, but right now, I'm just happy to finally have finished this book!

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book of this “series” that I’ve read, and as great as it was, the first one I read was much better. That’s saying something because this one deserved 5 stars! It kept me interested the entire time I was reading it. I am rarely able to say this about books but I couldn’t put it down! All these different extreme scenarios that could happen were so interesting. I recommend this book, and others in the series, to anybody that is capable of reading. You never know when some crazy scenario could happen and it could possibly save your life. I wouldn’t mind reading the rest of the series.

[Brandon Baggett · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really, really liked the first one, but this one seems that most of the situations were a bit far-fetched. Though at the same time, that is what the book is supposed to be about, so I guess I can't chide it too much. I don't think that it was as well organized as the first one and some of the scenarios are a bit difficult to understand. But for those who are looking to be prepared for as much as they can be, it will help you put another tool in your tool box.

[Canard Frère]

Distrayant et vite lu, mais d'un niveau assez inégal (chapitre sur les vampires pas très original, au contraire de ceux d'un intérêt plus pratique : survivre à un empoisonnement, une chute dans une bouche d'égout, échapper à un gorille, etc). On ne peut pas dire que les auteurs se sont beaucoup foulés, mais ça remplit très bien son rôle de passe-temps dans les transports.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a very paranoid person, so even though these are listed as fiction/humor, I still take them to heart. Hopefully they aren't all lies, because I really need to know what to do if a shark tries to eat me!!!

The funny ones are very funny, though. I can't remember if this was the edition or not, but one of them included instructions for how to keep a vampire away. That was hilarious.

[Regina Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friend took this book away, said he needs to know how to get out of the coffin and how to take a bullet, just because he knows me - have no idea what he means 0_O. I'm a fluffy bunny -
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[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly thought that it was a very interesting and full of information that I may need one day. It was an interesting read that I would definitely recommend to anyone. It got my attention and hooked me to the pages. I love the book and would reed it again anytime.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book that can be read like a series of short stories and kept as a desk reference. I especially enjoyed the parts about how to survive a nuclear blast, how to stitcha gaping wound, and what to do if stuck in a sewer.

[Stultuscaudex]

I can't really say if this book has made me more aware and prepared for anything, or if it just made me plain old paranoid. Either way, it's a fun read, and fairly helpful too.

[Greta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great advice. Hope I never need any of it.

[Trampas Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

cute but worthless

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining. Hope I never need the advice

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty great book. Quick read. Entertaining. Lots of useless information that may very well come in handy one day.

[Kyra Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me laugh!!!!