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The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbooks
The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Holidays
Turkey on fire? No plans for New Year's Eve? Obnoxious relatives headed your way? The authors of the best-selling The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook are here to help you survive the dangers of the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. Learn how to rescue someone stuck in a chimney, survive the office holiday party, and escape a runaway parade balloon. Expertly deal with a meddling parent, silence a group of carolers, and treat a tongue stuck to a frozen pole. Illustrated, step-by-step instructions guide you through these and dozens of other festive scenarios. With a helpful appendix of holiday excuses, last-minute gift ideas, and creative drink recipes for when the liquor runs out, this is truly the perfect gift. Gleaming silver cover. Fits all sized stockings.
176 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2002
21 people are currently reading
224 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Piven
92 books24 followersJosh 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
January 12, 2024
There's a lot of serious advice in this book, like on how to deal with various seasonal fire hazards, but it's the humourous sections, for example how to safely re-gift and how to covertly unwrap and re-wrap gifts, that are the highlights.
October 16, 2013
I picked this book up because last year, we had some issues that made our Christmas sort of a farce - including but not limited to a very dry turkey and dealing with ex-wives in the great child handoff of `12.
It`s written in a very matter-of-fact tone. Some of the tips could be very useful - if I had known to cook the turkey breast-side down, the juices would have flown onto the breast and would have stayed moist. Also, there are some handy tips on re-purposing a fruitcake and how to tell if it will be yummy or brick-like. However, these few sections provided most of the humor. Most of the advice is sound, from what I can tell, and there are some genuinely useful tips, such as dealing with grease fires and food poisoning, as well as re-sizing live Christmas trees, but most of the topics are just very offbeat. I found it an amusing read for the holidays; but found that most of the humour was dry and some of the situations are HIGHLY unlikely.
I enjoyed that the authors actually cited their sources.
I thought that it was a bit dry and some sections were more factual than funny. I was expecting more laughs.
Overall, a great holiday read to get you into the Christmas spirit.
It`s written in a very matter-of-fact tone. Some of the tips could be very useful - if I had known to cook the turkey breast-side down, the juices would have flown onto the breast and would have stayed moist. Also, there are some handy tips on re-purposing a fruitcake and how to tell if it will be yummy or brick-like. However, these few sections provided most of the humor. Most of the advice is sound, from what I can tell, and there are some genuinely useful tips, such as dealing with grease fires and food poisoning, as well as re-sizing live Christmas trees, but most of the topics are just very offbeat. I found it an amusing read for the holidays; but found that most of the humour was dry and some of the situations are HIGHLY unlikely.
I enjoyed that the authors actually cited their sources.
I thought that it was a bit dry and some sections were more factual than funny. I was expecting more laughs.
Overall, a great holiday read to get you into the Christmas spirit.
December 28, 2010
Well this book got us through our holidays, so it really does work.
November 28, 2017
A good mixture of informative writing and humor. Even the strictly humorous entries contain bits of useful information. For example, the section on 'How To Safely Eat A Fruitcake' contained a note on what the color and consistency of a fruitcake can tell you about its ingredients. All in all an enjoyable read.
Did I like it? Yes.
Would I reread it? I could see myself reviewing certain sections that might be useful.
Would I recommend it? Yes.
Did I like it? Yes.
Would I reread it? I could see myself reviewing certain sections that might be useful.
Would I recommend it? Yes.
February 7, 2018
Mildly entertaining. Some good info - how to handle your flight being canceled, driving in a blizzard, preventing the tree from toppling, putting out a burning turkey or grease fire. The fruitcake repurposing is just stupid. The advice on accepting a bad gift is something a lot of people should read.
December 8, 2021
While written in a serious tone throughout, there is a humor to some of the entries. The information is backed up by details in the "Experts" section within the appendix so the advice is legit, even if some of the scenarios seem unlikely.
December 13, 2021
Fun book that is guaranteed to save you from every dilemma during the holidays-from mistletoe poisoning to surviving a runaway sleigh ride. Written "tongue in cheek" but actually has lots of solid, worthwhile advice to make your busy holidays more bearable.
April 7, 2023
Certainly not as compelling a read as its progenitor, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook. But if you have half an hour to kill at the dentist's waiting room, this beats that back issue of Vogue...
June 25, 2025
I think all of the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbooks are mor gag gift than truly informative. This one is not only no exception, it is full of useless information that reads more like a joke book of the holidays.
December 29, 2020
It was listed under humor so I thought it would be funny. Instead it lies in the uncanny valley between attempting to be funny and attempting to be helpful, so sometimes it's hard to tell if it's being tongue in cheek or just giving really shitty advice.
April 21, 2022
A decent book with some cute scenarios, but it seems like the genre has just about played itself out.
November 13, 2022
Mildly entertaining
December 30, 2022
Amusing
Read
December 20, 2023gifted this to my history teacher and i hope he appreciates this
January 4, 2017
From dealing with ordinary stresses -- shopping, family, cooking to actual emergencies, this book is full of hilarious tips. How tos: wrap a gift without wrapping paper, regift (and safely EAT) a fruitcake, make a snowball, make an "emergency" angel or menorah, escaping a runaway parade balloon or treating food poisoning, everything you could imagine (and more!). Important tips to thwart gift snoops (wrap a fake present—old shoe or tennis ball or something broken). Silly.
December 24, 2015
Since today is Christmas Eve, I decided to read something festive. And what says "festive" more than "how to solve holiday problems". From the blurb, which talked about rescuing people in chimneys and stopping runaway holiday balloons, I expected to read a funny, lighthearted book. Instead, this book confused me.
The thing about the book is that it starts out with how to salvage a burnt turkey, and provides what seems to be very solid advice. And in the exact same tone as 'saving turkey', the book goes on to describe what to do in various situations, from emergency decorations to stopping a one horse open sleigh. At no point in time does it change its tone, to let the reader know whether a certain tip is meant to be over the top, and when it's supposed to be helpful. The obvious cases are obvious, but there are grey areas where I wasn't sure if the authors were pulling my leg or just giving bad advice.
Perhaps this book's reader is a much more savvy and sophisticated person than I am... and can tell which parts are funny, and which are not.
While the book isn't completely terrible (the turkey advice is pretty sensible, and everything else seems to be grounded in fact). It's kinda like The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead - interesting, but the question "is this funny? Is this not supposed to be funny?" hangs over you the whole time you're reading it.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
The thing about the book is that it starts out with how to salvage a burnt turkey, and provides what seems to be very solid advice. And in the exact same tone as 'saving turkey', the book goes on to describe what to do in various situations, from emergency decorations to stopping a one horse open sleigh. At no point in time does it change its tone, to let the reader know whether a certain tip is meant to be over the top, and when it's supposed to be helpful. The obvious cases are obvious, but there are grey areas where I wasn't sure if the authors were pulling my leg or just giving bad advice.
Perhaps this book's reader is a much more savvy and sophisticated person than I am... and can tell which parts are funny, and which are not.
While the book isn't completely terrible (the turkey advice is pretty sensible, and everything else seems to be grounded in fact). It's kinda like The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead - interesting, but the question "is this funny? Is this not supposed to be funny?" hangs over you the whole time you're reading it.
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
December 18, 2007
An early Christmas present for each other, we bought The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Holidays a week or so before Christmas & it's been the bathroom read since then.
The matter-of-fact tone regarding both mundane and unlikely holiday situations (untangling Christmas lights, repurposing a fruitcake, dealing with a runaway sleigh) provides most of the humor of this slim how-to book. Divided into sections, each topic is dealt with in a few pages, with numbered steps and simple line drawings. Most of the advice is sound, from what I can tell, and there are some genuinely useful tips, such as dealing with grease fires and food poisoning, as well as resizing live Christmas trees, but most of the topics are just very offbeat. I found it an amusing read for this time of year; but I can see where this general theme (Worst Case Scenario) could get carried too far.
Recommended as a gift book to fans of dry humor.
The matter-of-fact tone regarding both mundane and unlikely holiday situations (untangling Christmas lights, repurposing a fruitcake, dealing with a runaway sleigh) provides most of the humor of this slim how-to book. Divided into sections, each topic is dealt with in a few pages, with numbered steps and simple line drawings. Most of the advice is sound, from what I can tell, and there are some genuinely useful tips, such as dealing with grease fires and food poisoning, as well as resizing live Christmas trees, but most of the topics are just very offbeat. I found it an amusing read for this time of year; but I can see where this general theme (Worst Case Scenario) could get carried too far.
Recommended as a gift book to fans of dry humor.
September 15, 2007
I read (parts) of this so that I could have something to review for the Westerville Magazine's Nov/Dec issue. It is quite funny. For those who despise the holidays, here's some funny yet practical advice to avoiding a National Lampoon's disaster. Favorite chapter: How to repurpose a fruitcake.
What's great is that the authors actually site their sources! How to Survive a Runaway Sled tips came from John Markel, who runs a television stunt and safety consulting firm in Alaska. Who better to give advice?
In the chapter on how to survive if you have no one to kiss on New Year's Eve, the authors suggest that if you are alone, you should kiss your pet. "Dogs are generally agreeable and have relatively clean mouths. Cats are usually well groomed but are more passive and tend to get rather than give. Keep your mouth closed." Well, at least I know I can now survive another year. Thanks, Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook!
What's great is that the authors actually site their sources! How to Survive a Runaway Sled tips came from John Markel, who runs a television stunt and safety consulting firm in Alaska. Who better to give advice?
In the chapter on how to survive if you have no one to kiss on New Year's Eve, the authors suggest that if you are alone, you should kiss your pet. "Dogs are generally agreeable and have relatively clean mouths. Cats are usually well groomed but are more passive and tend to get rather than give. Keep your mouth closed." Well, at least I know I can now survive another year. Thanks, Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook!
December 10, 2010
Full of advice about how to survive when things take a turn for the worst the worst case scenario survival handbook turns it's attention to the holidays. With practical advice on situations ranging from the likely, e.g. how to wrap a present without wrapping paper to the highly unlikely, e.g. how to rescue someone trapped in a chimney.
A series of simple step by step guides to remind you it could be worse or if it couldn't how to minimise the damage and on the off chance Santa does get stuck in your chimney you will be the one prepared to save Christmas. I read this every year, just in case.
A series of simple step by step guides to remind you it could be worse or if it couldn't how to minimise the damage and on the off chance Santa does get stuck in your chimney you will be the one prepared to save Christmas. I read this every year, just in case.
July 16, 2012
A how-to book for dealing with holiday disasters, amusing because of the scenarios described. It covers the more common situations such as grease fires to the less common such as being stuck in chimneys or dealing with a charging reindeer. However, I don't remember it explaining what to do after "Grandma got run over by a reindeer."
December 14, 2017
Humorous in some ways, informative in others. Among the helpful advice was how to salvage and serve a burnt turkey. Advice that I found humorous: how to win a snowball fight, tips to repurposing fruitcake, and surviving a charging reindeer.
June 29, 2007
This book is hilarious. It gives all sorts of simple step by step instructions for surviving whatever catastrophe may befall your holiday season. I love this whole series.
September 27, 2007
This book is Funny. If you ever want to know how to fend off a charging reindeer this book shows how to step by step.
February 3, 2008
its very funny
December 15, 2008
It could have been a little funnier, but parts were pretty fun and the whole thing was practical. It only takes an hour to read and maybe it will get you in the holiday spirit, you grinch.
August 18, 2009
So true...
January 6, 2019
Entertaining book about surviving the holidays. Some useful advice, and with a good bit of humor mixed in.
June 5, 2012
Cute, fast read, a few really good suggestions: like what to do if your turkey is on fire!
July 16, 2012
I found this book highly amusing!! If you need a laugh during the holidays, read this book. If you want a laugh any time during the year, pull this book out.
November 7, 2019
The part about having no one to kiss at New Year's was the funniest... "If you are alone, kiss yourself in the mirror. Do not use tongue."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews