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The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbooks
I verste fall : overlevelseshåndboka
Boka gir råd om bl.a. hvordan du kan komme deg unna kvikksand, bryte med en alligator, ta i mot en baby i ei drosje og overleve dersom fallskjermen din ikke åpner seg.
158 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1999
433 people are currently reading
3571 people want to read
About the author
Joshua Piven
91 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 364 reviews
October 14, 2007
Now I doubt I'll need to know how to jump three stories into a street level dumpster, but if I do this book will have helped me.
This is a nice bathroom reader, if you really want to use this in a survival scenario it will make a nice fire starter.
This is a nice bathroom reader, if you really want to use this in a survival scenario it will make a nice fire starter.
March 19, 2010
What a great reference book to keep in the bathroom or on the coffee table! There are some sections which really are completely irrelevant, but most of it is absolutely fascinating, not to mention hilarious. What do you do if the elevator starts to plummet? How do you leap off a building into a dumpster properly? What's the best way to wrestle an alligator and can it really be done? Want to escape from killer bees? What should you do if your parachute doesn't open? How can you escape from a bad date? How can you escape from a killer sofa bed? How do you properly identify bad cafeteria food? How can you salvage a damaged wedding cake? I hope I'm never in one of these situations, but I had a good time reading about them.
March 5, 2012
Such a fun and enjoyable book a outrageousness that actually could come in handy if it ever, actually happened to you.
December 29, 2023
want a section for “what to do if you can’t complete your goodreads goal in time”
December 27, 2014
I needed a bit of light reading - and in my case a book I could easily pick up and put down knowing that the story line would not suffer for it. This book and its companion book Travel (ok they are not linked but I decided to read them side by side anyway) fitted that requirement perfectly.
The books are separated in to subject matter chapters (since its Leap of faiths or Great escapes and entrances...). Where each chapter deals with how to's on related subjects.
In their time there were a whole series of "Worst case scenarios.." titles available some being informative others quite frivolous however their all presented their facts in the same matter of fact style, fun to read and a quick way to pass the time
The books are separated in to subject matter chapters (since its Leap of faiths or Great escapes and entrances...). Where each chapter deals with how to's on related subjects.
In their time there were a whole series of "Worst case scenarios.." titles available some being informative others quite frivolous however their all presented their facts in the same matter of fact style, fun to read and a quick way to pass the time
Read
July 3, 2010Really good: When I bought this book, my girlfrind and some friend where making fun of me, but as soon as one of them started reading it, he couldn't let it down and everybody was reading it. It contains information that I hope I'll never need. It's funny, but at the same time the information provided was well researched.
Great for having at your coffee table, since everyone will comment on it.
I belive it might be useful also for actual surviving....
Great for having at your coffee table, since everyone will comment on it.
I belive it might be useful also for actual surviving....
November 27, 2012
This handbook written by Joshua Piven was a very interesting read. Even though it was quite small, there were over 200 pages filled with different guides. I found it really helpful but I hope I will never have to use any of them. Some of the worst case scenario's and learning about what to do in the situation was pretty scary however was an eye opener. I recommend this book to everyone so that if they are in one of these situations, they know what to do.
February 16, 2023
Con mio grande dispiacere, questo manuale non spiega come sopravvivere nell’attuale economia come speravo (che è ancora più difficile nell’essere dispersi nella giungla), ma si rivela on-point per quanto riguarda le varie tecniche nelle più disparate situazioni.
Ok, in realtà è piuttosto basico e lineare, il classico manuale di sopravvivenza, sebbene qualche capitolo sopra le righe ci sia lo stesso (tipo quello con chiari riferimenti a IT).
Quindi sì… diciamo che una versione più fantascientifica mi sarebbe piaciuta di più.
…
Ehi, nuova idea! Un manuale su come sopravvivere alle situazioni davvero improbabili! Tipo essere rapiti dagli alieni o essere inseguiti da Big Foot. Sarebbe davvero figo!
No?
… Nessuno ne è entusiasta?
…
Ok.
Tornando a noi, a livello di praticità, Worst Case Scenario può aiutarvi a fare davvero la differenza. È ben scritto e strutturato, facile da comprendere e con diverse illustrazioni come esempio. Certo, è sempre meglio non mettersi in posizioni rischiose (motivo per cui mi terrò ben lontana dalle barche), ma chi può mai dire che cosa accadrà domani?
Un minuto prima stai cercando di leggere e in quello dopo sei alle prese con un atterraggio d’emergenza.
E se vedete strane luci danzanti nel cielo…
Beh, non c’è ancora un manuale a tal proposito, per cui io vi ho dato l’idea, ma le sparizioni sono sulla vostra coscienza.
P.S. Davvero, non sarebbe affatto male come pubblicazione.
Ideale se siete persone ansiose e non volete trovarvi impreparate alle minacce dietro l’angolo.
Ok, in realtà è piuttosto basico e lineare, il classico manuale di sopravvivenza, sebbene qualche capitolo sopra le righe ci sia lo stesso (tipo quello con chiari riferimenti a IT).
Quindi sì… diciamo che una versione più fantascientifica mi sarebbe piaciuta di più.
…
Ehi, nuova idea! Un manuale su come sopravvivere alle situazioni davvero improbabili! Tipo essere rapiti dagli alieni o essere inseguiti da Big Foot. Sarebbe davvero figo!
No?
… Nessuno ne è entusiasta?
…
Ok.
Tornando a noi, a livello di praticità, Worst Case Scenario può aiutarvi a fare davvero la differenza. È ben scritto e strutturato, facile da comprendere e con diverse illustrazioni come esempio. Certo, è sempre meglio non mettersi in posizioni rischiose (motivo per cui mi terrò ben lontana dalle barche), ma chi può mai dire che cosa accadrà domani?
Un minuto prima stai cercando di leggere e in quello dopo sei alle prese con un atterraggio d’emergenza.
E se vedete strane luci danzanti nel cielo…
Beh, non c’è ancora un manuale a tal proposito, per cui io vi ho dato l’idea, ma le sparizioni sono sulla vostra coscienza.
P.S. Davvero, non sarebbe affatto male come pubblicazione.
Ideale se siete persone ansiose e non volete trovarvi impreparate alle minacce dietro l’angolo.
June 2, 2019
This is a handy little guide to get you out of a bunch of life’s difficult situations like, dealing with a snake bite, surviving a plane crash, and even how to tell if someone is lying to you. There are plenty of other serious scenarios that are covered (75 or more), so there’s something for everybody.
This is pretty light reading that is informative and sometimes a little humorous.
I’m sure that there’s an audience for this kind of book -preppers maybe-, but this reader found most of the descriptions of the ways to deal with these situations pretty standard and repetitive.
This is pretty light reading that is informative and sometimes a little humorous.
I’m sure that there’s an audience for this kind of book -preppers maybe-, but this reader found most of the descriptions of the ways to deal with these situations pretty standard and repetitive.
Read
January 12, 2015After 2014, this is how I’m preparing in case 2015 tries to top it.
(Half fun and useful, half disappointing common sense. Like, the way to survive an avalanche is to not get trapped in an avalanche. Touché!)
(Half fun and useful, half disappointing common sense. Like, the way to survive an avalanche is to not get trapped in an avalanche. Touché!)
July 4, 2007
Funny stuff and maybe useful (I'd say Vin should read this, but he probably already knows it all already!)
August 18, 2018
Horrible. I did the audiobook and Burt Reynolds was a horrible reader. SOOOOO SLOW. I sped it up to 1.5x and it just sounded like normal talking. Good news is this horrible book finished faster.
December 30, 2011
This book is about what you always wanted to know about all kinds of weird life-threatening situations but were either afraid to ask - or just weren't lucky enough to lay your hands on a book like this!
If, just like me, you go about your daily chores wondering "what if"...
What if a crodile bites your hand off?
What if your car falls into a river?
What if a shark wants to eat you?
What if you get lost in a desert?
... then this is the perfect read for you.
Doesn't matter that the nearest crocodile is safely locked up in a zoo cage - or that I don't have a car - or that the sharks are scarse in this city - or even that there are few deserts in Europe, to say the least. Who cares? The authors are rightely pointing out throughout the whole book - "you just never know" - so better safe than sorry.
And if you forget about the basic rules of dealing with the crocodile while you actually get attacked by one, well, than at least you had some fun reading while you were alive, right?
And if that punch-in-the-eyes method doesn't work on that hungry shark snacking on your leg... then again, at least you tried. That thought will be with you when your soul goes to heaven (or wherever you believe the souls go after bodies get eaten by wild beasts).
Jumping with a parachute that doesn't open (or any parachute at all) or diving in dangerous zones (or any diving for that matter) is, frankly speaking, on my "Never to do in this life" list. But isn't it great to know what could theoretically happen and what I could theoretically do?
Highly recommended reading for all forever-scared-by-things-not-likely-to-happen girls and boys out there - we need to know, because "you just never know...".
Neurotics of the world, unite! :)
If, just like me, you go about your daily chores wondering "what if"...
What if a crodile bites your hand off?
What if your car falls into a river?
What if a shark wants to eat you?
What if you get lost in a desert?
... then this is the perfect read for you.
Doesn't matter that the nearest crocodile is safely locked up in a zoo cage - or that I don't have a car - or that the sharks are scarse in this city - or even that there are few deserts in Europe, to say the least. Who cares? The authors are rightely pointing out throughout the whole book - "you just never know" - so better safe than sorry.
And if you forget about the basic rules of dealing with the crocodile while you actually get attacked by one, well, than at least you had some fun reading while you were alive, right?
And if that punch-in-the-eyes method doesn't work on that hungry shark snacking on your leg... then again, at least you tried. That thought will be with you when your soul goes to heaven (or wherever you believe the souls go after bodies get eaten by wild beasts).
Jumping with a parachute that doesn't open (or any parachute at all) or diving in dangerous zones (or any diving for that matter) is, frankly speaking, on my "Never to do in this life" list. But isn't it great to know what could theoretically happen and what I could theoretically do?
Highly recommended reading for all forever-scared-by-things-not-likely-to-happen girls and boys out there - we need to know, because "you just never know...".
Neurotics of the world, unite! :)
November 13, 2012
I thought this book was very informational and amusing. As this book tells the readers various survival methods in various situations - such as how to get out of a quicksand or how to fend off predators or how to survive falling from a high place, that are verified by experts of the case, readers gain accurate information on how to survive such situations and continue their life.
I thought that, even though the chances of using most of the methods introduced in this book are very low, it is useful when I know them and it also helps my imaginations. Not only that, because the book tells extreme situations, just through reading the cases, I could imagine them happening and it was quiet a lot of fun going through these scenarios.
I thought that, even though the chances of using most of the methods introduced in this book are very low, it is useful when I know them and it also helps my imaginations. Not only that, because the book tells extreme situations, just through reading the cases, I could imagine them happening and it was quiet a lot of fun going through these scenarios.
March 21, 2013
This book is interesting, informative, and practical--if you ever find yourself in one of the one-in-a-million-chance-of-occurring situations that it tells you how to survive. Even if these events will probably never happen, this book still makes for an interesting read.
If I ever find myself in a situation where I have to wrestle and alligator or jump off a building into a dumpster, I will be eternally grateful to the authors of this book. It was concise and entertaining, and may, though the chances are slim, save my life.
I would recommend this book to everyone. It gives practical information and, at the very least, it will get people thinking about what they would do in an emergency situation; most people will be faced with at least one of those.
If I ever find myself in a situation where I have to wrestle and alligator or jump off a building into a dumpster, I will be eternally grateful to the authors of this book. It was concise and entertaining, and may, though the chances are slim, save my life.
I would recommend this book to everyone. It gives practical information and, at the very least, it will get people thinking about what they would do in an emergency situation; most people will be faced with at least one of those.
October 29, 2014
Out of all the books that I have ever read this one is the most important. I can actually use facts that will help me in life situations. There are a couple of scenarios that I actually have been in since reading the book. I suggest that all people read this book or a book similar to this one. It could be the difference between life and death. I have a question though. Were the authors ever involved in any of these events. If so did they know what to do at the time? Joshua Piven did a great job making this book easy and fun to read. I hope there is a part 2 to this book. I would definitely read it and tell others too.
June 11, 2019
From murderous clowns to shark attacks to malfunctioning parachutes, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook is an entertaining fool-proof guide to prepare you for those times when things take a turn for the worse (or, the worst). Flipping through the pages, you will find a plethora of illustrated step-by-step instructions in full-color—quite impressive. First published in 1999, this revised edition would make a perfect gift for anyone.
CLICK HERE FOR BLONDE vs BOOKS full review & teasing tidbits!
CLICK HERE FOR BLONDE vs BOOKS full review & teasing tidbits!
January 3, 2009
Fun, casual reading. This book quickly became popular when it came out some years ago, and I remember people talking about reading it to learn survival skills in case they might need to use them. Like the next time they're swimming through a swamp and need to fend off a pack of hungry alligators, or escape police by diving into a dumpster from three stories. My point is that it's fine, but it's fun and not meant to be a real life saver. I think. That stuff probably works and I bet it's good to know, but please be aware that you're getting something for entertainment, not to play James Bond.
November 29, 2012
The Worst Case Scenario Survival by Joshya Piven is more than 200 page book about things you can do to help yourself survive the worst cases.
The book is basically a bunch of tips in steps to survive things like plane crashes and getting kidnapped. I really enjoyed this book but hope i never get in any of these situations, but i found it very interesting to learn about what you can do. I think everyone should read this book because you never know when you get in abad situation and you need the survival skills.
The book is basically a bunch of tips in steps to survive things like plane crashes and getting kidnapped. I really enjoyed this book but hope i never get in any of these situations, but i found it very interesting to learn about what you can do. I think everyone should read this book because you never know when you get in abad situation and you need the survival skills.
November 3, 2018
Oikein huono kirja kaikin tavoin. Tiukat tilanteet ovat niinkin todennäköisiä kuin "jos laskuvarjo ei aukea", "kuinka hypätä moottoripyörästä autoon", "kuinka voittaa miekkailuottelu", "kuinka laskeutua lentokoneella", "kuinka selviät juoksuhiekasta" jne.
Kirja ei ole keksinyt onko se vitsi vai ei, varsinkin kun neuvot todennäköisesti eivät edes toimi. Laskuvarjokohdassa jopa mainitaan, että suomalaisten asiantuntijoiden mukaan näillä ohjeilla ei voi selvitä hengissä.
Edes kieli ei ole hyvää, enkä keksi mitään muutakaan kehuttavaa. Tai no, loppui onneksi äkkiä.
Kirja ei ole keksinyt onko se vitsi vai ei, varsinkin kun neuvot todennäköisesti eivät edes toimi. Laskuvarjokohdassa jopa mainitaan, että suomalaisten asiantuntijoiden mukaan näillä ohjeilla ei voi selvitä hengissä.
Edes kieli ei ole hyvää, enkä keksi mitään muutakaan kehuttavaa. Tai no, loppui onneksi äkkiä.
September 18, 2019
This book is a survival that helps you how to deal in horrible situations. I did like the book, not that much though, but it is definitely a great book to read if you want to be prepared for those types of situations, you never know when you are going to suffer one of these situations that the book talks about. I definitely would recommend this book to people that like camping, because there is a lot of dangers out there. I also would recommend this book to people that like to be prepared for every situation that life brings up to you.
May 7, 2017
I listened to this book with my boys and found it interesting and helpful! Believe it or not, we found a great number of these situations possible here in Texas... poisonous snakes, lightning, gators, jumping from a moving car. Of course some situations would not ever be possible ... jumping from a moving motorcycle to a moving car for one.
I will definitely check out the other books in this series!
I will definitely check out the other books in this series!
April 12, 2009
It's another one of those coffee table books that's funny to look through. And if I'm ever in a car that has plunged into the water, or am in the midst of a shark attack, I can truthfully say that I can most likely escape these situation unscathed. This whole series of books has the difficult but praiseworthy distinction of being funny and utilitarian at the same time.
July 26, 2007
A fantastic and rather whimsical look at some of the more insane tight spots a person will want to get out of.
April 21, 2016
It was a good book
March 28, 2019
Don't worry, I got this.
March 12, 2025
I was looking on Amazon for a new book to read, when hidden among the ‘you might also like’ section, squeezed between two fantasy novels, was THIS book. “The Worst Case Scenario.” Now I have no idea why the hell Amazon thought I would like this, (probably because of the zombie survival guide I read back in 2024) but I was instantly very curious. So I decided to pick it up.
The description on Amazon said this book was perfect for anyone who enjoyed funny books or gag gifts, and seeing the words ‘funny book’ only made me click ‘add to cart’ faster. I like funny stuff, and I thought at the time this was just going to be some silly book on how to survive nonsensical situations that will never happen in a million years.
It turns out I was wrong. So what are you waiting for, lads? Time to put on your hiking boots and prep your survival kit, because it’s time to Bear Grills this shit. In this book you will actually be taught how to survive a variety of situations life may throw at you. While the book does have a few silly moments, including teaching you how to survive in the event your smart house gets too smart, it’ll also give you sound advice on very real (and realistic) scenarios like how to start a fire or what to bring with you when going on a trip through various places (mountains, desert, etc.)
Yeah, this is actually a great survival guide. I liked it. It was really fun. It reminded me a lot of this show my dad and I used to watch back in the day, which is probably what attracted me to it in the first place. All that said though, this is a great read for anyone, even those who aren’t constantly dancing with death. Who knows? Maybe this book could save your life.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go off the grid and live in the wilderness, because after reading this book, I can practically survive anything.
The description on Amazon said this book was perfect for anyone who enjoyed funny books or gag gifts, and seeing the words ‘funny book’ only made me click ‘add to cart’ faster. I like funny stuff, and I thought at the time this was just going to be some silly book on how to survive nonsensical situations that will never happen in a million years.
It turns out I was wrong. So what are you waiting for, lads? Time to put on your hiking boots and prep your survival kit, because it’s time to Bear Grills this shit. In this book you will actually be taught how to survive a variety of situations life may throw at you. While the book does have a few silly moments, including teaching you how to survive in the event your smart house gets too smart, it’ll also give you sound advice on very real (and realistic) scenarios like how to start a fire or what to bring with you when going on a trip through various places (mountains, desert, etc.)
Yeah, this is actually a great survival guide. I liked it. It was really fun. It reminded me a lot of this show my dad and I used to watch back in the day, which is probably what attracted me to it in the first place. All that said though, this is a great read for anyone, even those who aren’t constantly dancing with death. Who knows? Maybe this book could save your life.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go off the grid and live in the wilderness, because after reading this book, I can practically survive anything.
October 18, 2020
للقراءة الخفيفة و تغيير الجو والمزاج
من نوع الكتب التي تستطيع حملها معك خارج المنزل لتستغل اي وقت فراغ او انتظار لتصفح سريع و التندر مع الأصحاب حول هذه السيناريوهات
من نوع الكتب التي تستطيع حملها معك خارج المنزل لتستغل اي وقت فراغ او انتظار لتصفح سريع و التندر مع الأصحاب حول هذه السيناريوهات
March 10, 2022
absolutely brilliant, hot wired a '68 mustang duster and drove off into the sunset
October 19, 2024
Lærerikt
Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews