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How to Survive the End of the World As We Know It: Tactics, Techniques and Technologies for Uncertain Times
The definitive guide on how to prepare for any crisis--from global financial collapse to a pandemic
It would take only one unthinkable event to disrupt our way of life. If there is a terrorist attack, global pandemic, or sharp currency devaluation, you will be forced to fend for yourself in ways you’ve never imagined. Where would you get water? How would you communicate with relatives who live in other states? What would you use for fuel?
Survivalist expert James Wesley, Rawles, author of the bestselling novel Patriots and editor of SurvivalBlog.com, shares the essential tools and skills you will need for your family to survive, including:
Water: the Key Resource: Filtration, transport, storage, and treatment options.
Food Storage: How much to store, pack-it-yourself methods, storage space and rotation, countering vermin.
Fuel and Home Power: Home heating fuels, fuel storage, safety, backup generators.
Garden, Orchard Trees, and Small Livestock: Gardening basics, non-hybrid seeds, greenhouses; choosing the right livestock.
Medical Supplies and Training: Building a first aid kit, minor surgery, chronic health issues
Communications: Following international news, staying in touch with loved ones.
Home Security: Your panic room, self-defense training, and tools.
When to Get Outta Dodge: Vehicle selection, kit packing lists, routes and planning.
Investing and Barter: Tangibles investing, building your barter stockpile. And much more.
How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It is a must-have for every well-prepared family.
It would take only one unthinkable event to disrupt our way of life. If there is a terrorist attack, global pandemic, or sharp currency devaluation, you will be forced to fend for yourself in ways you’ve never imagined. Where would you get water? How would you communicate with relatives who live in other states? What would you use for fuel?
Survivalist expert James Wesley, Rawles, author of the bestselling novel Patriots and editor of SurvivalBlog.com, shares the essential tools and skills you will need for your family to survive, including:
Water: the Key Resource: Filtration, transport, storage, and treatment options.
Food Storage: How much to store, pack-it-yourself methods, storage space and rotation, countering vermin.
Fuel and Home Power: Home heating fuels, fuel storage, safety, backup generators.
Garden, Orchard Trees, and Small Livestock: Gardening basics, non-hybrid seeds, greenhouses; choosing the right livestock.
Medical Supplies and Training: Building a first aid kit, minor surgery, chronic health issues
Communications: Following international news, staying in touch with loved ones.
Home Security: Your panic room, self-defense training, and tools.
When to Get Outta Dodge: Vehicle selection, kit packing lists, routes and planning.
Investing and Barter: Tangibles investing, building your barter stockpile. And much more.
How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It is a must-have for every well-prepared family.
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First published September 29, 2009
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About the author
James Wesley, Rawles
22 books250 followersJames Wesley, Rawles is a internationally recognized authority on family disaster preparedness and survivalism. He has been described by journalists as the "conscience of survivalism." Formerly a U.S. Army intelligence officer, Rawles is now a fiction and nonfiction author, as well as a rancher. His books have been translated into seven languages. He is also a lecturer and the founder and Senior Editor of http://www.SurvivalBlog.com, the Internet's first blogs on preparedness that has enjoyed perennial popularity and now receives more than 320,000 unique visits per week. He and his family live at a remote self-sufficient ranch surrounded by National Forest lands that is is cryptically identified as located "somewhere west of the Rockies.
Rawles worked as an Associate Editor and Regional Editor (for the Western U.S.) with Defense Electronics magazine in the late 1980s and early 1990s and concurrently was Managing Editor of The International Countermeasures Handbook. He worked as a technical writer through most of the 1990s with a variety of electronics and software companies including Oracle Corporation. In 2005, he began blogging full-time. On his book covers and in his blog, he presents his name with a comma, as James Wesley, Rawles, to distinguish between his given name and his family name.
James Wesley, Rawles was born James Wesley Rawles in California in 1960 and attended local public schools. Rawles received a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Jose University.
From 1984 to 1993, he served as a United States Army Military Intelligence officer. He resigned his commission as a U.S. Army Captain immediately after Bill Clinton was inaugurated as President of the United States.
Rawles is the editor of SurvivalBlog.com, a popular blog on survival and preparedness topics. The blog has been described as "the guiding light of the prepper movement." The main focus of his blog is preparing for the multitude of possible threats toward society. In his various writings, Rawles has warned about socio-economic collapse, terrorist attacks, and food shortages.
He is now a freelance writer, blogger, and survival retreat consultant. One journalist called him a "survival guru" He was described as the "conscience of survivalism." Rawles is best known as the author of the survivalist novel Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse.
Rawles is an outspoken proponent of family preparedness, especially regarding food storage and advocates relocating to lightly populated rural "retreat" areas. His preparedness philosophy emphasizes the fragility of modern society, the value of silver and other tangibles for barter, recognition of moral absolutes, being well-armed, maintaining a "deep larder," relocation to rural retreats, and Christian charity. In an interview in The New York Times, Rawles identified himself as a "guns and groceries" survivalist.
Rawles interprets the 2nd Amendment as supporting citizens' individual rights to bear and keep arms. He believes they should be able to take arms to public events.
Rawles is opposed to racism. He supports abolition of modern slavery in the world.
Rawles is a spokeman for the surivalist movement. A central premise of that movement is that there is a high risk of a coming societal meltdown and the need to prepare for the repercussions. Rawles said that the popular media has developed an incorrect far-right "lunatic fringe" image in part because of the actions of a radical few such as Timothy McVeigh. He called this a distortion of the true message of survivalism. Unlike the handful of fringe proponents, Rawles focuses instead on family preparedness and personal freedom. Rawles explained that the typical survivalist does not actually live in a rural area, but is rather is a city dweller worried about the collapse of society who views the rural lifestyle as idyllic. Speaking from his experience, Rawles cautions that rural self-sufficiency a
Rawles worked as an Associate Editor and Regional Editor (for the Western U.S.) with Defense Electronics magazine in the late 1980s and early 1990s and concurrently was Managing Editor of The International Countermeasures Handbook. He worked as a technical writer through most of the 1990s with a variety of electronics and software companies including Oracle Corporation. In 2005, he began blogging full-time. On his book covers and in his blog, he presents his name with a comma, as James Wesley, Rawles, to distinguish between his given name and his family name.
James Wesley, Rawles was born James Wesley Rawles in California in 1960 and attended local public schools. Rawles received a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Jose University.
From 1984 to 1993, he served as a United States Army Military Intelligence officer. He resigned his commission as a U.S. Army Captain immediately after Bill Clinton was inaugurated as President of the United States.
Rawles is the editor of SurvivalBlog.com, a popular blog on survival and preparedness topics. The blog has been described as "the guiding light of the prepper movement." The main focus of his blog is preparing for the multitude of possible threats toward society. In his various writings, Rawles has warned about socio-economic collapse, terrorist attacks, and food shortages.
He is now a freelance writer, blogger, and survival retreat consultant. One journalist called him a "survival guru" He was described as the "conscience of survivalism." Rawles is best known as the author of the survivalist novel Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse.
Rawles is an outspoken proponent of family preparedness, especially regarding food storage and advocates relocating to lightly populated rural "retreat" areas. His preparedness philosophy emphasizes the fragility of modern society, the value of silver and other tangibles for barter, recognition of moral absolutes, being well-armed, maintaining a "deep larder," relocation to rural retreats, and Christian charity. In an interview in The New York Times, Rawles identified himself as a "guns and groceries" survivalist.
Rawles interprets the 2nd Amendment as supporting citizens' individual rights to bear and keep arms. He believes they should be able to take arms to public events.
Rawles is opposed to racism. He supports abolition of modern slavery in the world.
Rawles is a spokeman for the surivalist movement. A central premise of that movement is that there is a high risk of a coming societal meltdown and the need to prepare for the repercussions. Rawles said that the popular media has developed an incorrect far-right "lunatic fringe" image in part because of the actions of a radical few such as Timothy McVeigh. He called this a distortion of the true message of survivalism. Unlike the handful of fringe proponents, Rawles focuses instead on family preparedness and personal freedom. Rawles explained that the typical survivalist does not actually live in a rural area, but is rather is a city dweller worried about the collapse of society who views the rural lifestyle as idyllic. Speaking from his experience, Rawles cautions that rural self-sufficiency a
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
May 5, 2014
I'm interested in this topic and it's timely. Anything from natural disasters to man made disasters could conceivably bring about the need for a survival mentality or mind set for anywhere from weeks or months to years. In Nashville a few years ago we had a flood that left major parts of the city under water. We all recall Hurricane Katrina. Only about 15 years ago Nashville was hit by an ice storm that left parts of the city without power for weeks in winter.
During that time I had to break out the kerosine heater...and then find kerosine. That was difficult.
Were the disaster to be a more major one or of wider scope (EMP, major earthquake, pandemic, etc.) things could rapidly become...well, greatly unpleasant.
All that said why did I not give this book a higher rating? Well first it's got a lot of things you find in most books about being prepared, getting training and so on. All good advice. It's a good solid book so it could get a 3 star rating.
I give it only 2 because in preparedness to survive where you are it falls down almost completely. The writer seems to assume that everyone can simply "get a retreat" to either live in all year round or have ready to "bug out to" in case of societal break down. He advises that if your local government (state or whatever) gets too oppressive you simply move. "Vote with your feet." The possibility that some of us simply don't have the kind of budget it would take to tie up a couple of hundred acres of fertile farmland at least 200 miles from the nearest city is just a "too bad for you" scenario here.
I wish I were a millionaire with the budget to buy a place out like that, stock it with a decades worth of food stuffs, heirloom seeds, and so on...but I'm not. Most people who pick this book up probably have jobs that require them to live where they are. They have family obligations they can't ignore or (like me) simply are on a fixed income and of more limited physical ability than I/they used to be.
So...pretty good book information wise. If you have a very good income and can either pick up and move way out of town or at least afford to keep an alternate home it may be just what you're looking for. I'll need to put some more practical options into action...like figure how to store food, water etc. in a smaller place than a farm house and how to survive by keeping my head down if looting starts untill at least the worst is past.
Think I'll keep reading.
During that time I had to break out the kerosine heater...and then find kerosine. That was difficult.
Were the disaster to be a more major one or of wider scope (EMP, major earthquake, pandemic, etc.) things could rapidly become...well, greatly unpleasant.
All that said why did I not give this book a higher rating? Well first it's got a lot of things you find in most books about being prepared, getting training and so on. All good advice. It's a good solid book so it could get a 3 star rating.
I give it only 2 because in preparedness to survive where you are it falls down almost completely. The writer seems to assume that everyone can simply "get a retreat" to either live in all year round or have ready to "bug out to" in case of societal break down. He advises that if your local government (state or whatever) gets too oppressive you simply move. "Vote with your feet." The possibility that some of us simply don't have the kind of budget it would take to tie up a couple of hundred acres of fertile farmland at least 200 miles from the nearest city is just a "too bad for you" scenario here.
I wish I were a millionaire with the budget to buy a place out like that, stock it with a decades worth of food stuffs, heirloom seeds, and so on...but I'm not. Most people who pick this book up probably have jobs that require them to live where they are. They have family obligations they can't ignore or (like me) simply are on a fixed income and of more limited physical ability than I/they used to be.
So...pretty good book information wise. If you have a very good income and can either pick up and move way out of town or at least afford to keep an alternate home it may be just what you're looking for. I'll need to put some more practical options into action...like figure how to store food, water etc. in a smaller place than a farm house and how to survive by keeping my head down if looting starts untill at least the worst is past.
Think I'll keep reading.
November 10, 2019
So, I wouldn’t describe myself as a survivalist. Normally, I would distance myself fro m the public stereotype of craze paranoiac folks living off the grid with their stash of guns. Post WWII by Dad had as many Americans had, a kind of basement shelter in case The Japanese might retaliate on the US for Hiroshima with their own nuclear holocaust. We had water and food and other supplies for up to three months in one room, and during tornado warnings we went down in that room. Not quite the school version of duck and cover that we practiced iat Oakdale Elementary school, where we hid under our desks for a few minutes for the possible time the Big One might hit.
But now I am reading scary books such as The Uninhabitable Earth and Learning to Die in the Anthropocene that present realistic climate change-based disaster scenarios for our life time, not 200 years down the road as scientists had given us hints to worry about. I sometimes watch and read dystopian sci fi with my middle school kids, and on a recent backpacking trip we sort of casually strolled through with them leading the way in the talk about what could happen in decades to come and how they might best survive: Go north, find a way to grow food, stay close to the freshest water available, and so on. I try to calmly talk with them just a bit, and make sure I don’t scare them with what I really think is going to happen in the next quarter century. Not scare them too much. They are already reading the news and doing climate change units in schools, so they are not naïve.
Since I did a climate change unit in my Teaching of Writing class, reading a range of works from terrifying to hopeful, I read this, thanks to Jay.
In How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It, James Rawles, founder of SurvivalBlog.com, clearly explains everything you need to know to protect yourself and your family in the event of a disaster—from radical currency devaluation to a nuclear threat to a hurricane:
Water: Filtration, transport, storage, and treatment options.
Food Storage: How much to store, pack-it-yourself methods, storage space and rotation, countering vermin.
Fuel and Home Power: Home heating fuels, fuel storage safety, backup generators.
Garden, Orchard Trees, and Small Livestock: Gardening basics, non-hybrid seeds, greenhouses; choosing the right livestock.
Medical Supplies and Training: Building a first aid kit, minor surgery, chronic health issues.
Communications: Following international news, staying in touch with loved ones.
Home Security: Your panic room, self-defense training and tools, including a guide to firearams.
When to Get Outta Dodge: Vehicle selection, kit packing lists, routes and planning.
Investing and Barter: Tangibles investing, building your barter stockpile. And much more.
I really really hope I don’t have to be a survivalist soon, but I can see what my Dad would be telling me what to do, had he read what I had read in the IPCC report on the state of the climate:
https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/home/
But now I am reading scary books such as The Uninhabitable Earth and Learning to Die in the Anthropocene that present realistic climate change-based disaster scenarios for our life time, not 200 years down the road as scientists had given us hints to worry about. I sometimes watch and read dystopian sci fi with my middle school kids, and on a recent backpacking trip we sort of casually strolled through with them leading the way in the talk about what could happen in decades to come and how they might best survive: Go north, find a way to grow food, stay close to the freshest water available, and so on. I try to calmly talk with them just a bit, and make sure I don’t scare them with what I really think is going to happen in the next quarter century. Not scare them too much. They are already reading the news and doing climate change units in schools, so they are not naïve.
Since I did a climate change unit in my Teaching of Writing class, reading a range of works from terrifying to hopeful, I read this, thanks to Jay.
In How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It, James Rawles, founder of SurvivalBlog.com, clearly explains everything you need to know to protect yourself and your family in the event of a disaster—from radical currency devaluation to a nuclear threat to a hurricane:
Water: Filtration, transport, storage, and treatment options.
Food Storage: How much to store, pack-it-yourself methods, storage space and rotation, countering vermin.
Fuel and Home Power: Home heating fuels, fuel storage safety, backup generators.
Garden, Orchard Trees, and Small Livestock: Gardening basics, non-hybrid seeds, greenhouses; choosing the right livestock.
Medical Supplies and Training: Building a first aid kit, minor surgery, chronic health issues.
Communications: Following international news, staying in touch with loved ones.
Home Security: Your panic room, self-defense training and tools, including a guide to firearams.
When to Get Outta Dodge: Vehicle selection, kit packing lists, routes and planning.
Investing and Barter: Tangibles investing, building your barter stockpile. And much more.
I really really hope I don’t have to be a survivalist soon, but I can see what my Dad would be telling me what to do, had he read what I had read in the IPCC report on the state of the climate:
https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/home/
June 21, 2010
This was not the book that I'd hoped for. The focus is more on accumulation of the right supplies than skill acquisition and mental/emotional preparedness. Also, the advice given simply isn't within the means of most people. Yes, I would like to have a 5 or 6 bedroom alternative energy retreat in the country, complete with four vehicles, livestock, and a fruit orchard. It is, however, about as realistic a goal for me as an airtight, self-sufficient fortress on the moon. Despite mention of different scenarios that would lead to the end of the world as we know it, every plan that came up made the assumption that all of the large group of people that the author recommended cultivating as survival buddies would live through the plague/meteor/alien invasion/zombie uprising/nuclear war. That said, it's not a bad guide for well off people to weather a breakdown in modern civilization. A better title might have been How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It By Throwing Money at the Problem and Convincing Everyone that You're a Paranoid Fruitcake. Don't pay the $17 cover price. Pick it up if you see it at half price.
November 6, 2014
I started this book reading parts of it out loud to my husband because quite a bit of what the author was saying made perfect sense. Then the more I got in to the book the more I realized that most of us would be toast if the End of the world as we know it happened.
I don't know a single person who has the income for this much prepping. The author suggests that if you live in a city or even 300 miles from a bigger city that you probably need another place to go for your survival.
Food storage..I just thought I was a hoarder. The amounts of food for this is unreal to me. I would be in a panic just worrying about what to do with it all.
So overall-decently entertaining. But I am not bugging out anytime soon. If the Zombies come I will probably be food anyways. The little fat girls always get it.
I don't know a single person who has the income for this much prepping. The author suggests that if you live in a city or even 300 miles from a bigger city that you probably need another place to go for your survival.
Food storage..I just thought I was a hoarder. The amounts of food for this is unreal to me. I would be in a panic just worrying about what to do with it all.
So overall-decently entertaining. But I am not bugging out anytime soon. If the Zombies come I will probably be food anyways. The little fat girls always get it.
December 5, 2011
The book gives a good overview of the supplies you might need in case of an prolonged disaster or complete societal collapse. I don't think retreating to a highly secure compound is a good long term solution however, and believe the only way through something as drastic as the author is proposing is to work together as a community.
November 15, 2009
I picked this up because I read a review which gave the impression that it included more than most such books about working with neighbors/ communities in the case of societal breakdown. Unfortunately there wasn't too much of that, other than advice to store lots of extra stuff (especially ammo and barbed wire!) for barter and charitable giving. The author advocates living in a rural area to keep away from all the people who will be rioting, owning four or more vehicles that run on different types of fuel to provide versatility in transportation, and buying lots of guns. That approach just doesn't mesh with my values.
Like all societal-breakdown-survival books, this book has the weakness of lacking space to go into depth about much of anything. But instead of merely acknowledging areas that are outside the scope of the book, the author still wastes words with random details. For example, there are about ten pages devoted to gardening, and one of those is devoted to how to poison moles with strychnine. Yes, we all have our pet interests or areas of expertise, but I wish there had been better editing to provide more space to topics which reasonably can be covered in a useful way.
It does include useful lists of things to consider. Also, it suggests doing a weekend experiment of living without utilities, eating stored food, which I think sounds worthwhile. I just need to convince my family of the same...
Like all societal-breakdown-survival books, this book has the weakness of lacking space to go into depth about much of anything. But instead of merely acknowledging areas that are outside the scope of the book, the author still wastes words with random details. For example, there are about ten pages devoted to gardening, and one of those is devoted to how to poison moles with strychnine. Yes, we all have our pet interests or areas of expertise, but I wish there had been better editing to provide more space to topics which reasonably can be covered in a useful way.
It does include useful lists of things to consider. Also, it suggests doing a weekend experiment of living without utilities, eating stored food, which I think sounds worthwhile. I just need to convince my family of the same...
December 19, 2011
I saw this sitting on a center stand at the library, and thought it might be interesting. Rawles is a survivalist expert, former U.S. Army Intelligence officer, founder/editor of SurvivalBlog.com, and a preparedness consultant for some very wealthy clients. That alone told me that this book was no joke. Rawles does lean towards the stereotype of a cultish doomsday prophet, but he seriously knows his stuff, and if you can avoid being sucked down the eddy of fear-mongering and what sometimes feels like an apocalypse- obsession, you might actually learn a thing or two about how to take care of your family during an electrical ‘grid-down’, economic depression, oil/gas shortage, or some other disaster scenario.
Rawles begins the book with a description of possible dystopian vignettes that I found to be very persuasive. He refers to the ‘thin veneer of civilization’ which, when peeled back, will reveal desperate hordes of people, reduced to animal instinct, who would be ready to do whatever it takes to survive and provide for their families. What would you do to feed your starving child? What would you do not to live with your neighborhood’s sewage pouring into your home? What would you do to make sure your family doesn’t freeze in the night, or die a long and agonizing death at the ravages of some simple virus that a small dose of antibiotics would cure? That’s enough to scare many people into barbaric acts and a lifestyle unconscionable in scope (not to mention acts quite possibly unconscious in intent since the only way to perpetuate some crimes is to repress them as far as possible from consciousness and debilitating guilt). For real examples in America, read some stories from the Katrina/New Orleans disaster. It seems clear to me: if a grid-down occurs for a long enough period of time, we are all pretty much S.O.L. without a good plan.
Now, let this be said, this book is close to an exhaustive list of considerations for the survivalist, and by no means can be followed assiduously except by the very wealthy, very retired, and I would add, very obsessive personalities. Swallowed whole, which is not necessarily how the author intended this book to be read, it is utterly impractical and unrealistic for moderate-income households and relatively busy lives. The value-restructuring that would be necessary to prepare fully as the author advises, even in his ‘Plan B’ recommendations, would implode family/relationship time and any sort of a positive outlook on life. We’re talking about stockpiling 20 years of vitamin fortified, diet-balanced food in underground vaults, camouflaged campers, behind rows of books in the home, buried in decoy packing boxes in the basement, hidden inside a gutted couch—and meticulously rotating out that food when its shelf life is exhausted. That’s just the beginning: chainsaw with all safety gear, earth-tone wardrobe, all forms of fuel, several vehicles, a small arsenal, home alarms, lighting, filtering and safe rooms/vaults. There’s even directions on how to dispose of dead bodies (gloves/goggles/apron, double wrap the body in garbage bags, and…bury in the backyard AWAY from the water). You’d seriously have to lead a double-life (double-boring!!) to make this all work.
My point is—this shouldn’t be used as survivalist manual as much as a guide. You simply can’t start reading this thinking that you can do it all— not only is it impossible for most people, but it would also be a mind-blowing waste of life…even if ‘grid-down’ comes sooner than expected. The emotional/relational/ temporal capital required to stage a ‘back-up life’ would quickly drain a person’s recourses, health and present happiness. No sense in wasting good times in order to survive the bad times. A bit of good planning and prudent choices would be enough to save this book from hysteria, but anything more than that might turn you into a troll.
I was, however, convinced of a few needs. 1) A handgun. If things get bad, I believe the risk of looting and assault will increase as a very real possibility. I think it is imperative that every home have some means of defense that is enough to stop a big body cold in its tracks, be it beast or man. Theoretically, and philosophically, I can shoot and not feel bad. I could even wish an attacker well in the next life, but I believe in a sturdy defense in this life for myself and my family. 2) Water sourcing skills and water filter. 3) First aid kit with antibiotics. 4) Tool kit with bolt-cutters and duct tape. 5) Salt lick to draw animals. Experts say it’s absurdly-easy hunting.
Even while Rawles doles out end-of-the-world exhortations, he interestingly enough includes charity clauses, and even ends his book with an altruistic reminder to “give charitably”. He believes in ‘covenant community’ as a synergistic survival tactic—more specifically multi-family co-ops, as a small community coalition is more sustainable at the outset. Beyond even a utilitarian view of generosity, he believes in sharing as a means to maintaining spiritual health and ultimately beefing up one’s credit with God. His credence in eternal rewards and the virtue of love is almost enough, in my mind, to make me think more kindly on his habit of swinging manically on the cord of the village bell screeching “We’re all gonna die!” There might also be a mini savior-complex going on here; but if things go to hell, I for one wouldn’t be afraid to ask him for help. And who knows, I might even bow to him if he asked nicely. We’ll see. I’ll play it by ear.
One of the best pieces of information I gathered was on the subject of emergency preparedness on a tight budget. Check out the link on survivalblog.com: http://www.survivalblog.com/2011/12/g...
Population density maps for ideal retreats:
http://maps.howstuffworks.com/united-...
http://geology.com/articles/satellite...
Rawles begins the book with a description of possible dystopian vignettes that I found to be very persuasive. He refers to the ‘thin veneer of civilization’ which, when peeled back, will reveal desperate hordes of people, reduced to animal instinct, who would be ready to do whatever it takes to survive and provide for their families. What would you do to feed your starving child? What would you do not to live with your neighborhood’s sewage pouring into your home? What would you do to make sure your family doesn’t freeze in the night, or die a long and agonizing death at the ravages of some simple virus that a small dose of antibiotics would cure? That’s enough to scare many people into barbaric acts and a lifestyle unconscionable in scope (not to mention acts quite possibly unconscious in intent since the only way to perpetuate some crimes is to repress them as far as possible from consciousness and debilitating guilt). For real examples in America, read some stories from the Katrina/New Orleans disaster. It seems clear to me: if a grid-down occurs for a long enough period of time, we are all pretty much S.O.L. without a good plan.
Now, let this be said, this book is close to an exhaustive list of considerations for the survivalist, and by no means can be followed assiduously except by the very wealthy, very retired, and I would add, very obsessive personalities. Swallowed whole, which is not necessarily how the author intended this book to be read, it is utterly impractical and unrealistic for moderate-income households and relatively busy lives. The value-restructuring that would be necessary to prepare fully as the author advises, even in his ‘Plan B’ recommendations, would implode family/relationship time and any sort of a positive outlook on life. We’re talking about stockpiling 20 years of vitamin fortified, diet-balanced food in underground vaults, camouflaged campers, behind rows of books in the home, buried in decoy packing boxes in the basement, hidden inside a gutted couch—and meticulously rotating out that food when its shelf life is exhausted. That’s just the beginning: chainsaw with all safety gear, earth-tone wardrobe, all forms of fuel, several vehicles, a small arsenal, home alarms, lighting, filtering and safe rooms/vaults. There’s even directions on how to dispose of dead bodies (gloves/goggles/apron, double wrap the body in garbage bags, and…bury in the backyard AWAY from the water). You’d seriously have to lead a double-life (double-boring!!) to make this all work.
My point is—this shouldn’t be used as survivalist manual as much as a guide. You simply can’t start reading this thinking that you can do it all— not only is it impossible for most people, but it would also be a mind-blowing waste of life…even if ‘grid-down’ comes sooner than expected. The emotional/relational/ temporal capital required to stage a ‘back-up life’ would quickly drain a person’s recourses, health and present happiness. No sense in wasting good times in order to survive the bad times. A bit of good planning and prudent choices would be enough to save this book from hysteria, but anything more than that might turn you into a troll.
I was, however, convinced of a few needs. 1) A handgun. If things get bad, I believe the risk of looting and assault will increase as a very real possibility. I think it is imperative that every home have some means of defense that is enough to stop a big body cold in its tracks, be it beast or man. Theoretically, and philosophically, I can shoot and not feel bad. I could even wish an attacker well in the next life, but I believe in a sturdy defense in this life for myself and my family. 2) Water sourcing skills and water filter. 3) First aid kit with antibiotics. 4) Tool kit with bolt-cutters and duct tape. 5) Salt lick to draw animals. Experts say it’s absurdly-easy hunting.
Even while Rawles doles out end-of-the-world exhortations, he interestingly enough includes charity clauses, and even ends his book with an altruistic reminder to “give charitably”. He believes in ‘covenant community’ as a synergistic survival tactic—more specifically multi-family co-ops, as a small community coalition is more sustainable at the outset. Beyond even a utilitarian view of generosity, he believes in sharing as a means to maintaining spiritual health and ultimately beefing up one’s credit with God. His credence in eternal rewards and the virtue of love is almost enough, in my mind, to make me think more kindly on his habit of swinging manically on the cord of the village bell screeching “We’re all gonna die!” There might also be a mini savior-complex going on here; but if things go to hell, I for one wouldn’t be afraid to ask him for help. And who knows, I might even bow to him if he asked nicely. We’ll see. I’ll play it by ear.
One of the best pieces of information I gathered was on the subject of emergency preparedness on a tight budget. Check out the link on survivalblog.com: http://www.survivalblog.com/2011/12/g...
Population density maps for ideal retreats:
http://maps.howstuffworks.com/united-...
http://geology.com/articles/satellite...
January 23, 2011
"But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." - I Timothy 5:8
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one who believes we're on the verge of a great 2012 calamity or "The End of the World as We Know It". But there are a lot of different events that can interfere with normal American life. The dollar is continuing to fall, another foot is going to fall in the economy, there are lots of people in the world that hate us, oil is at $100 a barrel right and we have an extremely out-of-touch and misguided person running everything from the Oval Office. As Rawles details in the book, it doesn't take much for something to set off a chain of events that would impact anything from the power grid to stocking the grocery stores. When things like that happen, people do crazy things. Boy Scout motto- Be Prepared. Or as a Christian, I should take at least some responsibility it making provisions to provide for my family, even in time of crisis. This book addresses your retreat, water, food storage, fuel, gardens and livestock, medical supplies, home security, and firearms among other topics. Even if nothing were to happen, the things you would learn and the skills you would develop would come in very handy even if you just lost power for a week. His investment ideas are good too, such as stocking up on pre-'65 coins, guns and ammo- things that will hold their value, if not increase, not matter what happens.
Most Americans live day by day. If you need something, you can just go to the grocery store and go get it. Most people don't have enough food for more than just a couple days. Personally, this book has taught me to make more preparations even if minor things happen, as well as major catastrophes. It's like life insurance, you hope your family never needs it, but it's good to have and be prepared. Or carrying a concealed weapon. You hope you never use it, chances are you won't, but boy if the time rolls around when you do- you're screwed. As Christians, we should take this seriously. After all, we don't want to be worse than the unbelievers.
For the Moscow residents, his survival book "dressed in fiction"-'Patriots', takes place in Bovill and Moscow, Idaho, making a very interesting read.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one who believes we're on the verge of a great 2012 calamity or "The End of the World as We Know It". But there are a lot of different events that can interfere with normal American life. The dollar is continuing to fall, another foot is going to fall in the economy, there are lots of people in the world that hate us, oil is at $100 a barrel right and we have an extremely out-of-touch and misguided person running everything from the Oval Office. As Rawles details in the book, it doesn't take much for something to set off a chain of events that would impact anything from the power grid to stocking the grocery stores. When things like that happen, people do crazy things. Boy Scout motto- Be Prepared. Or as a Christian, I should take at least some responsibility it making provisions to provide for my family, even in time of crisis. This book addresses your retreat, water, food storage, fuel, gardens and livestock, medical supplies, home security, and firearms among other topics. Even if nothing were to happen, the things you would learn and the skills you would develop would come in very handy even if you just lost power for a week. His investment ideas are good too, such as stocking up on pre-'65 coins, guns and ammo- things that will hold their value, if not increase, not matter what happens.
Most Americans live day by day. If you need something, you can just go to the grocery store and go get it. Most people don't have enough food for more than just a couple days. Personally, this book has taught me to make more preparations even if minor things happen, as well as major catastrophes. It's like life insurance, you hope your family never needs it, but it's good to have and be prepared. Or carrying a concealed weapon. You hope you never use it, chances are you won't, but boy if the time rolls around when you do- you're screwed. As Christians, we should take this seriously. After all, we don't want to be worse than the unbelievers.
For the Moscow residents, his survival book "dressed in fiction"-'Patriots', takes place in Bovill and Moscow, Idaho, making a very interesting read.
July 22, 2016
I bought this book, along with a similar one, as kind of a joke for my husband, because he would often say, "If there is ever a breakdown of society, xxxx...." But not entirely as a joke--I figured if there ever IS some sort of societal breakdown, maybe it would be good to have a couple of books on hand to refer to. My husband stuck the books on a shelf and never looked at them again. I felt almost a little sorry for them, sitting there unread, so I picked this up one day and gave it a try. I didn't expect to get very far, thinking it would be boring. Instead I found it weirdly fascinating. A lot of the info and jargon was unfamiliar to me--such as the chapter on guns--but nevertheless, the writing was simple, clear and easy to read.
I came away from this book thinking if there ever is some sort of societal breakdown--war, power grid down, flu epidemic--my family would be up poop creek without a paddle. We have no practical skills, no guns, no extra food. This is a book on how to become a survivalist--those paranoid kooks living out in the middle of nowhere in Idaho or some other Western state. We like to laugh at them, but they could very well be having the last laugh.
However, becoming a survivalist would involve for me--and probably the vast majority of Americans--a complete change of lifestyle. Rawles recommends buying a property at least 300 miles from a major metropolitan center, designing/building a house with such things as a safe room and steel doors, and learning how to shoot guns, grow food, raise livestock and generally become handy at lots of things that I am decidedly not handy at. Yes, I would be toast in this kind of world. Still, it was interesting to read about a lifestyle and outlook that was so different from my own. And I did learn some things--for example, how to assist with a birth--after reading that, it makes you wonder how any of us made it into the world safely before doctors and hospitals.
This is a very good book if you are interested in becoming a survivalist. In that way, it is a 5-star book; however, I only gave it 4-stars because it wasn't very practical to me. I guess I will take my chances because I like cities and don't want to live off the grid in the middle of nowhere. Also, being a survivalist would require a major investment of $$$ in so many things--land, guns, livestock, extra food, fencing, vehicles--the list goes on and on--another factor that makes this book not very practical for most people. I guess the best book for me would be "Surviving a Breakdown for People Who Have No Interest in Becoming Survivalists." (Although I think Rawles would make the argument that no such book could be written!)
I came away from this book thinking if there ever is some sort of societal breakdown--war, power grid down, flu epidemic--my family would be up poop creek without a paddle. We have no practical skills, no guns, no extra food. This is a book on how to become a survivalist--those paranoid kooks living out in the middle of nowhere in Idaho or some other Western state. We like to laugh at them, but they could very well be having the last laugh.
However, becoming a survivalist would involve for me--and probably the vast majority of Americans--a complete change of lifestyle. Rawles recommends buying a property at least 300 miles from a major metropolitan center, designing/building a house with such things as a safe room and steel doors, and learning how to shoot guns, grow food, raise livestock and generally become handy at lots of things that I am decidedly not handy at. Yes, I would be toast in this kind of world. Still, it was interesting to read about a lifestyle and outlook that was so different from my own. And I did learn some things--for example, how to assist with a birth--after reading that, it makes you wonder how any of us made it into the world safely before doctors and hospitals.
This is a very good book if you are interested in becoming a survivalist. In that way, it is a 5-star book; however, I only gave it 4-stars because it wasn't very practical to me. I guess I will take my chances because I like cities and don't want to live off the grid in the middle of nowhere. Also, being a survivalist would require a major investment of $$$ in so many things--land, guns, livestock, extra food, fencing, vehicles--the list goes on and on--another factor that makes this book not very practical for most people. I guess the best book for me would be "Surviving a Breakdown for People Who Have No Interest in Becoming Survivalists." (Although I think Rawles would make the argument that no such book could be written!)
March 10, 2013
Lately, since I can't help but notice those subtle signs of how fragile the world is, I've been interest in learning some basic survival skills. So yeah, I noticed this book at the library and checked it out. Pretty much, right off, Rawles makes the point that I'm merely wasting my time, because if the TEOTWAWKI comes, crazed looters will be roaming everywhere, he even dismisses the idea that one will be able to survive in the woods. So indeed he makes the point (likely a true one) that i am simply screwed and will merely be a statistic WTSHTF (to used his much over used acronym). Well, that is unless I have around $2,000,000 dollars sitting around in my bank account to buy land, on which to build a fortified castle filled with weapons, transportation, tools, fuel, 20 years worth of food, live-stock, fruit orchard and everything else you could possibly imagine.
So yeah, the good thing about this book is it dispel any illusions that a po boy like me has a chance. If things get bad, I'll die with the rest (sooner likely, cuz I live in New Orleans and I own no gun). Even if I had a couple of million dollars laying around right now, I don't want to be seen as one of those crazies; devoting my whole life to prepare for some event that might never come.
So yeah, I didn't finish this book, but I'll likely finish the other survival books which to Rawles are simply a waste of time. I'll just keep in mind that the "survival" techniques I am learning won't help me survive, unless I go camping for fun. But yeah, still its cool learning things for their own sake. I've enjoyed discovering what plants are edible; how to build a shelter; get water; start a fire; trap game, etc... etc... now all I need to do is get comfortable with the idea of some looter shooting me for the Mississippi river water I am boiling and the pinto beans I am cooking on a open fire WTSHTF. Yippy-Ki-Yay
So yeah, the good thing about this book is it dispel any illusions that a po boy like me has a chance. If things get bad, I'll die with the rest (sooner likely, cuz I live in New Orleans and I own no gun). Even if I had a couple of million dollars laying around right now, I don't want to be seen as one of those crazies; devoting my whole life to prepare for some event that might never come.
So yeah, I didn't finish this book, but I'll likely finish the other survival books which to Rawles are simply a waste of time. I'll just keep in mind that the "survival" techniques I am learning won't help me survive, unless I go camping for fun. But yeah, still its cool learning things for their own sake. I've enjoyed discovering what plants are edible; how to build a shelter; get water; start a fire; trap game, etc... etc... now all I need to do is get comfortable with the idea of some looter shooting me for the Mississippi river water I am boiling and the pinto beans I am cooking on a open fire WTSHTF. Yippy-Ki-Yay
February 18, 2012
If this is the yardstick against which preppers are measured then I am no prepper. This is hardcore survivalism. No half-measures. Pack up your belongings and move to the country, to a defensible cabin near a reliable freshwater supply with plenty of game around to hunt. "End of the world as we know it" means just that - not your average natural disaster but zombies, foreign invasion, meteor impact, The Plague.
It's still an interesting read even if you're not prepared to go to that extent to make preparations to survive and thrive in times of disaster but the author's religious views do tend to interfere at some points. For example advocating the moral absolutes of the Ten Commandments and spurning secular humanism as a "slippery slope" that leads to "despotism and pillage, or anarchy and the depths of depravity".
On the flip side the author is also big on charity, which to some survivalists undermines "operational security" and could reduce your own chances of survival. Again, the author's religious views. Interesting and glad I read it but I wouldn't list it in the Top 5 for your average prepper. Survivalists, definitely, but I like my suburban home and my lifestyle - I'm not going to change all that radically just in case.
It's still an interesting read even if you're not prepared to go to that extent to make preparations to survive and thrive in times of disaster but the author's religious views do tend to interfere at some points. For example advocating the moral absolutes of the Ten Commandments and spurning secular humanism as a "slippery slope" that leads to "despotism and pillage, or anarchy and the depths of depravity".
On the flip side the author is also big on charity, which to some survivalists undermines "operational security" and could reduce your own chances of survival. Again, the author's religious views. Interesting and glad I read it but I wouldn't list it in the Top 5 for your average prepper. Survivalists, definitely, but I like my suburban home and my lifestyle - I'm not going to change all that radically just in case.
April 5, 2013
I will say one thing for this book: it very effectively scared me! Fear is an effective persuasion technique, and I'll admit I was persuaded on many of his recommendations. Whether or not that means I can or will purchase ammunition by the truckload or purchase a propane-powered pickup is another story. There is major takeaway that I took: the lifestyle he is recommending will take every spare dime you have and require you to change every aspect of your life. In other words, preparation for a collapse of modern civilization will become your life. If/when that happens, I have no doubt that people who prepare with this man's mindset will have a much greater chance of survival and come out ahead. My biggest complaint about this book was that I got done reading it without a clear goal or direction to go. It was as if there was TOO much information. Every chapter and recommendation sent dollar signs flashing past my eyes am I thought "wow I can't afford that... Or that ... Or that ...." After reading the book I was left thinking "we'll, what can I do?!"
December 27, 2020
3/5
Pozycja na pewno bardzo ciekawa, ale czy przydatna? Zależy od tego jak chcemy jej użyć. Nie wiem, czy do wydarzeń opisanych w książce może kiedyś dojść, chociaż do pandemii doszło. Nie jestem pewna na ile aktualna jest ta pozycja, jeśli chodzi o na przykład amunicję, ponieważ mimo że u nas pojawiała się ona dopiero w tym roku, to w Stanach Zjednoczonych zaistniała już w 2009. Właśnie, bardzo ważną rzeczą jest kraj pochodzenia autora, ponieważ właśnie na tamte warunki jest napisana ta książka. Oczywiście są informacje, które będę tyczyć się każdego zakątka świata, ale inne już jedynie Stanów. Są jednak przypisy, które wyjaśnią nam jak się część rzeczy ma w Polsce, w takim jednak przypadku należy się bardziej wgłębić w pozycję oraz najlepiej mieć jej egzemplarz papierowy. Czy do czegoś takiego dojdzie i czy taka pozycja przyda nam się w życiu? Nie wiem, a co do tego drugiego wszystko będzie zależeć jedynie od nas. Wiem jednak, że ta pozycja będzie bardzo dobrym źródłem do zrobienia researchu, gdy piszemy swoją książkę, nie tylko na temat "końca świata", ale także bardziej "przyziemnych" spraw. Wystarczy sprawdzić, czy znajdziemy tutaj temat, który nas ciekawi.
Pozycja na pewno bardzo ciekawa, ale czy przydatna? Zależy od tego jak chcemy jej użyć. Nie wiem, czy do wydarzeń opisanych w książce może kiedyś dojść, chociaż do pandemii doszło. Nie jestem pewna na ile aktualna jest ta pozycja, jeśli chodzi o na przykład amunicję, ponieważ mimo że u nas pojawiała się ona dopiero w tym roku, to w Stanach Zjednoczonych zaistniała już w 2009. Właśnie, bardzo ważną rzeczą jest kraj pochodzenia autora, ponieważ właśnie na tamte warunki jest napisana ta książka. Oczywiście są informacje, które będę tyczyć się każdego zakątka świata, ale inne już jedynie Stanów. Są jednak przypisy, które wyjaśnią nam jak się część rzeczy ma w Polsce, w takim jednak przypadku należy się bardziej wgłębić w pozycję oraz najlepiej mieć jej egzemplarz papierowy. Czy do czegoś takiego dojdzie i czy taka pozycja przyda nam się w życiu? Nie wiem, a co do tego drugiego wszystko będzie zależeć jedynie od nas. Wiem jednak, że ta pozycja będzie bardzo dobrym źródłem do zrobienia researchu, gdy piszemy swoją książkę, nie tylko na temat "końca świata", ale także bardziej "przyziemnych" spraw. Wystarczy sprawdzić, czy znajdziemy tutaj temat, który nas ciekawi.
April 11, 2011
This is the best preparedness book I've read. It includes how to prepare in case there is an electric magnetic pulse (EMP)---or in other words---if the grid goes down and the balloon goes up. It recommends specific products and brands. But the author is not an expert on everything he talks about. For example, the older dimes and quarters he says we should all have could be confiscated. And he describes how to hide valuables in our homes, but his recommendations are not fire resistant. Still, this is a very specific and very excellent read.
After reading this book I asked the Provo City Police Department if they had plans about how they would respond if there were an EMP. They said they were aware of the possibility of an EMP, but it was not something they had talked about. I asked if they had shortwave radios to use if the grid went down. He said no. They just have walkie talkies and cell phones which would go out when the batteries ran out. He advised me to write a suggestion to the department, which I did. I also requested EMP preparedness training for the next Provo City Police Citizen Academy.
After reading this book I asked the Provo City Police Department if they had plans about how they would respond if there were an EMP. They said they were aware of the possibility of an EMP, but it was not something they had talked about. I asked if they had shortwave radios to use if the grid went down. He said no. They just have walkie talkies and cell phones which would go out when the batteries ran out. He advised me to write a suggestion to the department, which I did. I also requested EMP preparedness training for the next Provo City Police Citizen Academy.
January 21, 2012
If you are wealthy, worried and willing to live in the middle of nowhere, this book is a perfect guide for setting up a safe home. We're talking SAFE. Natural disasters, terrorist activities, martial law - you name it and Rawles can get you ready to face it. Now, the average person (like me!) will have no way to accomplish 80% of the ideas put forth in this book. The good news is that the remaining 20% is still useful enough that I'm planning to add a copy to preparedness stash. And, if am ever in a position to do more, I'll have the guide book ready!
My only disappointment in the book was the charitable aspect of the writer's plans. I realize I sound like a horrible human being for criticizing those that would do good and help others and give willingly of themselves for the benefit of others...but really? In a disaster I can't imagine giving away a single thing that could possibly be needed to sustain my own family. It gave a sense of unbelievability to a book that was rock solid.
My only disappointment in the book was the charitable aspect of the writer's plans. I realize I sound like a horrible human being for criticizing those that would do good and help others and give willingly of themselves for the benefit of others...but really? In a disaster I can't imagine giving away a single thing that could possibly be needed to sustain my own family. It gave a sense of unbelievability to a book that was rock solid.
July 8, 2010
Will give anybody a testimony of provident living. Gives me nightmares now to not have planted that garden on my balcony...oh if only we could all have a retreat like Rawles. Some of the chapters went into far more detail on guns and ammo than I could handle--skimmed those. And I disagree with one or two smaller points along the healthcare advice, but this was overall worth reading and I'm glad I own a copy because I'll be referring back to it as my self reliance stages progress...
And to people who say the advice in this book isn't practical: the author aknowleges that for most people, they can't do it all. At least, not all at once. But he's listing the IDEALS of preparedness. Not the preparedness book for Dummies.
And to people who say the advice in this book isn't practical: the author aknowleges that for most people, they can't do it all. At least, not all at once. But he's listing the IDEALS of preparedness. Not the preparedness book for Dummies.
September 11, 2010
This was the first book I read on my Kindle after receiving it as a holiday gift. And in an amusing bit of irony, there's no book I would rather have in physical form WTSHTF, as Rawles likes to say.
My biggest shock reading Rawles' treatise on surviving a modern societal collapse was how much thought, preparation, and planning he put into this work. This is not a novel, nor is it a few pieces of advice tied together by stories and what-if scenarios. It's an instruction manual, and frankly, it's an impressive (if far, far out of my budget) one.
My biggest shock reading Rawles' treatise on surviving a modern societal collapse was how much thought, preparation, and planning he put into this work. This is not a novel, nor is it a few pieces of advice tied together by stories and what-if scenarios. It's an instruction manual, and frankly, it's an impressive (if far, far out of my budget) one.
September 7, 2010
Something about planning for "the end of the world as we know it" (TEOTWAWKI) is maybe better lent to the fiction format Rawles first committed to writing in his original book, Patriots. I say this only because while a book of lists and suggestions, practical and right on point, gets really tedious as soon as you realize just how much planning, foresight, and financial resources it will actually take to make a go of it.
Pretty early into the book, it was clear to me that I would never be fiscally able (or willing) to do half the most sound advice in the book: A land retreat (bought and paid for) away from the population centers, purchases/converting manifold vehicles to function with alt fuels/terrains TEOTWAWKI, and owning/caching a small battery of self-defense weapons.
Basically, the best advice is to avoid the "golden horde" or multitudes of people who are going to egress from major metropolitan areas. The advice that a main goal should be to avoid being a "refugee" when the collapse comes was the most sound, even if it means being able to just bunker down for a while without having to scoot out of dodge.
The emphasis on learning skills, on being self-sufficient, AND planning in a charitable component for sharing with others less forward-thinking in their planning were all highlights, and seemingly accessible.
I have only one thing I have to say to everyone that reads this, if you don't have some water (1gal/pp/day) and a week's worth of food (pp/day) stored in your house someplace (especially if you live in CA), you are living in a fantasy world of that does not take into account a very fragile, highly leveraged system of faith in the immediate, that everything will be okay, which it may be, until it isn't...then what?
Pretty early into the book, it was clear to me that I would never be fiscally able (or willing) to do half the most sound advice in the book: A land retreat (bought and paid for) away from the population centers, purchases/converting manifold vehicles to function with alt fuels/terrains TEOTWAWKI, and owning/caching a small battery of self-defense weapons.
Basically, the best advice is to avoid the "golden horde" or multitudes of people who are going to egress from major metropolitan areas. The advice that a main goal should be to avoid being a "refugee" when the collapse comes was the most sound, even if it means being able to just bunker down for a while without having to scoot out of dodge.
The emphasis on learning skills, on being self-sufficient, AND planning in a charitable component for sharing with others less forward-thinking in their planning were all highlights, and seemingly accessible.
I have only one thing I have to say to everyone that reads this, if you don't have some water (1gal/pp/day) and a week's worth of food (pp/day) stored in your house someplace (especially if you live in CA), you are living in a fantasy world of that does not take into account a very fragile, highly leveraged system of faith in the immediate, that everything will be okay, which it may be, until it isn't...then what?
November 20, 2010
Apparently, if you want to survive the "end of the world", you need lots of money (to buy all the stuff you'll need and some land to build a safe compound) and lots of time to get all this stuff organized and stored. I have concluded that, if the end of the world comes along, in whatever shape or form, I am going to the front lines to fight the enemy (instead of hiding), help the diseased (if it's a pandemic) or climbing up on my roof to watch the fireworks (if it's nuclear war). This amount of preparation is very extensive and I am already behind. Sorry, James Rawles.It was interesting to read anyway but it also made me tired.
June 6, 2010
This book was more of a beginner primer than I had expected. Most of the information is copy and pasted directly from his Web site. If you know nothing about preparedness, you'll learn something from this book. If you have a bit of background in it, you might pick up a bit of info here or there. He did address a couple things other books don't, like how to deal with the dead or delivering babies. But most every topic is just brushed over and you would have to find further resources to really learn more. So don't plan on buying this book and nothing else, or you won't be prepared!
February 12, 2012
Useful general information on preparing for end of world scenarios. Stresses the importance of the well stocked retreat mentality of survival. Goes into many varied topics around this concept, such as proper vehicles, food growing methods, firearms etc. Does not provide heavy detail into any specific field, but points you to other literature that definitely will. Definitely not the end all book on post apocalyptic lifestyle, but a useful amalgamation of the basic concepts of how to survive and what you'll probably need.
June 6, 2013
This book stands alone when it comes to planning for what comes after societal breakdown or The End of the World as We Know It (TEOTWAWKI). If you feel the need to start planning and preparing then you find this book to be a massive of list of lists and an indispensable reference.
I have to admit it's kind of gloomy to consider what happens after TEOTWAWKI and the level of constant preparedness each of us will require to survive.
If you are serious about getting a genuine start on the road to preparedness then make reading this book your first action.
I have to admit it's kind of gloomy to consider what happens after TEOTWAWKI and the level of constant preparedness each of us will require to survive.
If you are serious about getting a genuine start on the road to preparedness then make reading this book your first action.
October 4, 2011
This book is an excellent resource for someone that is TRULY paranoid of the end of the world scenario, and is determined to start planning for it right now. "How To Survive The End Of The World As We Know It" is packed with useful information on any topic you need to know if you believe the end is definitely near.
I borrowed a copy from a friend, but I will probably end up buying one for myself.
I borrowed a copy from a friend, but I will probably end up buying one for myself.
February 21, 2024
This is probably the most comprehensive book on preparing a homestead/BOL I've ever got my hands on. I'm going to have reread it several times with a highlighter to be able to grasp all of the concepts presented. Rawles is one of the best writers I've come across. He deals with everything from fuel storage, vehicle purchase, perimeter security, food storage. It's just an amazing amount of information to digest.
May 16, 2010
Very helpful and thought-provoking. I really admired the attention paid to being charitable and being part of the solution while still covering your own backside. Of course there was much more info on land ownership, special vehicles etc than I could ever hope to afford but I found this to be a book I'd like to have in my personal library.
December 13, 2011
Interesting read.
I think there is a simpler answer to Rawles complaints. Move.
The US is one country, there is a big planet. Go somewhere else.
That said, it's a good idea to read, just to prepare yourself mentally in advance. Have some idea of the time frame that you'll need to get prepared if WW3 (or Gread Depression 2) does break out.
He does make a lot of interesting points.
I think there is a simpler answer to Rawles complaints. Move.
The US is one country, there is a big planet. Go somewhere else.
That said, it's a good idea to read, just to prepare yourself mentally in advance. Have some idea of the time frame that you'll need to get prepared if WW3 (or Gread Depression 2) does break out.
He does make a lot of interesting points.
June 5, 2013
This book packs a lot of essential theory into its pages. Rawles is an expert on the subject and this book addresses items missed or misunderstood by most other survivalist and prepper authors. It is NOT a basic survival book; it is a book that addresses the philosophies and strategies behind surviving large scale disaster.
March 11, 2016
Pretty good book, though awfully short. He just skims the high points, really.
March 23, 2013
This is what I learned from this awesome book.
Seriously considering the dismal state of the U.S. economy, massive government debt and overspending, the money printing out of thin air by the Federal Reserve (QE3 - printing money like it's going out of style, because it IS going out of style), and the U.S. Debt to GDP ratio.
Thus, it seems time to get out of the stock market soon, cash in your IRA-401K paying the 10% penalty and get reinvested in tangibles like the "Five B's": 1.) Beans, 2.) Bullets, 3.) Bandaids, 4.) Bullion, 5.) Books.
These five categories of tangible investments in your immediate possession (http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/09/s...) should be both stored and cached on your own productive farm land (http://www.survivalblog.com/retreatar...) that is in a lightly-populated region with plentiful water and rich topsoil (preferably the "American Redoubt" - http://www.survivalretreatconsulting.com http://www.revrealty.us). Such a Survival Retreat (http://www.survivalrealty.com/what-is...) should first and foremost have a reliable water source, preferably a spring, or less preferably a year-round creek-stream, and a water well. It should be private, secluded property, with the ability to defend the retreat in the case of a total collapse in which crime becomes rampant. It should have a minimum of 3 acres with some downward hill slope for permaculture (see Montana Paul Wheaton's http://permies.com) Hugelkultur and swales on contour, with a mix of forested (for firewood and food forest), pasture (for micro-livestock), garden land with good topsoil and a water pond or small lake for biodiversity. All of this should be in a rural area; and have potential for solar (http://www.solar1234.com), wind and/or micro hydro power.
Time to get invested in these big six areas NOW.
This means investing in inflation-hedging useful tangibles stored on your own Retreat land including:
1.) Beans = 8 to 12 months of mostly long term storable dry-goods foodstuffs, and less of canned goods. Squirrel away lots of salt, sugar, honey, coconut oil and olive oil, ghee, tea and instant coffee with 2 to 3 months of water in blue 55 gal drums with a Big Berkey water filter and replacement filters, plus three seasons worth of non-hybrid open-pollinated heirloom vegetable-fruit seeds and cooking herb seeds. Expect to spend at least the same amount per month as your monthly food bill X 2 (at least $5,000) since you need to buy lots of 5 gallon food grade buckets with color coded screw-on Gamma Lids and 55 gallon blue water barrels (see http://www.beprepared.com Emergency Essentials) along with Country Living grain mill-grinder, bread maker, dehydrator, canning supplies, 1 quart Mason jars, 2 camp stoves and lots of propane tanks, etc.
2). Bullets = Invest in, Support, Protect and Defend the Second Amendment and the other 9 Amendments of our sagely and compassionate Bill of Rights with 2 AK-AR Personal Defense Rifles with 2000 rounds mil-surplus ammo and 10 full capacity 30 round magazines, one Ruger 10/22 Take-Down Rifle with 2500 rounds 22LR and 5 BX25 full capacity magazines, one S&W M&P or Glock centerfire handgun with 1000 rounds and 10 full capacity 19 or 15 round magazines of 9mm or .40S&W, 1 S&W M&P 22 rimfire backup handgun (for affordable weekly practice on same manual of arms/ergonomics as your primary 9mm or .40 S&W handgun) with 2500 rounds and 5 full capacity 12 round magazines or for Glock users an Advantage Arms or other 22LR replacement barrel, two 12 gauge pump or semi-auto shotguns with 1000 rounds mixed slugs, 00-Buck and #7 birdshot. Remember that "Two is One, and One is None!" Don't forget cleaning supplies, holsters, cases, slings, optics, basic gun-smithing tools, high quality Spyderco and Cold Steel knives and force multipliers like security cameras and Comms such as CBs-MURs-HAM-Short Wave radios. Get in-person training, not just YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/nutnfancy) and gun range time. Invest at least $5,000, to $10,000.
3.) Band-aids = first-aid and medical supplies and 12 months of vitamins-minerals-nutraceuticals, top 50 most common herbs or herb formulas, and over-the-counter and prescription meds pharmaceuticals. Invest at least $1,000 to $3,000. Don't forget non-hybrid open-pollinated seeds for the top 10 medicinal herbs that grow in your area.
4.) Bullion = As an inflation hedge-investment put 10 to 30% of all your net worth in 65% "Constitutional Silver" coins (pre-1965 Washington 90% silver quarters - https://www.providentmetals.com/bulli..., https://www.tspmint.com/silver.html, https://silverbulletsilvershield.com), 35% Gold Eagles in mix of 1 oz, 1/2 oz, and 1/4 oz coins, and $1000 in pre-2014 nickels made of nickel as emergency "cash". Invest at least $10,000. Get out of $ denominated Federal Reserve QE3 deflated fiat-currency ASAP, apart from sufficient emergency cash for 1 month or more.
5.) Books = Knowledge and Skills, so join Amazon.com Prime for free shipping. Read especially King James Version of The Bible or appropriate scriptural texts of your religion. Join the Member Support Brigade (MSB) of Jack Spirko's http://thesurvivalpodcast.com and download and listen to / study more than 1200 hours of amazing content. To start out read M.D. Creekmore's "31 Days to Survival" (http://thesurvivalistblog.net). To go to the next level for serious Patriot Preppers, read and re-read James Wesley Rawles "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It" (get it on Audible.com as well - http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?...). Then study Carla Emery's "Encyclopedia of Country Living". After reading Joel Skousen's Strategic Relocation - North American Guide to Safe Places (also watch his video with Alex Jones' http://www.prisonplanet.com/strategic...) you will want to relocate to the American Redoubt (Idaho-Montana-Wyoming - Eastern Oregon - Eastern Washington). Finally study American Red Cross First-Aid book, and get Red Cross certified for CPR and first-aid. See http://www.survivalblog.com/bookshelf... for a complete list -- expect to invest at least $500 to $1000 on books.
Keep your powder dry! God bless, God speed, Good luck, and Long live our Constitutional Republic.
From somewhere in the American Redoubt
http://www.American-Redoubt.com - new site with Podcasts
https://www.youtube.com/user/American...
https://twitter.com/AmericaRedoubt
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Americ...
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/1097639...
https://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/...
Seriously considering the dismal state of the U.S. economy, massive government debt and overspending, the money printing out of thin air by the Federal Reserve (QE3 - printing money like it's going out of style, because it IS going out of style), and the U.S. Debt to GDP ratio.
Thus, it seems time to get out of the stock market soon, cash in your IRA-401K paying the 10% penalty and get reinvested in tangibles like the "Five B's": 1.) Beans, 2.) Bullets, 3.) Bandaids, 4.) Bullion, 5.) Books.
These five categories of tangible investments in your immediate possession (http://www.survivalblog.com/2010/09/s...) should be both stored and cached on your own productive farm land (http://www.survivalblog.com/retreatar...) that is in a lightly-populated region with plentiful water and rich topsoil (preferably the "American Redoubt" - http://www.survivalretreatconsulting.com http://www.revrealty.us). Such a Survival Retreat (http://www.survivalrealty.com/what-is...) should first and foremost have a reliable water source, preferably a spring, or less preferably a year-round creek-stream, and a water well. It should be private, secluded property, with the ability to defend the retreat in the case of a total collapse in which crime becomes rampant. It should have a minimum of 3 acres with some downward hill slope for permaculture (see Montana Paul Wheaton's http://permies.com) Hugelkultur and swales on contour, with a mix of forested (for firewood and food forest), pasture (for micro-livestock), garden land with good topsoil and a water pond or small lake for biodiversity. All of this should be in a rural area; and have potential for solar (http://www.solar1234.com), wind and/or micro hydro power.
Time to get invested in these big six areas NOW.
This means investing in inflation-hedging useful tangibles stored on your own Retreat land including:
1.) Beans = 8 to 12 months of mostly long term storable dry-goods foodstuffs, and less of canned goods. Squirrel away lots of salt, sugar, honey, coconut oil and olive oil, ghee, tea and instant coffee with 2 to 3 months of water in blue 55 gal drums with a Big Berkey water filter and replacement filters, plus three seasons worth of non-hybrid open-pollinated heirloom vegetable-fruit seeds and cooking herb seeds. Expect to spend at least the same amount per month as your monthly food bill X 2 (at least $5,000) since you need to buy lots of 5 gallon food grade buckets with color coded screw-on Gamma Lids and 55 gallon blue water barrels (see http://www.beprepared.com Emergency Essentials) along with Country Living grain mill-grinder, bread maker, dehydrator, canning supplies, 1 quart Mason jars, 2 camp stoves and lots of propane tanks, etc.
2). Bullets = Invest in, Support, Protect and Defend the Second Amendment and the other 9 Amendments of our sagely and compassionate Bill of Rights with 2 AK-AR Personal Defense Rifles with 2000 rounds mil-surplus ammo and 10 full capacity 30 round magazines, one Ruger 10/22 Take-Down Rifle with 2500 rounds 22LR and 5 BX25 full capacity magazines, one S&W M&P or Glock centerfire handgun with 1000 rounds and 10 full capacity 19 or 15 round magazines of 9mm or .40S&W, 1 S&W M&P 22 rimfire backup handgun (for affordable weekly practice on same manual of arms/ergonomics as your primary 9mm or .40 S&W handgun) with 2500 rounds and 5 full capacity 12 round magazines or for Glock users an Advantage Arms or other 22LR replacement barrel, two 12 gauge pump or semi-auto shotguns with 1000 rounds mixed slugs, 00-Buck and #7 birdshot. Remember that "Two is One, and One is None!" Don't forget cleaning supplies, holsters, cases, slings, optics, basic gun-smithing tools, high quality Spyderco and Cold Steel knives and force multipliers like security cameras and Comms such as CBs-MURs-HAM-Short Wave radios. Get in-person training, not just YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/nutnfancy) and gun range time. Invest at least $5,000, to $10,000.
3.) Band-aids = first-aid and medical supplies and 12 months of vitamins-minerals-nutraceuticals, top 50 most common herbs or herb formulas, and over-the-counter and prescription meds pharmaceuticals. Invest at least $1,000 to $3,000. Don't forget non-hybrid open-pollinated seeds for the top 10 medicinal herbs that grow in your area.
4.) Bullion = As an inflation hedge-investment put 10 to 30% of all your net worth in 65% "Constitutional Silver" coins (pre-1965 Washington 90% silver quarters - https://www.providentmetals.com/bulli..., https://www.tspmint.com/silver.html, https://silverbulletsilvershield.com), 35% Gold Eagles in mix of 1 oz, 1/2 oz, and 1/4 oz coins, and $1000 in pre-2014 nickels made of nickel as emergency "cash". Invest at least $10,000. Get out of $ denominated Federal Reserve QE3 deflated fiat-currency ASAP, apart from sufficient emergency cash for 1 month or more.
5.) Books = Knowledge and Skills, so join Amazon.com Prime for free shipping. Read especially King James Version of The Bible or appropriate scriptural texts of your religion. Join the Member Support Brigade (MSB) of Jack Spirko's http://thesurvivalpodcast.com and download and listen to / study more than 1200 hours of amazing content. To start out read M.D. Creekmore's "31 Days to Survival" (http://thesurvivalistblog.net). To go to the next level for serious Patriot Preppers, read and re-read James Wesley Rawles "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It" (get it on Audible.com as well - http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?...). Then study Carla Emery's "Encyclopedia of Country Living". After reading Joel Skousen's Strategic Relocation - North American Guide to Safe Places (also watch his video with Alex Jones' http://www.prisonplanet.com/strategic...) you will want to relocate to the American Redoubt (Idaho-Montana-Wyoming - Eastern Oregon - Eastern Washington). Finally study American Red Cross First-Aid book, and get Red Cross certified for CPR and first-aid. See http://www.survivalblog.com/bookshelf... for a complete list -- expect to invest at least $500 to $1000 on books.
Keep your powder dry! God bless, God speed, Good luck, and Long live our Constitutional Republic.
From somewhere in the American Redoubt
http://www.American-Redoubt.com - new site with Podcasts
https://www.youtube.com/user/American...
https://twitter.com/AmericaRedoubt
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Americ...
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/1097639...
https://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/...
August 13, 2019
Incredible details on everything you could possibly need. That also made it a bit dry in places. Overall, this was a exceptional read for prepping.
Me. Joe
Me. Joe
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