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8th out of 10 books
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Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life
by
Neil Strauss (Goodreads Author)
Terrorist attacks. Natural disasters. Domestic crackdowns. Economic collapse. Riots. Wars. Disease. Starvation.
What can you do when it all hits the fan?
You can learn to be self-sufficient and survive without the system.
**I've started to look at the world through apocalypse eyes.** So begins Neil Strauss's harrowing new book: his first full-length worksince the internati
...morePaperback, 418 pages
Published
January 1st 2009
by Harper Paperbacks
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Nowhere as good as the Game or Dirt, and a very, very slow start (150 pages of musings over why this subject interests him), but when it gets going it really gets going. If you're a fan of secret spy stuff, conspiracy theory, and action movies, you'll love this book, but what I wasn't expecting was that it's strangely touching. By the time Strauss is learning to track people through the woods and find edible plants, you're really rooting for him to get in touch with his non-urban side. A very fa...more
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Emergency + The Game = How to be James Bond
Seriously Neil we get it you are now the real life James Bond. If only you were British. Your last book the game focused on how to meet women. This one is about driving motor-cycles and shooting guns at the same time. The only thing he still needs is a jet-pack. I mean one of his friends in the book has a submarine in Iceland.
This book really drew me in and I finished it in about a week reading it at lunch time every day. I...more
Seriously Neil we get it you are now the real life James Bond. If only you were British. Your last book the game focused on how to meet women. This one is about driving motor-cycles and shooting guns at the same time. The only thing he still needs is a jet-pack. I mean one of his friends in the book has a submarine in Iceland.
This book really drew me in and I finished it in about a week reading it at lunch time every day. I...more
Mike Sherov
added it
I enjoyed this book. Neil Strauss has a knack for presenting interesting specialist niches of society. I identified with the feeling of being a "sniveler" which is basically anyone who can not fend for themselves and relies on the system.
I enjoyed watching him change from defenseless, to being able to fend for himself, to becoming a defender of others. The survival skills, the financial trickery, the dual citizensip stuff was all entertaining and interesting to learn about. This book ...more
I enjoyed watching him change from defenseless, to being able to fend for himself, to becoming a defender of others. The survival skills, the financial trickery, the dual citizensip stuff was all entertaining and interesting to learn about. This book ...more
a copied review:
The writing style is good. Neil Strauss has a way of writing that pulls you through just about whatever he’s covering. However, if you’re looking for a good book about survivalists, becoming a survivalist, or some kind of survivalist manual, look somewhere else.
A lot of the book is devoted to his attempts to get dual citizenship so that he has somewhere to go WTSHTF (When the Shit Hits the Fan). These parts are not very exciting. They mostly serve to make you ...more
The writing style is good. Neil Strauss has a way of writing that pulls you through just about whatever he’s covering. However, if you’re looking for a good book about survivalists, becoming a survivalist, or some kind of survivalist manual, look somewhere else.
A lot of the book is devoted to his attempts to get dual citizenship so that he has somewhere to go WTSHTF (When the Shit Hits the Fan). These parts are not very exciting. They mostly serve to make you ...more
This was another one of those books that I blasted through, reading the vast majority of it in one night. Strauss writes in a way that is compelling, but there's also a lack of depth that allows for such speed in consumption of the material. That is, one does not need to worry about missing any underlying meanings or subtleties in the text.
That said, the book was filled with much useful information about survival situations, especially in the comics interspersed throughout the book....more
That said, the book was filled with much useful information about survival situations, especially in the comics interspersed throughout the book....more
A fascinating piece of literature, Emergency tracks the authors descent into paranoia after Y2k and 9/11. The author presents himself as relatively level headed, but goes to extreme lengths to satisfy his growing obsession with having an escape plan, and the skill set to enact it WTSHTF (When The Shit Hits The Fan).
Despite the book being heavily related to topics of terrorism and survivalists, what struck me most was the authors tale of teaching himself to be self-sufficient and rea...more
Despite the book being heavily related to topics of terrorism and survivalists, what struck me most was the authors tale of teaching himself to be self-sufficient and rea...more
Tim
added it
Another memoir/mini autobiography of Neil Strauss. I'm not sure if it's him or the publisher who is responsible for the misleading title and marketing...
I enjoyed the book, but I couldn't stand it until part 4. Up unto that point it's all Neil Strauss, irrational with fear, going overboard with debt in order to secure a second citizenship. Particularly annoying are his interludes where he gives the reader wisdom such as informing us we are mortal. Thanks Neil. Once he finally starts learning wha...more
I enjoyed the book, but I couldn't stand it until part 4. Up unto that point it's all Neil Strauss, irrational with fear, going overboard with debt in order to secure a second citizenship. Particularly annoying are his interludes where he gives the reader wisdom such as informing us we are mortal. Thanks Neil. Once he finally starts learning wha...more
If evening news rival with fiction from Stephen King and you feel thats sky or more realistically new and improved A-bomb is getting closer than even falling on you and crushing you like a bug then this book is for you...as an intelligent person the constant feeling of dread you cant but help to feel with the amount of stupid people surrounding you in positions to do you or your love ones considerable damage you have to sometimes think of your options of survival...Mr.Strauss here has done more...more
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I bought this book in an airport In Las Vegas and read it on the plane. I didn't know what it was really about, but it was the best option I had, over girl-y lady romance books. By the time I reached my destination, I had begun to suspect my seatmates of considering tackling and restraining me, since anything they might have been able to read over my shoulder was about terrorism, 9/11 and what weapons you can take on an airplane.
Non the less, I found this book really interesting. I was con...more
Non the less, I found this book really interesting. I was con...more
Neil Strauss, probably most famous for his Motley Crue book the Dirt and his book about Pick-Up Artists, the Game, gets a little freaked out about the state of the world. Then he looks into it a little more and gets a lot freaked out, especially when he has to admit to himself that after a life lived in the city where a rolling blackout was the closest thing to the apocalypse so far, he is unprepared to survive any sort of calamity. So, throwing himself into his subject as usual, he decides to ...more
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"Emergency" is amusing enough, but it mostly makes me wonder what Neil Strauss' problem is, exactly. For a guy who seems to have a pretty decent life, he spends an awful lot of time worrying about random unlikelihoods. I guess this is why doom-saying is always popular: there are apparently a lot of people around who spend their time just worrying about exactly when the other shoe is going to drop. Strauss details his obsessive search for self-sufficiency (while agonizing over the cuten...more
Very enjoyable book- Strauss is a great writer and it was interesting to meet him at his DC book singing. It definitely motivated me to follow up on some of the things he mentions- I got now involved with the Fairfax Reserve Medical Corps as a volunteer coordinator. In addition to the benefit of public service, the fringe benefits you receive from getting involved are true and even more significant in real life.
For instance, Now my family and I get priority treatment / vaccination / ...more
For instance, Now my family and I get priority treatment / vaccination / ...more
Alex
rated it
I picked this book up based on a review of it by Tim Ferriss. Of particular interest was Strauss's investigation into obtaining dual citizenship and its associated advantages. The book begins with Strauss's introduction into the world of doomsday cults and survivalists. He quickly learns that these fringe elements are not solely limited to isolated rural compounds in the middle of nowhere but extend even into wall street and the ultra-wealthy. Although his initial goal is simply to identify a me...more
A fun, quick read about what skills/options you might like to have at your disposal if the world as we know it were to end...briefly covering pretty much everything from how to obtain a second citizenship to how to skin a goat...
And while dwelling on all the myriad ways in which our cities could be destroyed or the social order could break down and have us fending off looters seems to contradict one of Strauss's steps to living longer--lower your anxiety level--what's most striking abo...more
And while dwelling on all the myriad ways in which our cities could be destroyed or the social order could break down and have us fending off looters seems to contradict one of Strauss's steps to living longer--lower your anxiety level--what's most striking abo...more
This book is morbidly fascinating and interesting on an intellectual, political, social and practical level.
This journalist decides that recent events in politics and international affairs are good enough reason to worry about being a citizen of this country, as well as reason enough to think that there is a good chance of the country collapsing, or at least suffering a debilitating terrorist attack in the near future. This book is current up to November 08, and his reasons are too ...more
This journalist decides that recent events in politics and international affairs are good enough reason to worry about being a citizen of this country, as well as reason enough to think that there is a good chance of the country collapsing, or at least suffering a debilitating terrorist attack in the near future. This book is current up to November 08, and his reasons are too ...more
An interesting look at the thought processes of one man as he wrestles with the fact that if a major catastrophe were to happen, the government could not protect him, and he could not protect himself.
The book gets off to a slow start, as he explains the events that led him to pursue a non-U.S. passport and a ton of survival training. Once he gets through all that and starts educating himself in the art of survival, the book gets fun to read. He seeks out the top experts their respect...more
The book gets off to a slow start, as he explains the events that led him to pursue a non-U.S. passport and a ton of survival training. Once he gets through all that and starts educating himself in the art of survival, the book gets fun to read. He seeks out the top experts their respect...more
Although I'm not as unbalanced as the author, this was a life-changing book. Living in California, this was another wake-up call that I can't just sit back and hope for the best when disaster inevitably strikes. Be that tsunami, earthquake, the inevitable zombie apocalypse, or other socioeconomic collapse. I'm not ready to take it to the extremes he did, but I definitely need a BOB (bug out bag) and a BOV (bug out vehicle) for WTSHTF (when the shit hits the fan).
If you are Fliesian, ...more
If you are Fliesian, ...more
I didn't find this author particularly likable but as someone who finally finished his earthquake kit a year ago, it was nice to see that there are people even more obsessed about the breakdown of society. While I'm worried about a week or two, a lot of people are pretty sure we will have "The Road" in their lifetimes and spend (squander?) their current lives preparing so that they will be on top when TSHTF (a common acronym in the book).
There is some practical stuff and...more
There is some practical stuff and...more
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The audible version is read by the author, a dry-witted New York Times music critic and self-proclaimed nerd who takes us on his journey of transformation from helpless urbanite totally reliant upon modern technologies and conveniences, to independent survivalist prepared to handle just about any doomsday scenario he can imagine. He is galvanized into action after a collective epiphany shakes him into realizing how dependent we are upon The Syst...more
Notice that the subtitle has a little arrow under it that points to Neil's name. This book was a quick and enjoyable read, chronicling Strauss's adventures in learning survival skills. The first 1/3 - 1/2 of the book was less exciting, where he mostly talks about some of the survival nuts that he was getting advice from. Later on, it gets better as he starts practicing the skills he's learning. Throughout the book we also see a development in Strauss from selfish worrier to confident man wil...more
This book was my first look into the world of survivalism, and what an exciting world it is. I love how the book ends and the lessons Strauss learned on his journey -- and I think I got a small bug to try to learn some more about this stuff.
But most importantly, what I found inspiring in this book was the close look at how Strauss operates:
- Always go to the source, the best instructors out there, the most experienced fliesians, and so on.
- Try things out and ...more
But most importantly, what I found inspiring in this book was the close look at how Strauss operates:
- Always go to the source, the best instructors out there, the most experienced fliesians, and so on.
- Try things out and ...more
This is a some more journalism/memoir from Neil Strauss, the world's best pick-up artist and rock star biographer. I ended up reading "The Game" by him a last year and it was one of the best books I've read in a long time. It does what Hunter S. Thompson did with "Hell's Angels" accept he becomes completely involved in the group himself. Anyway, that was a great book, if you really pay attention to it it breaks down all the dynamics of power, between men and women, between me...more
"R" Rated.
This book has quite a few gross images (literally and figuratively) and drags you through fairly vulgar language and worldly perspectives, but I'm curious to see where he goes with it as the these devices appear to serve a better purpose. I would not recommend a young person read this book.
[Update]
The author points to his progress as a person who was driven by fear to one who recognizes that he's a member of a community. That membership involve...more
This book has quite a few gross images (literally and figuratively) and drags you through fairly vulgar language and worldly perspectives, but I'm curious to see where he goes with it as the these devices appear to serve a better purpose. I would not recommend a young person read this book.
[Update]
The author points to his progress as a person who was driven by fear to one who recognizes that he's a member of a community. That membership involve...more
I'd put this book alongside A Fighter's Heart as a book that almost any man I know will enjoy, but probably very few women. The book has a good freewheeling style, and touches on all kinds of action hero stuff that every boy grows up wanting to know about: picking locks, escaping from prison, getaway driving, Swiss bank accounts, wilderness tracking, gunplay, how to make a knife out of a credit card, and so on. This book tries to impose a flimsy narrative of self-discovery over all this stuff, w...more
This is a very interesting story about a young man who wants to be prepared for a possible disaster
in the USA, and wants to escape "the system" by trying to get a second citizenship. It's sometimes hilarious what he has to do to change his life from being a totally depended technocrat to a do-er and survivor.
The changes he makes in his life are really interesting and it takes a few years and numerous courses for him to become an active, participating member of society. ...more
in the USA, and wants to escape "the system" by trying to get a second citizenship. It's sometimes hilarious what he has to do to change his life from being a totally depended technocrat to a do-er and survivor.
The changes he makes in his life are really interesting and it takes a few years and numerous courses for him to become an active, participating member of society. ...more
Loved this book!! I've started to try to add some non-fiction to my lists... and this proved to be a good one! Neil Strauss has spent his life in a very urban, comfy world. This book chronicles his journey to become a self-sufficient person in life... learning survival techniques, weapon handling, goat raising, motorbike riding... as well as EMT and CERT skills. Very good read, and pretty clean as well. I'm not sure if I'll read any of his other books... but I'd recommend this one to anyone who ...more
This book is very interesting. Strauss goes at this notion of self-reliance, survivalism and "bugging out when the shit hits the fan" very very seriously. He is a reporter so I get that he's thorough, but he borders on maniacal with what he does.
That said, his exploits and adventures are extremely informational and thought provoking. He makes you question the very notion of "living free in America" and definitely made me think about what I would do if the world...more
That said, his exploits and adventures are extremely informational and thought provoking. He makes you question the very notion of "living free in America" and definitely made me think about what I would do if the world...more
Interesting read, with the occasional great turn of phrase and often brutal honesty. He refers to those that believe people will act similarly to the children in "Lord of the Flies," "Fliesians," which made me laugh Found the effort to include the "white collar" survivalist plans of offshore accounts and other country havens interesting. The short breezy chapters made it extremely readable, but as a novel reader, I found it hindered continuity. The writing style is an interesting mix of se...more
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Neil Strauss is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Game, Rules of the Game, and Emergency. He is also the coauthor of three other New York Times bestsellers - Jenna Jameson's How to Make Love Like a Porn Star, Mötley Crüe's The Dirt, and Marilyn Manson's The Long Hard Road Out of Hell - as well as Dave Navarro's Don't Try This at Home, a Los Angeles Times bestseller. His latest book,...more
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“We're just fragile machines programmed with a false sense of our own importance. And every now and then the universe sends a reminder that we don't really matter to it...”
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“That's how hatred is created: two different groups, each insisting they're on the moral high ground”
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