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1st out of 12 books
—
3 voters
How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times
Read James Wesley, Rawles's posts on the Penguin Blog
In the vein of Sam Sheridan's The Disaster Diaries, a comprehensive guide to preparing for the apocalypse!
With the recent economic crisis, formerly unimaginable scenarios have become terrifyingly real possibilities- learn how to prepare for the worst
Global financial collapse, a terrorist attack, a natural catastrophe-a...more
In the vein of Sam Sheridan's The Disaster Diaries, a comprehensive guide to preparing for the apocalypse!
With the recent economic crisis, formerly unimaginable scenarios have become terrifyingly real possibilities- learn how to prepare for the worst
Global financial collapse, a terrorist attack, a natural catastrophe-a...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
September 30th 2009
by Plume
(first published September 29th 2009)
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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...more
During that time I had to break out...more
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 co...more
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 sim...more
Well the world is going to end on Friday (apparently) and this book has not helped me prepare for this at all. There's just not enough time for me to follow the instructions in this book, namely move to a 'retreat' 300 miles away from the nearest city (I have no idea how that would work from where I live in England), stock pile 20 years worth of food, build a functional well, take a course in medicine, learn to shoot, build a generator/battery charger, install an alternative power source... Get...more
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...more
"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...more
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...more
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 typ...more
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...more
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...more
Pretty early into the book, it was clear to me that I would never be fiscally...more
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 differ...more
There are some good things covered in this book, but many of the strategies were written for someone with economic means I can't compete with. I can't prepare a second survival home tucked away in a rural area to retreat to in an emergency-- it'd be great, sure, but it ain't happening in the foreseeable future. So I suppose in the case of real calamity I have to make due as best I can (with perhaps 20-25% of the book which is actually applicable to me).
The useful topics addressed like food stor...more
Pretty much the worst "self-help" book ever. The book contains almost no tangible lessons on survival, instead including the author's right-wing ideals and trumped up theories based on highly militarized end of the world scenarios. Most of the book makes dramatic assumptions about the monetary resources of the readers, as if only the upper-class should/will survive any end of the world scenario, if they have prepared by purchasing multiple properties and tools. Lower-income readers should be adv...more
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.) Bullet...more
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.) Bullet...more
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...more
And to people...more
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...more
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 lea...more
Rawles writes simply and directly, and his words are smooth as the butter he says we should store for the end of the world. Though I disagree with his somewhat pessimistic believe in man's behavior should some world ending disaster strike, I do like some of his views on being prepared and ready to take care of yourself, your family, and your responsibilities starting with very basic skills. It was entertaining though, and Rawles seems like he'd be an interesting guy to have a dinner with, though...more
Very intellegent writer. Many good tips. My largest gripe is that it's centered around an assumption that the reader can choose, buy, and then live in a place far from normal society. Surely that is the best place to be for a survival situation. However, in order to make the money required for such an undertaking most of us must endure living where most everyone else also lives. The knowledge of this book is left behind on the masses. I'm pretty sure the writer is well aware of this. He comes ac...more
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 a...more
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 a...more
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 w...more
An excellent primer on preparedness. It's not exactly a survival manual, which focuses on specific techniques and tactics, but rather a book that tells you what supplies/skills you will need to acquire in order to survive the worst of catastrophes. I judge most of my preparedness based upon this book, which proved to me that my former idea of preparedness was woefully inadequate. While we may not all be able to afford the kind of equipment Rawles recommends, at least it gives us something to str...more
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 ma...more
It's still an interesting read even if you're not prepared to go to that extent to ma...more
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, thi...more
Aug 20, 2012
Mrs Johnnie Tate
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Shelves:
read-since-joining
Mr. Rawles does a creditable job of writing a very comprehensive understandable book with a minimum of jargon and techno-babble. Not only easy to read front to back, this would be an essential reference guide to those who style themselves at Preppers.
Thank you sir for a primer with depth that does not induce fear and panic. Practical advise is welcome in this subject which has much misinformation. Next time I read through will keep a highlighter, notebook and page flag set handy. Yes, I plan to...more
Thank you sir for a primer with depth that does not induce fear and panic. Practical advise is welcome in this subject which has much misinformation. Next time I read through will keep a highlighter, notebook and page flag set handy. Yes, I plan to...more
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.
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.
If you're not a millionaire whose spent years prepping, when the apocalypse comes, just dig your own grave. The writing style is definitely more suited to a blog and whoever the editor is should be ashamed. I found a ton of misspelled words. While very informative, I learned just as much from reading Margaret Atwood's Year of the Flood, which is an enjoyable read.
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.
Wow, I had no idea how ill prepared I was. This book is very helpful and thought-provoking (and somewhat overwhelming and scary for the mother of 4). I agree with other reviewers who admire the attention paid to being charitable and being part of the solution while still covering your own backside.
This has opened my eyes as to how unprepared I am for such a disaster, and how likely it is. However, this book is full of tips that are just impractical for someone such as my self; I don't live in the US & I cant afford to buy my own hide away retreat castle and stock it full of nearly everything.
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New York Times best-selling survivalist-fiction author, blogger, and survival retreat consultant.
A conservative Christian, Rawles is the editor of SurvivalBlog.com, a blog on survival and preparedness topics.
More about James Wesley Rawles...
A conservative Christian, Rawles is the editor of SurvivalBlog.com, a blog on survival and preparedness topics.
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Mar 24, 2013 02:37am
Mar 24, 2013 11:18am