Surviving the Zombie Outbreak: The Official Zombie Survival Field Manual

by Gerald Kielpinski & Brian Gleisberg

A pathogen known as the "Vrykolas-Romeros Virus" (VRV) began infecting humans throughout eastern Pennsylvania approximately six weeks prior to the printing of this book. VRV is unlike any virus humankind has ever seen before. It kills its host quickly and within moments reanimates the corpse as a "walking dead" creature that is compelled to bite humans and spread the virus. These abominations are herein referred to as "Zombies." Since the appearance of VRV, worldwide chaos has ensued. The power grid is down, supplies are finite, and Zombies are roaming the landscape. You have found yourself trying to survive as best as you can under these desperate circumstances. The government is determined to find a cure for the VRV, but until we do, you must adapt to overcome the daily challenges to survival. This book will help. Trust science. 

PART 1: SURVIVAL AT HOME
Chapter 1: The Virus
Chapter 2: Carrier Nature
Chapter 3: Your Target
Chapter 4: Firearms
Chapter 5: Other Weaponry
Chapter 6: What NOT to Do
Chapter 7: What to Wear
Chapter 8: Home Defense
Chapter 9: Your Kit
Chapter 10: Communication
Chapter 11: Dependents & Pets
Chapter 12: Survival Habits
Chapter 13: Long-term survival

PART 2: IN FIELD ON A MISSION
Chapter 14: Teamwork
Chapter 15: Planning a Mission
Chapter 16: Exit Strategy
Chapter 17: Vehicles
Chapter 18: On Foot
Chapter 19: Hot Spots
Chapter 20: Zombie Hunting
Chapter 21: Ethics & Barter

APPENDIXES
Appendix Distractions
Appendix Early Warning Devices (EWD)
Appendix Terminology
Appendix Sample Zombie Log
Appendix Pre-Mission Checklist

Genres: Zombies, Humor, Reference, Fiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2011

Reviews

[Derek Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I really just picked this up so that I could skim through it and then donate it to free up shelf space (I'd received this back in college as a Yankee Swap gift), I actually ended up enjoying this a lot more than I anticipated and I think this will be staying in my collection for a while to come.

Structured as a mock survival manual, this tells the story of a zombie outbreak and provides instructions on how to survive it. What probably surprised me most is that I expected it to be much zanier when it came to the zombie humor, but that ended up being oddly dry. What I found to be most engaging were the parts that seemed the closest to an actual survival manual. There's quite a bit of content from how to obtain clean drinking water to instructions for gun safety and even details about emergency baby deliveries that I genuinely did not expect to be done with so much detail. There are also a couple of visuals provided for both the ASL and Morse Code alphabets that on their own might be useful to have on hand if you ever found yourself in a tough situation with no internet access. While I didn't fact check much of these zombie-agnostic survival tips, I did realize that this kind of thing really interested me and might lead me to looking for something a little less undead-related and apocalyptic.

I also really appreciated all the effort that was put into this when it came to adding images as well as just the general layout of the book's interior. Some people might be put off by the fact that none of the text is justified (not sure if that is common in survival guides or not) and I did feel like the inner margins could have been a little bigger as I found myself having to peel the book apart a little more than I wanted although I will say that the spine held up just fine.

Overall, I enjoyed this much more than I expected to (and maybe more than I should have). It's a fun time that may or may not be the text you should turn to in an actual crisis, but did spark an interest in survival content (unrelated to zombies) so I'll be on the lookout for some good recommendations for that. I would also say that this is a must-read for anyone thinking of writing a compelling (and realistic?) zombie story or post-apocalypse fiction in general as it could be used as an awesome reference for thinking through how characters might survive under harsh conditions.

[Noah Melton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very informative book, you will learn a lot about how to survive in the wilderness all around the world. It talks about some of the zombie ideas but mostly focused on the ideas of surviving in the woods. I feel that the title will scare away some of your average outdoors men because of the Zombie idea. If you can get past the zombie idea you will definitely enjoy the read and learn a lot about surviving in the woods/wilderness. i Would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes the outdoors.

[G. Edweird Cheese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reads exactly like a field guide. Entertaining, as well as actually providing practical advise for any type of of large scale catastrophe. Bonus star just because they show you step by step how to make a shotgun arrow. Somebody less lethargic than me should follow said directions and let me know if it actually works.

[Benji Tomlinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than reading Facebook in the poop room. Had some funny moments.

[Diego]

awesome

[Aprilthoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Left it in the bathroom to freak out visitors. Absolute fail. Everyone wanted to borrow it.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, not a bad read.

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 3 out of 5]

For zombie apocalypse lovers