Prepared: A Manual for Surviving Worst-Case Scenarios

by Mike Glover, Jack Carr (Foreword)

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

A former Green Beret’s indispensable course in preparedness, teaching the keys to building a resilient and fearless life

Most people think that being prepared for catastrophe means stocking up on MREs and building a bunker in their backyard, but this approach leaves you vulnerable in the real world of car accidents, natural disasters, grid failures, and global pandemics. Prepared overturns today’s paranoid survival wisdom and teaches the foundational skills of preparedness that will not only help you build situational awareness and achieve greater mobility but that will also help you build resilient mental habits.

After 20 years in the US Army, Special Forces, and as a government contractor for the CIA, Mike Glover has trained thousands of men, women, and families in the art and science of survival. In this book, he shows you how  

• Harness your brain chemistry to eliminate the freeze response and increase your stress tolerance during a crisis
• Fortify your home by learning how to use and store essential foods, water, supplies, first aid, and ammunition in your everyday life
• Equip your vehicle with sufficient first aid, so you can respond to injuries even before an ambulance arrives—dramatically increasing your chance of survival in an accident

Drawing on Glover’s most dire experiences in combat and in the real world, this book shows you how almost no disaster is more powerful than someone who is truly prepared. For Glover, surviving catastrophe is not about fearing crisis, but creating more resilient habits so that you can be ready for whatever comes your way.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Survival, Audiobook, Personal Development, War, Psychology

256 pages, Hardcover

Published June 6, 2023

Reviews

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 1 out of 5]

Get a real job. Stop trying to scare the crap out of those poor, stupid rethuglicans.

[Yoseph Villafane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say that it was very different from what I was expecting. This by all means is a mentality book. Most obligingly, this should come as a first thing to have before actually going crazy and buying stuff you might not even understand how to use.

Having "x" amount of pricey things to survive will be worthless if you do not have the correct thought patterns and mental reflexes. Mike Glover emphasized on how to start building common sense and eliminating the nonsense that shows up in many survival/preparedness books.

I fully recommend this book, if you're looking forward to learn on how to really be prepared.

[Mark Marchenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written, focusing on the right stuff: a mindset of a person, who would like to be an asset to his/her community and a guardian for their family and friends. And only after that: EDC, bug-outs and the rest of the cool stuff.

Additional bonus is some great tools and gear recommendations.

All in all, a very practical and helpful little book that would be interesting for both beginners and those who are 'already there'.

Thanks!

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is clearly centered on the American context where violent home invasions by gun-wielding thugs are commonplace (or so the author asserts). So glad I live in a part of the world where gun ownership isn't really a thing for the general population.

In that vein there's a fairly strong "paranoid" vibe running through this book. Not only could bad things happen to you, but they will, repeatedly , so you'd better be 100% prepared to administer high-level medical support or use lethal force or rush a gunman or abandon civilization – more than likely you'll have to do at least two before the week is out.

Also, products and services offered by the author were brought up enough times that this feels more like an ad for the extended Mike Glover Survival Universe than a stand-alone book.

[Sarah Cupitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was VERY AMERICAN.

Takeaways:
- With some basic savvy and supplies, you can turn unknown threats into manageable challenges (as much of a how to article that sounds like this book did cover a lot of good basics)
- PACE plan – Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency
- Your home should be a place of comfort, not danger and worry (plans = peace of mind)
- While catastrophe can strike suddenly, this doesn’t mean we’re helpless in the face of turmoil

The main thing I actually learned from this book:
- Ever wonder why your heart races when you're scared? This is your sympathetic nervous system revving up for fight or flight. This half of the autonomic nervous system governs the body's response to acute stress. When a threat looms, it dumps adrenaline to mobilize energy reserves and ramp up physiological processes to maximum speed. Your pupils dilate, your lungs expand, and your blood pumps faster – prepping muscles for struggle or escape. Its counterpart, the parasympathetic nervous system, hits the brakes
- Excessive (or prolonged) stress can cause this balance between gas and brakes to falter. The sympathetic pedal gets floored, but the parasympathetic brake fails. Like an engine pushed to the redline, the system overloads
- What happens next? You freeze. Neither fighting nor fleeing, the mind shuts down even as the body remains tense. When you’re “in freeze” you can’t respond to a crisis. You can’t effectively protect yourself or those around you. Instead, you’re paralyzed, just when clear thinking and swift action are most needed
- The freeze response is, in a sense, part of every person’s biology. But with training, you can shorten this paralytic panic, recovering faster. You do this through controlled exposure. You need to expose yourself to different levels and varieties of stressors

[Clayton Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A no BS approach to taking care of you else and your family when shit hits the fan. Making plans ahead of time is the only way to survive a catastrophe. My wife is going to be pissed once I start putting the family through regular fire drills.

[James Horn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m sure there are people who are going to view this book as Doomsday Prepper fear mongering, but I think that’s would be a narrow minded take on what is a valiant attempt at jarring the reader into realizing just how unprepared they might be for any type of catastrophe. The author has also been through the media rinse cycle for his American Contingency organization which is meant to be a place to help others find community and preparedness, so you may have some pre-conceived notions even looking at this book. What he (and by exetension I) ask/s is to keep an open mind.

I heard about this book from an episode of the Shawn Ryan podcast; a show I began listening to in an attempt to understand more about people who’ve made uniformed service their career. What I have learned in the time I have been listening to the show, is that the freedom and safety we take for granted on a daily basis is much more tenuous than many of us think.

The book makes a pretty succinct point that most people have not thought much about preparing for disaster and this is much to our detriment. It gives the reader a lot of things to think about and focuses a lot on mindset. There are some practical applications throughout the book, but what it is not, is a field guide to survival. A lot of it is challenging the reader to shake their own life up, which may be a tough pill for some to swallow. It’s not as extensive as maybe it could be, and some of it is based on the authors personal military experiences, which again could be a turn off.

All this said, I think it does a good job of laying out some basics and giving some good pointers, and I think is worth a read (it’s not particularly long) if only to get some conversations started with your loved ones, and give you some ideas that could one day save your life.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow Mike on Instagram and really enjoy his posts. My law enforcement husband is very well prepared for most situations and really enjoys Mike too. Some really good and some super basic information, but also some advanced stuff too. I don’t feel as prepared and I should and this gave me some really good jumping off points. Also, he is very matter of fact and very knowledgeable, yet I felt like he was speaking to me as someone who cares about my safety. This is a really good book.

[Yura Gavrilovich · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of advice in the book seems too general to me and rather apparent, e.g. "make a plan", "make a backup plan", "store a supply of water and food for emergency", etc. And a big portion of more detailed advice I already encountered in YouTube videos.

[Lonnie Brisker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great book for anyone wondering about how to survive in just about an everyday life situation. Stocking on food , medical supplies , training purposes, etc .. you can find it all in this book! Mike did a wonderful job explaining and breaking everything down and even giving different scenarios and perspectives in certain areas of the book ! Definitely a great read !

[Mandino Tan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mindset

Depending on your expectations, you may or may not like this book. This book is built and centred around the mindset of oneself. It doesn’t go into details of prepping as compared to some other prepping books. Good read nonetheless.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was easy to read and thought-provoking. It laid out clearly and concisely much that I’ve seen about preparedness in an organized and systematic way. It’s not some doomsday-predicting, fear-mongering book, but instead encourages us to take responsibility for our own everyday lives and survival, whether it’s during normal life or if all hell breaks loose. I really enjoyed reading it the first time and I plan to read it again soon.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would consider this a high-level overview of the preparedness subject. Good basic info if you’ve never thought about it before. Remember, it takes more than reading a book to be prepared.

[F F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great beginner source for a point. Prepper magazine is one of my favorite sources. Though I do agree, keeping up on this is really a matter of making your notes of what works for you In your locations or agendas. In the past, plenty of events show us why we should be. For me, pen, paper and a magazine or day at the store suffices. Picking through bits of what I haven’t learned yet. Keeping light, keeping minimized is one of our ways of prepping. Less stove to loose, is less to be attached to allowing front face focus or forward focus both short and long. It reduces the rear view mirror. Allowing easier rebuilding. That’s just what we choose. Others do not need to.

[Maurits Rijk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very lightweight holiday read. Makes me glad that I live in Europe and don't have to worry about packing a Sig Sauer P365 XMacro with 17+1 round capability as part of my Every Day Carry when I go to the beach ;)

[Corinne Andrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important information

[Angelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did get some really good information. But half of it seemed way out of my price range. On the other hand I might be able to save someone's life now just with a few pieces of advice so all in all, pretty great book.

[JM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good pointers. Entertaining writing style.

[Jung · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Prepared: A Manual for Surviving Worst-Case Scenarios" by Mike Glover offers a comprehensive guide to dealing with disasters and emergencies. The book emphasizes the importance of mental resilience, physical preparation, and practical skills for surviving various worst-case scenarios. It covers topics such as:

1. Mental Resilience: The book highlights the significance of maintaining a clear and focused mind during emergencies. It explains how stress affects the body and how to overcome the "freeze" response through controlled exposure to stressors. Techniques like controlled breathing and positive self-talk are recommended to stay calm under pressure.

2. Emergency Plans: Glover emphasizes the need for having a well-thought-out emergency plan. He introduces the PACE plan (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency) as a structured approach to handling crises. The plan involves identifying escape routes and practicing them with family members.

3. Everyday Carry: The book discusses the concept of "everyday carry," which involves carrying essential items and supplies to enhance personal security. This includes a first aid kit, medications, important documents, a flashlight, and versatile clothing. It also encourages the development of practical skills, such as first aid and wilderness survival techniques.

4. Situational Awareness: Glover stresses the importance of situational awareness, which involves being observant of your surroundings and knowing potential escape routes in places you frequent regularly.

Overall, "Prepared" provides readers with valuable insights and actionable steps to prepare for and respond to emergencies effectively. It emphasizes the importance of a clear mindset, structured planning, and having the right tools and knowledge to navigate challenging situations.

[Artie O’Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great tool for being “Prepared” for any catastrophe, no it is not a guide book for preppers! I promise you will get excellent guidance to be prepared for any contingency. I took away a lot of good information from this book even though I am a retired Police Officer and Military Veteran. Thanks to Michael A Glover for sharing his knowledge. I recommend getting this book, reading it and saving it for future guidance and reminders!

[Daniel Cole · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bland and basic. If you're brand new to the prepping community, you may find some general information here. Otherwise, there isn't anything new or particularly useful in this book.

[Alex Sloan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good book, but it's only at the 10,000 foot level so it covers a lot of common sense things that anyone with an experience in the matter will find it shallow. If you are new to preperation, it's a good place to start.

[Sean Raftery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Glover clearly draws on years of experience to surface valuable insights on preparedness and defense. However, this book could have easily been a podcast with a handful of suggested purchase and an invitation to a self defense class.

[William J Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you

Good stuff! we have been readying ourselves for the inevitable and have taken these recommendations to hopefully be more PREPARED.

[Max Sauerbrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stay off ya damn phone

[Katie Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dad made me read it 😂

[Joshua Southard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some books speak to our core fears. This book helped me through some of mine, though it took me a while to process, and I’m still absorbing its lessons. This book is equal parts mindset and practical advice. The perspective on being prepared for the worst day of your life was surprisingly healthy and helpful. Doomsday preppers are not portrayed in the kindest light, and the author does his best to work through that stereotype and explain his perspective. The goal is not to hoard resources in a bunker. The goal is to build a thriving, more self-sufficient lifestyle through careful thought and deliberate actions. The goal is to build a community that is ready to handle emergencies and hard times. The goal is to expand your capabilities to survive and thrive through gear, training, and practice. These are all more worthy (and achievable) goals than what my fears tell me I should be doing.

The book is laid out in seven chapters. First, Glover covers mindset. This is the most philosophical part of the book. This part was a bit hard for me because I have a pretty good imagination, and I can easily think of all kinds of bad things that can happen. Glover balances the big, bad, scary things by mixing in the importance of being ready for smaller, more common threats like car accidents and weather emergencies. Overall, the book is balanced. That is, it describes bad things that can (and will) happen, and explains how being prepared helps us survive and thrive and ultimately have more peace in our daily lives. He also points out that ignorance and arrogance are two excuses for not planning. Both are dangerous.

Second, he covers planning. He uses PACE- Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency- to describe the type of plans that can be implemented for different scenarios. An easy example is a fire escape plan. The primary plan would be to go out the front door. The alternate plan is to use the back door. The contingency plan is to use a window. The emergency plan is to get out by any means necessary, including breaking windows or possibly jumping from higher windows than would be safe (were it not an emergency). The author walks through several PACE examples throughout the rest of the book. The point is to think through how you can react if the normal way you do things isn’t possible or if things go wrong.

Third, the author discusses situational awareness. We tend to go through life absorbed in our own thoughts, often on autopilot. This is not a great way to see danger coming. Glover recommends taking at least one day a week to practice situational awareness- seeing people and events, training yourself to pay attention to the baseline behaviors of your environment, and learning to tell when things are off or weird. These early warnings can help us act more quickly in a developing situation, but not if we can’t see them.

Chapter 4 is about decisions. When we observe things being off, we must be willing to act. We can’t freeze. Glover calls it “Getting off the X”. In a fire, you must be able to get out of the building. In a hurricane, you have to be able to evacuate. In an active shooter scenario, you have to be ready to move, break windows to escape, or potentially fight for your life. In this chapter, Glover also discusses the question: What are your criteria for deciding to use deadly force? There is a fascinating description of a scenario the author uses in training to help people understand the difficulties and nuances involved in making such a tough decision. I appreciated that Glover didn’t offer simple answers. The question is one to wrestle with. He did offer some simple advice to help- if you can run, or end the scenario without fighting or killing, you absolutely should, but if you can’t, if fighting and killing is the only way to keep you and your family safe, you should be trained and ready to end the confrontation as quickly and effectively as possible. Glover recommended When Violence Is the Answer as a resource for learning about this tough concept. It’s on my list now. This can be a controversial area. I found Glover’s ideas to be calm, insightful, and well-balanced.

Chapters five, six, and seven are similar in nature and build on each other from personal to community. Chapter five covers what to include in your Everyday Carry (EDC) kit. Six covers mobility and how to prepare to be mobile in an emergency, basically, your vehicle. Seven covers the homestead. A simple way Glover describes these is like a medic (EDC), an ambulance (mobility), and a hospital (homestead). The goal is to have enough equipment for security and survival to expand your capabilities and give yourself every advantage possible when things go wrong. Glover covers survival needs in order of urgency. It doesn’t make much sense to worry about things that might kill you in the long term if you need to deal with things that can kill you right now. Wounds and injuries can kill in seconds or minutes after a car crash. Exposure to the elements can kill you in a few hours if you can’t figure out shelter. Dehydration will kill you in about three days if you can’t find drinking water. Hunger will kill you in about three weeks or so if you don’t have any food. So your plans and equipment need to be ready and staged in a way to allow you to address immediate needs with speed, and also provide for solutions for long-term problems.

I will have to revisit this book over time as I absorb its lessons and work on being a more capable human. I have started to expand my situational awareness. I’ve always loved collecting gear. I need some land to start a homestead. If you have extra, shoot me a message.

This is for anyone looking for ideas about being more self-sufficient.

(Rated R, Score 8/10, audiobook by the author, 5:14)

[Sonia R · Rating 4 out of 5]

GPT
"Prepared: A Manual for Surviving Worst-Case Scenarios" by Mike Glover is a comprehensive guide designed for those looking to enhance their knowledge and skills in survival and preparedness. Glover, with his extensive background in military and survival training, brings a wealth of experience and practical advice to the subject, making the book an invaluable resource for both beginners and more seasoned survivalists.

The book delves into a variety of worst-case scenarios, ranging from natural disasters to man-made crises, outlining practical strategies and techniques to navigate and survive these situations. Glover's writing style is clear and direct, making complex concepts accessible to readers of all levels. He emphasizes the importance of mindset, situational awareness, and preparedness, asserting that being mentally ready is just as crucial as having the physical skills and supplies.

One of the strengths of the book is its attention to detail and its comprehensive approach. Glover covers a wide array of topics, including but not limited to emergency planning, first aid, navigation, shelter building, and self-defense. The manual doesn't just tell you what to do; it educates the reader on why certain strategies work, grounding its advice in real-world scenarios and experiences.

While the book is rich in content and practical tips, it also maintains a balance, avoiding alarmism and instead promoting a culture of preparedness and resilience. Glover's expertise and authoritative voice lend credibility to the content, yet he manages to keep the tone approachable and engaging.

For readers who appreciate "Prepared: A Manual for Surviving Worst-Case Scenarios," other books that might be of interest could include "Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival" by Dave Canterbury or "The Survival Medicine Handbook: A Guide for When Help is Not on the Way" by Joseph Alton. These books, like Glover's, provide practical advice and insights into survival skills and preparedness, though each author brings their own unique perspective and area of expertise to the subject.

[Dalton Chamberlain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will be honest, my initial draw to “Prepared” was the sub author, Jack Carr. Since I deeply respect his work and writing, I assumed this book had to be of the utmost quality.

In a way, it was. For what “Prepared” is, it is a solid survival manual. Mike Glover’s goal of the reader being given ‘the mental and physical tools needed to live a prepared life’; was achieved. Although, I genuinely felt that even at only ~230 pages, this book dragged on a good amount. I think it would have been most effective as a “Field Manual” with larger print and more checklist stylized items and under 100 pages.

I specifically enjoyed more of the reaction to conflict and violence chapters in the beginning of the book, and hearing Navy Seals’ response to violence in real life, such as the excerpt from Jocko Willink. His perspective on avoiding most fights at all costs was actually slightly surprising but totally understandable and wise. Mike’s own description of the mental and psychological aspects of defending yourself if you were to harm, or even kill another person in self defense; was another critically vital piece of this book I highly respected and enjoyed hearing the reflection on.

The second half of this book started to lose me. The author mentioned at least 5 times that he was not a “Doomsday Prepper” and I genuinely don’t think HE is, but the people he’s speaking to that will empathize with not being called one, likely are. It got a little intense, repetitive and less useful.

For example, this is a direct quote:
“*Water is obviously a critical fuel source for human survival, but we've talked about it enough to this point that there isn't much left to say.”

More topics than just water were repeated to a point of redundancy and that entire section I believe could have been 15 pages (instead of 100).

All in all, the information was useful and I can confidently walk away from reading this book feeling more prepared and informed to take care of my family and myself.

-

“Self reliance is the goal. Survival is just the ancillary benefit of having more than you need the moment before catastrophe and crisis change everything.”

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

**.5

The author spent a lot of time in combat in an elite army unit, and wants the rest of us to have the same battlefield mentality. Everyone in the street is a potential enemy combatant, terrorist, or mundane criminal. Every store, restaurant, and workplace is a potential crime scene, every school or public space a mass shooting event, and every home a likely target for home invasion. Cities are no good, because you can't raise enough ducks, pigs, and goats to sustain your family off grid, and there aren't enough elk to hunt. His suggested EDC (every day carry) kit is essentially what an Army Ranger Combat Medic has in their vest/pack for a 3-day incursion behind enemy lines, minus only the fully automatic weapon.

The first part of the book makes the valid point that under duress, most people just freeze up and shut down, which obviously isn't the best survival strategy when decisive split second action is called for. Conveniently, the author's company offers many expensive survival and defense courses to learn and practice the requisite skills, as well as thousands of dollars of associated tools and equipment. And even then, to do everything he suggests is essentially a full-time job.

Still, there are some good take-aways, albeit not particularly new. First, be aware of your surroundings. Have an emergency plan for standard calamities like fire, flooding, storms, earthquakes, etc., and make sure that everyone you live with is on board. Keep at least 3 days of food and water (2 weeks is preferable) at home, along with a fully stocked first aid kit. There should also be one in your car, which is preferably a 3-ton pick-up truck with 37" tires and enough supplies to live in for 3 years.