Customer Reviews

Boston on Surviving Y2K

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Whew! I am working my way through BTP's works like Sherman marched to the sea, and he keeps getting better. (See my other BTP reviews!)

Why would I heartily recommend a Y2K book when we all know Y2K was a complete farce, because this book is absolutely not limited to, and really not applicable anyway, to some kind of post-Y2K Def Con 4 meltdown scenario. This, however, is a book first and foremost about the how-to's of living independantly and being disaster proof. It is also a shopping manual. It is also a ground up survival manual. In detail:

the how to of independant living is Boston's breakdown of just want it would take to keep human beings alive and flourishing if the supermarkets stopped stocking the shelves. You obviously need food and water, but the intricacies of providing those commodities for yourself in ample supply so as to not make yourself a refugee are covered by Boston and a farming friend of Boston in chapters covering planting of some crops, and the raising of animals for food. The best animals and crops are discussed by Boston, along with what the animals need, fencing, pens, animal feed, butchering, and tractors and water supply and even the desireable and undesirable traits of different animals. Unless you the reader are a farmer and butcher combined you know nothing about these topics. I am a city kid, and I never realized what it would really take to supply a family of 4 with food and water on your own. This book gives you a distilled roadmap of how to go about setting this up for yourself. From tractors, equipment, etc., all of it is covered. Although this book cant tell you everything, it is more than enough for you to sketch out most of what you would need to do for yourself.

The chapter on energy generation, the generators and real efficient appliances is worth double the price of the book alone. This is an area I have studied on my own to some extent and frankly, I never really learned anything about it until I read Boston's book chapter on the topic. I know what different currents are, and Boston rated various gas and diesel generators in terms of cost and efficiency. Boston even goes into the storage of gasoline and diesel. Solar and wind power is covered. It runs the whole gamut and will cover the type of climate and conditions in your area.

Boston covers RV'ing, and living in those types of arrangements. It really is amazing how creative people can be, and how guys 'think outside of the box' and come up with all types of ways to beat the power company, the water company, the rotten corporations, high cost of hotels, etc!

Then all these aspects are drawn together and placed into the context of plausible scenarios for disasters and civil disruptions. Tips like, crafts and skills to have if society is forced to go simpler for a time, why and how you should mask the fact that you have generators, and other nice tidy setups when your neighbors stuff is all 'out' and various chapters on problems one faces in disasters.

All in all, this is another bang up Boston book, but I think it suffers from having Y2K in the title. Frankly, Boston should expand all the topics in the book, add a few more, and then retitle the work "Boston on Independant living". Hope to see it soon!

I already went through Y2K bug type disaster in Armenia, when USSR crushed, borders were blocked by Turkish and Azerbaijan started war with us. We got no energy, no food, no water, no gas and no money for long 5 years ( 1990 - 1995 ), so I drive from experience in this review... Although, this book mostly US oriented, but may and should be used anywhere since it points you to strategic and vital info for your survival. Just gold mine of Y2K bug info.

This is an excellent book to get you ready for whatever is coming--computer collapse after a cyber terror attack, a civil uprising locally or nationally, bad weather or just everyday living. The chapters on food and electricity are worth the price alone. I recommend you also buy "Boston's Gun Bible" for an in depth look at guns you need, though this book hits well enough for those that are not "gun nuts". It gave me valuable insight on what I need versus what I THOUGHT I needed.

Well worth the money. I am thinking of buying several copies for gifts to family members!

Most Y2K books seem to have been written by computer types or first-time authors. Boston on Surviving Y2K is Boston T. Party's sixth book, and he is truly a master at non-fiction. Author of Good-Bye April 15th!, You & The Police!, Bulletproof Privacy, Hologram of Liberty, and Boston on Guns & Courage--nobody writes with a style combing such clarity, information, and humor. All his books are a joy to read, especially this one, which makes all other Y2K books look like pamphlets. My favorite chapters include Weapons, Food, Health, Energy (these 40 pages were worth the price of the book to me!), Money, Barter, Raising Animals for Food (by guest author Amelia Porter--excellent!!), If I Were A Looter, and Rules For Y2K. While I like a few other Y2K books, if I had to rely on only one, it would be Boston on Surviving Y2K.

I just bought this not to long ago and it was worth every penny.

It's much better than many books that claim to actually be the end all be all of prepardness. From food storage, putting some gold away in case the bottom drops out of our economy and a detailed explanation on gold and silver, firearms, ammunition, off road vehicles, communications, power and light, advice on medical kits, transportation, what people should be considered threats, where to move and what advantages a certain area can do for you and your family, it's in there.

Although the title has Y2K in there, it only has a couple chapters on Y2K and the rest of the book is still valid. There is also quite a bit about how fragile our society is and why a disaster can have far reaching and long lasting effects and why you should prepare for such an emergency.

Buy this if you're looking for a prepardness manual, you won't be disappointed. It's alot better than most of the other manuals out there. I should know, I've wasted a few bucks here and there and have bought some of those other manuals that claim to cover everything. And if you buy 3 books on this subject, you'll end up with a dud as well. This book actually does cover everthing you should think about before, during and after a disaster.

It's a classic and I'll be keeping it.

Even though it is already the year 2000, you can still get a lot of great information out of this book. I'm trying to catch up with the guy who has read "dozens" of Y2K books. See below... If nothing else, it is good for a laugh.

A no-holds-barred preparation guide with lots of information I've never seen anywhere else! I especially like his chapter on independent energy (40 pages!) and raising animals for food. The barter chapter was great, too. A must in anybody's Y2K library!

I've read five books by this guy so far, in a very short period of time. They all challenge you and make you think, but this one kinda broke my little brain. Probably in a good way, but I'm still a little shaken up by it.

Most people live in a light veneer of "everything's going to be fine!" and "the powers that be will protect us!" I've never bought all that, but have still settled into a complacency that is difficult to shake. Well, this book shook it off. Boston describes a large number of possible (and probably probable) scenarios we'll likely see in our lifetime. It also lists and explains solutions for these many different scenarios.

Far from being an alarmist screed, there is good bit of compassion here, and some humor (including the fact that the cover looks like it was scrawled with the only tools that would be available after the grid goes down). And like all of Boston's books, this one has an avuncular tone that's not offputting like other SHTF material I've seen.

Anyone who thinks of passing this up surmising that the book is outdated because of the "Y2K" in the title, please also note the subtitle of "...and Other Lovely Disasters." Very little of this book is not relevant today. Much of it is MORE relevant than it was eleven years ago.

I could say a lot more, but I have things to stockpile....

Michael W. Dean

This is the best book out there on how to prepare for hard times. Every subject Boston discusses, be it food/water storage, energy production, family defense, healthy living, money, etc, has been well researched and simply and thoroughly presented; so anyone can understand it. If the downturned economy goes into a deep depression, as some are predicting, the information in this book could very well save your life and your family's well being. Prepare yourself with this book. With the title dating the book, you can even get this treasure chest of knowledge and good advice at a discounted rate.

I wish I had came across Boston T. Party back in '99, but as I have recently found him, I am pleased nonetheless. Surviving Y2k is a pretty good overall how to book. He even goes into the subjects of animals, coinage and types of generators. Being an adult is about self reliance and not expecting the nanny state to wipe your nose. Buy some extra food, tools, medicine, gloves and ammo. It is not difficult. Realizing this society is a thin veneer, well that may be a big pill to swallow.