Customer Reviews

Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life

5 star:		(70)
4 star:		(42)
3 star:		(28)
2 star:		(22)
1 star:		(19)

 

 

I read an excerpt of this book on Tim Ferriss's blog, and I bought it on the presumption that it would answer some of the questions set forth. Namely, how are wealthy people preparing for potential economic emergencies and how will Neil, a not-so-wealthy author, use that information to prepare himself? Tim Ferriss talks about how he gets "in" with the author to find out about the "mysterious 5 flags." He later summarizes the book as follows:

"Neil's new book, Emergency, teaches you how to become Jason Bourne.

Multiple passports, moving assets, lock-picking, escape and evasion, foraging, even how to cross borders without detection (one preferred location: McAllen, Texas, page 390)-it's a veritable encyclopedia of for those who want to disappear or become lawsuit-proof global citizens."

That is not at all what this book is actually about. It has more in common with 'Travels with Charley' than 'Bourne Identity'

What this book is not:
1. A manual that dwells on options. Example, the only solution Neil offers for economic safeguarding is wiring $500,000 to St. Kitts and buying property there, and later becoming a citizen. Not a scalable solution.
2. About currency, passports, swiss banking etc. - basically all the topics about becoming a "lawsuit-proof global citizen" or opening up your personal options internationally are glossed over. The law firm in charge of "lawsuit proofing" Neil is under investigation by the end of the book.
3. A practical guide to anything really that can save your life, unless you take it to be advice that you should take a half dozen survivalist courses and practice sleeping in your backyard.

What this book is:
1. Aw-shucks musings about his girlfriend, who he presents as nails-on-chalkboard ditzy and selfish, but gosh darn it, if ya look at it the right way, downright wise! If the phrase "I'm going to Kendra's" will somehow save your life, then perhaps this is the book for you.
2. A page turner - all in all a pretty good story. I read it in one sitting without too much boredom.
3. FULL of celebrity name dropping and other very dishy stuff about his billionaire friends. "When I saw Leonard Cohen..." "When I crashed Tom Cruise's bike..." "I looked over toward President Clinton..." "Trisha (Yearwood) wanted us backstage..." Lots of glam setup for a story basically about a guy learning to camp.
4. A classic 'city slicker wises up' type story with the feel good ending that Neil decides to help people at the end by becoming an EMT. It even features the "begrudging respect" when someone he initially dismisses turns out to have some value in their "potato head."
5. Very heavily weighted toward caching/stashing food, emergency toilets, camping, foraging, knife and gun skills, tracking etc. However, all of these topics are approached anecdotally, as in "I can identify over 700 kinds of tracks" with only one photographic example, and no real segue into how this relates to anything.

All in all it was an entertaining read, but I wouldn't recommend it to perform as advertised because there isn't anything in it that is truly useful.

The book is a good read for its entertainment value. Sure, with enough money you can really do and buy whatever you will want or need. Some of the things in the book are basic boy scout things. If you were not a boy scout, or you lived in a big city all your life you will learn lots from the book. If you grew up hunting, fishing, and camping you will do alright if stuff gets that bad. Beware, Neil is heavy on the George Bush bashing so if you are tired of that...... well.... maybe not your type of book.

The second half of the book is much better than the first half. Most of the cool stuff is after the halfway point. After looking up some of the things he bought and was taught, it was an expensive endeavor for sure. Learning to shoot a handgun cost him more than $2,000. The Rokon, more than $5k. The biggest thing I walked away with, from the book, was that it is probably a good idea to teach/introduce your kids as much non-book knowledge as you can while they are young. Fear is learned, lack of understanding comes from lack of experience, and little kids are like sponges.

Although I gave it a 3, I do recommend the book. After all, given the times we are living you might just have to use some of the things in the book.

Truth can be stranger than fiction, and that's the case in Emergency.

Neil Strauss wonders what he would do if the world as we know it failed to function as it does currently. What would he do if an event the magnitude of 9/11 or Katrina took place in his hometown? No more electricity, iPods, takeout food or Seinfeld reruns.

The book begins with him as a typical "city boy", knowing nothing about survival. In similar fashion to The Game he seeks out the best of the best to learn the skills he feels he needs to survive. And also similar to The Game he takes all this knowledge and moves beyond it, creating his own interpretations.

At times while reading this book I was tempted with ideas ranging from calling my financial planner to see about moving my money to something more secure to thoughts of leaving the country. Other times I was laughing hysterically.

This was one of those books that I just couldn't put down. Within 24 hours of purchase I had read all 418 pages. It was entertaining, it made me laugh and it made me think.

Highly recommended to any American living in 2009.

This book is amazing. Neil does a great job as usual. The random lessons drawn by Bernard Chang, like picking pad locks with soda cans and escaping in a car chase are awesome.

If you enjoy tales of the possible apocalypse and 101 ways to survive them then you'll devour this book.

If you enjoy learning about survival techniques then this book will point you in the right direction by giving you some basic lessons and the names of some great men who teach these arts.

If you want to learn about what it takes to get a second passport you'll find this book informative.

If you enjoy hearing the continuing adventures of Neil Strauss then you'll be entertained the whole way through.

I loved it. You will too.

Having perused the previous reviews, let me start by disagreeing with two negative, and recurring, responses to Emergency.

1. Contrary to the obviously wounded righties out there, Strauss' politics in this are irrelevant. It's obvious that he's no fan of Bush, but he makes a point to note that his focus on "escape" came from observing the momentous events that took place from 2000-2008 (causation Bush, or no). Since he pushes no political agenda, we should take him at his word.

2. This book is not meant to be a survival manual. Anyone who evaluates it on that premise has entirely missed the point. In saying, "this book could save your life," Strauss, I think, is being somewhat tongue-in-cheek on one hand and very serious on the other. He's tongue-in-cheek as a send up to a real life survival manual, and he's serious because the insights he gleaned along his journey clearly have saved his life (figuratively speaking).

Now let me agree with one negative review point.
1. I did feel that the book was a bit unbalanced. Granted, there was a backstory that needed to be told to provide context for why Strauss would do all of the things he did. However, it didn't have to be 100 pages long. 25 would have sufficed. And I also agree that more should have been included in the later parts of the book - particularly the wilderness survival and personal self defense.

That said...

I really loved this book. I've entertained notions of needing an escape plan for many years, so this subject matter appealed to me instantly. Having read The Game and Don't Try This At Home, I knew I'd enjoy Neil's take on it.

What I like the most about The Game and Emergency is that they both have that classic moral revelation component that is essential to good fiction. (Seems like lots of nonfiction writers don't see the value of that in their work. Strauss does.) Neil, as a character, evolves throughout both books, and ends up a completely different person than he was when he started, and he never ends up where he thought he would. Kind of like life for those of us who are determined to live it. Riding shotgun for that transformation was a blast, and both times, I found Neil's endpoint completely satisfying. He landed where he should have, at least according to my moral compass.

And, of course, I can't neglect to mention my profound respect for how committed Neil is to what he grabs onto. He's a freaking pitbull - pursuing lead after lead and getting so far out of his comfort zone he can't even see it anymore. It's truly inspirational.

So go get this book. Forget about the politics, and have patience with the groundwork. You'll laugh, cringe, and keep turning pages till its done. And if you're open minded, you'll be a little different on the back end. That's money well spent if you ask me.

Like many people that bought this book, that feeling of being mislead comes to mind. Sure, this isn't a survival manual as I hoped and, like one reviewer states, any practical advice can be summed up on one page. However, this does not make it a useless book.

And, to clear any air, it does say "Memoir/Current Events" right by the UPC, so the classification is right on the book. We all fell for the cover.

Anyway, besides the spattering of useful information, Strauss writes about his experiences and, by him making the mistakes, you can avoid your own. He writes about the years that it takes to get a passport, which clearly is a mistake. Helpful, maybe, but it's one of those long-term plans that needs to be long term in itself.

He also talks about the various schools he went to so he could learn more skills. You won't learn anything he did, but if you're interested in a hands-on approach to survival, at least you have an idea where to go. He also talks about what he went through, so if you can't stand reading it, you'll know better than to go and waste the money.

Mostly, this book is entertainment. Yes, Strauss uses swear words (dear God, no!). There are pictures of anti-American paraphernalia, which, if you ask me, is more effective than being told people hate us. If you can't stand being told that your own country can't protect you, you will hate this book.

However, if you're willing to learn from the mistakes Strauss made, and just enjoy it rather than taking it too seriously (like lamenting over the fact he has the money for eight years of survivalist training), you'll find a great book.

If you are looking for a survival book, this is NOT it. This IS an engaging story of how a liberal city boy, who couldn't change a light bulb, attempts to become a competent, self-assured man. It is a moving and inspiring story and hopefully it will prompt a lot of self-reflection and awakening. It that regard it is an excellent book.

And....
For those of us who were raised in the country, read Tom Browns field guides 20 years ago, have trained at Gunsite, plan for survival every day, and generally don't worry because "we have it covered", the book is outrageously funny. There are many laugh out loud moments in the book as the author 'fesses up to his ignorance and ineptitude. It is easy to forget the mistakes made decades ago, this novice journey recalls all of that in a very human way.

Strauss has a talent for telling a good tale. I recommend the book, but it most definitely will not save your life..

This book for me was not much of a how to book as it was about how one city slicker changed his views of the world. Others seem to think he bashed certain people but for the most part he stays out of the polictical view. It is a very personal book and offers a good shift of someones blind ignorance of things will be alright, they will take care of you, they being the government.

He does a good job explaining how he became a survivalist, even when he starting off making fun of most of them. He seems to have a lot of money yet claims not to. I know how much things cost, as well as the time to go to the different classes he goes to. The avarage working class person can't afford either the time or money or both to travel across the country to attend some of the classes. I have taken a couple, one he talks about and that just happened to be close or we made a family trip out of it.

He glances over thing to stock up on, and makes the mistake of calling MREs, Meal Ready To Eat, feeeze dried. They are not. I have lived on those things for 6 months and to my way of thinking they are fast food for the long term, quick but just as unhealthy. They also take up way too much room to be useful, as you can store a lot more dried food in the same space.

Over all if you are having a hard time understanding the survivalist mindset this is a good place to start. If you have people close to you that think you are a bit off because you stock food, weapons and are a survivalist, then get this for them and maybe they will come around. That is my plan with people I know.

Ric

First I have to say that I grew up exactly the way Neil didn't. I grew up in a rural area, learned to hunt, fish, trap, camp and survive early. I was a soldier and in law enforcement so many of the skills he learned were second nature to me.

That said, I think it is laudable that Neil fully immersed himself in the culture both for the purposes of writing the book and also out of what appears to be genuine concern and interest in the topic of survivalism and doomsday scenarios. I don't think that Neil is a conspiracy theorist or nut, but he did do a phenomenal job with researching and writing the book.

The book is a fast read, I read it on a flight from Chicago to Las Vegas and found it entertaining, well written, interestingly illustrated and interesting. The graphic novel element of some of the technical training made an interesting read. Here are just a few of the things you'll learn in the book:

How To Escape From Flexicuffs
How To Pick A Lock With A Soda Can
How To Be Practically Invisible
How To Construct A Ghillie Suit
How To Fire With A Battery
How To Make A Bow And Arrow
How To Navigate Without A Company

He goes on to talk about dozens of other ideas and techniques that you can use. For anyone who has ever been in the military or even who grew up in the outdoors, most of this stuff is very basic, much of it you learned by the time you were a teenager. For people who didn't, I'm confident this would be eye opening.

What I really liked is that Neil went to the very best subject matter experts in the world to get his training. More importantly, he actually put his training to real life tests, a key to success in learning new skills like these.

The book is at times graphic and simultaneously hilarious. At other times it really shows the transformation that Neil put himself through. This is a different book that AJ Jacobs might write when he immerses himself for a year in something but it is just as impactful in terms of watching the change.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and and thrilled to see someone take such an active role in restructuring their life in a way most never will. I'm confident if you enjoy the outdoors and if you are interested in survival you'll enjoy this book. If you want a great set of resources, Neil reveals very openly most of his sources in the book which is kind of cool.

Well done, exceptionally well written as you'd expect from Neil Strauss, and fun to read.

Do not be mislead by the title. Unless this book inspires you to go out and take the same courses that Neil Strauss took in the book, reading it alone will probably NOT save your life. However, this doesn't mean it isn't one of his best books yet.

It is basically a narrative of Neil Strauss's obsession into becoming the ultimate survivalist. It is insightful and hilarious. I found it very hard to put down. It doesn't have very many survival or "spy" techniques but if you have ever had an interest in these things and appreciate good literary writing you will most likely find it a fantastic read. I enjoyed it just as much if not more than his other books.

The only reason I think this book got negative reviews is because after reading some of his other most recent work, people were expecting more of a how-to guide. This is not the case. Neil Strauss is not the how-to guy, he's one of the greatest pop-culture journalists of our time and this book exemplifies this. If you're looking for an easy read and a great narrative by an amazing author you will not be disappointed.