Customer Reviews

Real World Survival : What Has Worked For Me

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

 

 

An excellent primer for those who anticipate, and more importantly, those who have not anticipated, the necessity for real survival skills in today's environment. The author presents useful information in a pragmatic manner, which highlights realistic challenges which most of us have encountered, but may have not noticed. Refreshingly, this is not a typical "gun" book which dictates what, when, how, or why you must defend yourself. The author does not present hypothesis or conjecture, but practical information which is taken from first-hand experience. Having been exposed to the "hype" of self-defense sophistry, I was delighted to discover that Mr. Rauch presents practical information in his book which does not rely upon the "special effects" of the latest technological advancements in the self-defense industry. His writings demonstrate how practical skills, combined with the knowledge of how your attacker thinks, provide the ultimate tools of survival. If you are concerned with ensuring your ability to identify, avoid, and survive life-threatening situations in any environment, then this book should be read by you and your loved ones.

Walt Rauch writes a very simple, straight shooting book on what it means to be an armed cilivan in todays America. Both pros & cons, and this is very necessary to know. But this book is not only about choosing your weapon and learning how to master it. You will also get basic insite about what to expect legally if you are involved in a shooting, how to travel smarter and safer, along with learning how to avoid trouble in the first place. Mr Rauch has carried a handgun for over 40 years in various occupations, he obviously has a wealth of knowledge to share.

'Real World Survival' works for me!

As the reviewer from Costa Rica notes, the first two chapters are quite good. I also thought that the rest of the book was well done. This is an excellent book for beginners, and covers many of the basics in a straightforward and no-nonsense manner.

Sure, as a Gunsite graduate, much of the book was perhaps a little too basic for my tastes. I don't need advice choosing a sidearm, for example. Like the reader from Costa Rica, I would have preferred a more advanced treatise, and I hope this book is successful enough to entice Walt Rauch to write a followup book, with more advanced topics.

That said, I believe this is an excellent book for people who are considering whether they should own a firearm for self protection, and don't quite know where to start, or even what questions to ask. It's also great for people who HAVE made the decision to defend themselves and their loved ones, but need some solid guidance from a more experienced individual... a person like Walt Rauch. For people in either category, I would suggest ALL the following books:

1. Real World Survival by Walt Rauch

2. The Truth About Self Protection by Mas Ayoob

3. Drive to Survive! by Curt Rich

More experienced shooters can certainly benefit from those three aforementioned books, and for them, I would add to the list... Jim Cirillo's book, some of Mas Ayoob's books, some of Jeff Cooper's books, and all of Gabe Suarez's books.

Bottom line... Walt Rauch wrote a damn fine book!

Walt Rauch is a recognized expert on the topic of self defense.- I enjoy his monthly colum and even attended an NTI competition which followed the guidelines co-created by him. What has worked for me, I believe was intended to review his thoughts on advanced tactical techniques. The first two chapters are excellent, probably the best i have read in a long time, mostly dealing with the COMBAT MINDSET. However, the following chapters delt with what are very basic concepts -choosing a gun, types, calibers etc. I believe he could have given more to his already large group of followers. The fact that we looked for his material should indicate that we: 1) Know about his previous work -otherwise why would we buy his book and not choose Ayoob, Farnam or Taylor? 2) His legacy at NTI is to be commended, can he teach us something on the advanced level, which is the spirit of this type of experience...

Still, worth buying just for those two first chapters.

Much like the reader from Costa Rica (October 6, 1998) I would have preferred a more advanced text by Walt Rauch. As a Gunsite grad, I don't need much help selecting a firearm. Similarly, some of the other chapters were rather basic.

However, as a firearms instructor, I realize that many others don't have my breadth and depth of training and experience. For them, Walt Rauch's 'Real World Survival' should be a wonderful book, and I plan to use my copy as a loaner for my students.

Having said that, there is some good solid information in the book, even for somebody like me. I believe I received my money worth and, consequently, I gave this book... FOUR STARS.

Maybe Rauch will write a Real World Survival II at some point...

This book is excellent. If you are looking to develop a defensive mind-set, this book is it. It may be the best of its kind. I would recommend it to anyone concerned on personal safety and defensive awareness. A must buy!

Unfortunately I found the book "Real World Survival" a waste of time. I thought the author could have said what he wanted to in half the time and it's a pretty short book to begin with. Most of his suggestions are extremely basic and obvious. I believe there are much better books out there, specifically Jerry Vancook's "Real World Self Defense", Sanford Strong's "Strong on Survial" and any of Mark MacYoung's books.