This is the long awaited update of Mr. Skousen's original and popular work, The Survival Home Manual, last printed in 1982. It has a new title and is a near total rewrite--expanded from 300 pages to 700 pages. This book is intended to give you all the information you need to implement a high security and self-sufficient residence or retreat, from initial design strategy to shelter construction details. Mr. Skousen's design specialty is building high security, totally self-sufficient homes that are completely off-the grid. This massive volume shows you how to accomplish the complex process of integrating all of the security and self-sufficiency systems into a conventional structure. His unique multi-purpose, high security shelter designs allow a person to install a concealed safe room within a conventional home that offers complete live-in protection from tornadoes, hurricanes, fire, intrusion and nuclear fallout. These are self-contained with independent electrical power, water, food storage and communications and compact living facilities--all with convenient access from inside your own home. His voluminous lists of specific product and equipment recommendations, along with sources, will save you months of research. These lists are updated regularly on his website so that your copy of The Secure Home will never be out of date.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Publisher
Joel Skousen's books are highly sought after due to the great amount of hands-on experience he has in this field. His original Survival Home Manual was the pioneering work in the high security residential field, over 25 years ago. This completely new work, with an updated title (The Secure Home) is destined to replace his original work as THE definitive work in the field of self-sufficient and high security architecture.
From the Author
This book contains all of the design concepts and implementation details I use in my work. I have placed these valuable illustrations and descriptions in The Secure Home to help readers do all or part of their own design work. My work load has increased so much over the years that I only have time to consult on design now and must leave the detail design work to other designers or architects. This book provides the necessary details to help others do the implementation. This allows me to better serve hundreds of clients each year instead of a handful. I encourage a lot of do-it-yourself design and construction and thus have tried to develop many simply and inexpensive ways to provide security. With the online update of recommended equipment and products it saves me from having to revise the entire print edition to keep the book current.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A tremendous wealth of knowledge!!,
This review is from: The Secure Home (Paperback)
The author made a living constructing or designing high security homes and self sufficient homes, and writes this tremendous volume in a clear, all encompassing, format from his experience in the field, and from keeping abreast of new technology. Make no mistake about it, the author does not parrot information in other survival or construction books, rather everyone else copies Skousen! This is the dictionary and encylopedia of not only secure room construction, but home construction in general. After discussing some 'survival' philisophical issues, the book cuts right to the chase discussing properly laid out homes, from all angles. Beginning with the home, from location, ground, terrain, sun exposure, vegetation, water supply, (the author sticks in little tricks, like instrad of bullet proofing walls with kevlar, just fill a chasm with sand and gravel for better and cheaper results) room layout, expansion of rooms, schematics of extending a roof, basement, etc., its all laid out. At this 'home' section the author lays out a goal for the planner, for example one goal would be 'have two seperate and distinct 'cooking heat' sources. Using the author's techniques and recommended equipment, this can be accomplished by almost anyone. This doubling up principle applies to everything, like water. You get ways to store water, resivoir it, etc., all within the confines of various types of houses. This book is good eneough that it covers the situations of like 95% of Americans. This doubling up takes the better part of the book. From installing solar arrays in hot sunny areas, to gas, to portable generators, supply systems, high security shelters within the secure home, plumbing, transportation, sanitation, security systems, etc. Its all covered in EXHAUSTIVE detail. As this type of work project requires in some cases, tremendous effort and sometimes too, money, and this material may save your life should you ever be the subject of criminal activity, you want the best plans and ideas. Clearly, there is no other book like this on the market period that gives so much information. In fact this book goes so deep into construction of homes, this book is a good primer for anyone looking to buy a home, whether they want to make it secure or not. My hat definitely goes out to Joel Skousen. He did it first and did it the best!
60 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Joel Skousen has no peer in this category!,
By
This review is from: The Secure Home (Paperback)
Have you ever felt...vulnerable? Me too. Well, the sad fact is that 'The Secure Home' will undoutedly make you feel much more so. As an example: the author explains that where the population denisty exceeds 100 people per square mile - the population is enherently at risk even in minor shipping crises (caused by strike or natural disaster). The book will have a different effect on each who reads it. However, everyone who reads this text must agree that the author "knows what he is talking about." There are 20 well-detailed chapters on such topics as ("Lifestyle changes under self-sufficiency", "Strategy and Training For Quick Reaction To A Crisis", "Peparedness Planning and Threat Assessment", "Security", "Choosing the Right Household Appliances(awesome chapter!)", "Building a High Security Shelter" ). As I read these chapters I kept finding myself wishing that Mr. Skousen was my father! Why? Because REAL fathers prepare their children for the harsh realities of life. Too many parents want to shelter children from reality. It boggles my mind to think that parents refuse to discuss potential threats with their children because they are afraid it may cause them too much undue stress! Americans are simply not prepared to cope with crises today. My parents sure didn't help prepare me! I strongly suggest that you purchase this text and read it. When you find that you feel utterly vulnerable...ACT...make steps towards preparedness. (1) plan to relocate - try your best to move to a more rural location. Finally, this book is a must have if you are building your own house - TRUST ME - if you follow the author's sage advice (especially about which appliances are preparedness friendly, such as dual-fuel appliances!) your home will be able to handle crises WHEN one strikes. The author also publishes a book Strategic Relocation: North American Guide to Safe Places. In Strategic Relocation the author lists the criteria that doesn't occur to the normal American when attempting to relocate one's residence or preparedness retreat. There is a great deal of text devoted to the author's notion that Russia poses a real (first strike)nuclear threat. I believe that he is dead on. However, those of you that believe that Russia poses no threat to America will undoubtedly be confused (at best) or annoyed (at worst). Joel Skousen opened my eyes to my vulnerability and empowered me with the steps that I can take to assuage that risk.
44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Irrelevant book with a catchy title,
This review is from: The Secure Home (Paperback)
A full 3/4 of this book has nothing to do with a "Secure Home"! This 674 page book which weighs 4 pounds is a waste of money. The author must think that electricity will be freely available forever. He writes about televisions, clothes washers & dryers, electric ranges and cooktops, refrigerators and freezers and other appliances. He skims over alternative sources of power with an emphasis on generators and very little "how to" advice on how to hook up everything in a system. Only one diagram that does not show wind generators, mini hydro generators or a controller to hook it all together. Here's an example of his recommended "other survival equipment - transportation" section: electric & hybrid vehicles, trucks, snowmobiles, motorcycles & motorbikes, bicycles,electric bikes, motor homes, airplanes, helicopters, experimental jets and boats. What do those things have to do with a "Secure Home"? He goes into great length about hot water heaters and home heating systems, all standard items we already have in our unsecure homes. He never mentions outdoor wood furnaces like "Central Boiler"* (*registered trademark) that heats the whole home plus the home's hot water. The author dances all around how to get water but never really does address this critical issue in the 11 pages he dedicates to it. He never even mentions hand pumps like "Bison"* for shallow and deep wells. It's as if he is a "city boy" and has never been to a 1920s country home! His 1 page on waste disposal doesn't even mention human waste. I guess he figures the sewer system will always be available. I'm not even going to go into all this author's paranoia which fills up many many pages of this book. This book is a totally irrelevant book with a catchy title.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
