130 of 132 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant crisis preparedness book - probably the best as of 2010, January 28, 2010
This review is from: The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide: The Smartest Money Moves to Prepare for Any Crisis (Hardcover)
I have read and reviewed many crisis and survival preparedness books in the past year (feel free to look at my other reviews). This is by far the best book on these topics that I have read. I highly recommend it to anyone who cares about preparing to weather the current economic crisis or to survive a natural or manmade disaster.
How is this book different from others on this topic? After reading it, it seemed to me that the author had read the most popular books in the genre, eliminated the impractical bits, collected all the good and relevant insights, and then put it all in an easy-to-read, friendly language. There is no annoying political agenda here (many books tend to be right-wing libertarian or left-wing anticorporate eco-new-age) - just a pragmatic description of how things work in today's economy or during a disaster. There is no gear and guns obsession in this book, nor fear mongering, nor advice on how to build a sustainable bamboo house :) Yes, there are so many quirky annoyances in many books in this genre, that this one is a breath of fresh air. There are also little puns and jokes here and there, which make this book more fun to read.
The author wrote this for urban and suburban middle class folks. The book basically tells you how to continue living your life, with minor modifications so you are better prepared for hard times. This book is not about "hard core survival" in rural areas.
Topics covered in this book (pretty comprehensive):
- Likely short and long term disasters (fire, flood, future oil crisis, financial instability)
- Examples of how societies dealt with crises, e.g. Katrina, collapse of Soviet Union, Cuba, Argentinean financial crisis
- Personal finances and big economic trends (demographics, energy, water, etc) you may want to exploit (the author does not push any specific stocks or funds, just gives you ideas and directions, plus explains how to use Yahoo Finance and other tools for doing your own research)
- Gold and precious metals investing (this is one of the sanest discussion of precious metals I have come across anywhere; basically, you may want to put ~10% of your holdings in precious metals as an inflation and currency devaluation protection, at least in present day)
- Water storage and purification
- Food storage at home, with surprising detail about various storage and preservation techniques, cooking without electricity, etc
- Shopping tips for saving money on daily stuff
- Gardening in your back yard
- Health, medicine, first aid
- Home security (yes, discusses guns here, but again in a sane and low key way)
- Books and education resources for times when you are off the grid, need to keep your kids occupied, etc
- Transportation and evacuation
The author does a splendid job of covering big economic trends and financial advice, combined with more traditional survival topics like food storage or off-grid living. Each chapter has a handy "least you can do" checklist at the end.
Are there any shortcomings? Yes but nothing major. There are no pictures in the book (besides a couple of financial charts). It is so wrapped up in current events (mentions Obama, Bernanke, current trade relations with China etc) that it may look dated in a few years. Also, given its size, the book does no cover the topics in huge depth, so for big topics like first aid, investing, personal and home safety you are better off following up with other resources.
Highly recommended.
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122 of 124 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Useful Even When The World Isn't Ending, January 9, 2010
This review is from: The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide: The Smartest Money Moves to Prepare for Any Crisis (Hardcover)
The world might not come to an end any time soon, but I can guarantee you that YOUR world will hit some bumps from time to time. Ever been snowed in for a week? How did you stay warm? Did you have enough water during your first hurricane? Ever tried to call 911 during a riot? If this sort of thing hasn't happened to you yet, count your blessings, but if you live long enough...something will eventually come along. Do you really want to learn how to cope AFTER the "bump" in society that threatens your life, property or well-being? No? Then get this book and read it cover to cover. What are the most useful supplies to have on hand in an emergency? Is there something in your spice rack you can use for medicinal purposes until you can get to a pharmacy? You don't know? I do...now.
The author even takes the time to discuss home security in various scenarios. From "day-to-day" - wherein you can expect the police to eventually show up, to "you're on your own" - wherein the police aren't coming...ever. He even talks intelligently about firearms. Which ones are best for home defense? Which are best for novices? I admit a certain bias because I discovered my two mainstays are the same two he selected. I've taught and taken firearm safety classes, home defense classes and been around firearms of every sort for almost 5 decades. The advice in this book is simple and concise. If you can't field-strip and clean your weapon or you don't want to practice gun-safety or learn to properly store and use a firearm, then owning one is not for you. But if you do, heed the advice given by the author. It says it all and it says it well.
Finally, I own several books with the word "survivalist" in them. Most of them are written by people are are heavy on the hysteria and short on the practical advice. This thing isn't preachy and it's not political. It just tells you what can happen and how to cope. And it does it in a simple writing style that lets you find what you need to know fast...which might come in handy one day...
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58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It Gave Me Peace of Mind, January 8, 2010
This review is from: The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide: The Smartest Money Moves to Prepare for Any Crisis (Hardcover)
The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide is without doubt an eye-opening look at what could happen if a crisis were to hit your community or our country. However, don't let the title fool you. The author isn't one of those hardcore survivalists who move to remote farms where they raise livestock, collect guns and ammo, and prepare for a global oil crisis, financial meltdown, zombie invasion or the end of the world as we know it.
He likes the creature comforts of a warm bed, healthy food and fresh water. Just like you and me! Yet he has been able show, by actually doing it himself, how anyone can develop self-reliance and independence without giving up their twenty-first century lifestyle.
What's more, his book is practical, useful and written in an easy-to-digest conversational tone that will help you develop skills so you can become a more self-reliant, well-rounded, and interesting person. And it's packed full of additional resources for you to check out.
Once you've read The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide, you'll know how to survive a world-threatening disaster, live a healthier lifestyle and save your money in the here and now.
I highly recommend you order your copy today. If you're like me, it'll give you peace of mind and become your checklist on how to start preparing for when a crisis hits.
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