Customer Reviews

The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide: The Smartest Money Moves to Prepare for Any Crisis

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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...

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.

This book covers a variety of necessary topics for the stay at home survivalist or anyone that breathes air for that matter. With each chapter laid out in a straight forward, common sense manner it makes it easy to quickly garner the insight and knowledge to better protect your family in a time of need.

I have now read this book twice and some chapters even more. There is even a chapter on smart shopping for food and other necessary sundries that if followed will probably save you the cover price of the book on your first trip to the store. Plus, every chapter has a summary of the very minimum your could do to put yourself and your family one step ahead and better prepared for a crisis situation.

I am of the opinion that you owe it to yourself, family and friends to at least have a basic knowledge of the topics covered in this book. It is tough to beat this book due to its simplisty to lay out a broad array of topics in consise detail. Pick it up, you will be happy that you did.

I hunkered down from the cold weather this weekend with this entertaining and eye-opening new read from Weiss Research's Sean Brodrick. This arctic freeze certainly supports the book's premise - plan, be prepared and self-sufficient for any number of crises that could come your way. While I'm ready for old man winter, I'm not so sure I could muster through some of the other crises Brodrick covers, including energy, economic and food. I know now what I can easily do to better prepare my family and without spending a fortune! This book makes great sense after the tumultuous year we had in `09. My mantra for the New Year - plan ahead in case a few more hiccups hit suburbia in 2010!

Over the years, I've lived through a large, disruptive earthquake in California, being snowed in for 3 days in Indiana, and now a 4-day power outage (complete with huge fallen trees in my yard) due to last week's record snowfall in Dallas. Each time, I patted myself on the back for my level of preparedness, but each time, I saw that there was room for improvement. The irony of finding this book is that I didn't find it until AFTER the power came back on! All I can say is, I've doubled my knowledge, which I thought was pretty extensive. Most of my neighbors turned to me for help getting through this recent event. Most of them thought of it as a disaster; I thought of it as an inconvenience. After reading this book, I'm beginning to think of it as a minor inconvenience. This is not some fringe camo-wearing, wacko-survivalist author (I've read a few of them, and they were a turn-off). The book doesn't preach doom and gloom, it makes you laugh and think about being ready for burps in the daily grind. This is meant for every couch-potato-type suburbanite out there. Read it now, or someday you might wish you had!

I love a good disaster film! And after watching a world gone haywire on the big screen, and rooting for the good guys, I find myself wondering how I would fare in the aftermath of a similar situation. I need wonder no longer. Sean Brodrick has written a fascinating handbook on planning for future catastrophes before they happen. "The Ultimate Suburban Survivalist Guide" is a witty and captivating guide to readying oneself for possible major calamities.



Brodrick covers such topics as food and water storage, medical and financial needs, and security against intruders. There are lists of essential items to stockpile, and sub-lists of basic necessities to keep packed and ready to go, in case sudden home evacuation is imperative. Each chapter ends with a section of tips on "the least you can do," because even implementing just these nominal survival tips could save lives and ensure peace of mind.



This book is a well thought out, interesting, and comprehensive guide to enduring a calamity and coming out ahead. Should a major catastrophe ever occur, I have no doubt that Brodrick and his family will be the last ones standing.


Submitted by Nanci Schwartz

I have to admit I normally shy away from anything with "survivalist" in the title, but after skimming the introduction of Brodrick's "Ulitmate Suburban Survivalist Guide" I was hooked. The author offers tons of practical advice in an easy to follow format and avoids the Chicken Little approach....the sky may well be falling sometime soon, but anyone who reads Brodrick's book will be prepared.

From hurricane/snowstorm aftermath to a Mad Max scenario, Brodrick's got it covered.

I liked this book. I read a lot of survivalist books and this one had a different slant. It wasn't so much about how to boil chickweed in the wild and more about how to survive any number of disasters (natural and otherwise) in a suburban setting. The author looks at a great number of aspects; from farming food to growing money. Good job. One problem though. I sit here in Florida this morning on the heels of a record setting cold winter. My TV is telling me that there is another blizzard moving into the Northeast. A talking head yells to me that this is the coldest winter on record for near a dozen states. And this author, carps about global warming at least 14 times throughout the book. The reader definitely gets the picture that Brodrick believes that our next catastrophy will come as a result of that. There is no legitimate science to prove that. He should stick to writing and avoid the politicking.

Broderick's book was not at all what I expected from an investment recommendation point of view - pretty disappointing actually. The 4 star rating, however, comes from the honest treatment of the economic and political times that we live in. An outstanding rational treatment of how the average suburbanite can prepare themselves for some tough times. Not a foaming at the mouth survivalist book that will scare off your average american but one that will wake people up and give them some tools and resources to weather a storm. Not what I was expecting but highly recommended anyway - unless of course you are looking for...see beginning of paragraph.