Customer Reviews

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Holidays

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In their successful 1999 publication, "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook", the authors Piven & Borgenicht gave us useful advice for surviving everything from a shark attack, to how to take a punch in the face with the minimum of injury. Now, as we swiftly approach the holiday season, they give us their latest work which focuses on holiday survival.

While you won't find information on how to safely jump out of a 2 story window into a trash dumpster, you WILL find information on how to gain control of a one-horse open sleigh, how to defend yourself against a charging reindeer and how to extricate yourself or someone else who is stranded in a chimney.

For the "rest of us" who aren't likely to find ourselves descending chimneys or dodging rutting male reindeer, there are LOTS of very helpful bits of advice for those things you're very LIKELY to encounter during this holiday season, including How To Wear Tight-Fitting Clothing that you've "outgrown" due to holiday eating, how to guess at what's inside a present (and how to PREVENT people who snoop on their presents!), as well as how to avoid kisses under the mistletoe and how to prevent yourself from being swept away by a marauding crowd of holiday shoppers.

Some survival tips are pure fun, like How To Repurpose A Fruitcake (doorstop, object d'art and tire block for your car are just a few), while others may actually be quite helpful in an actual situation: How To Prevent A Turkey From Exploding; How To Extinguish A Burning Turkey; and How To Treat Mistletoe (and food) Poisoning In Both People And Pets (you DID know that the berries of mistletoe are poisonous, didn't you?)

Naturally, this book is heavier on how to act in social settings (like dealing with meddlesome relatives and annoying carolers) and entertaining guests (how to open a bottle of wine with a broken cork, how to make an emergency menorah) than it is on actual dangers, but for anyone who's looking for a fun read and some practical advice, this and the other Worst-Case books are definitely worth getting! With it's festive, reflective silver cover, it's a perfect gift for the holidays as well as displaying prominently among your holiday displays. Besides, you just never know when disaster might strike, and you should always Be Prepared!! Highly recommended!

Being a big fan of the holidays, the snow, lights, decorations, etc. I decided to pick-up the newest addition to "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook" series. And I am pleased to add, that this was definitely worth the money. The scenarios in this book are so stupid, yet so funny. They remind you of an MTV show entitled "Jack---" From tips on how to fend off a charging reindeer to how to treat a tongue stuck to a pole, you won't be disappointed.

The humor of "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Guide: Holidays" goes on an on. You'll even find yourself rolling on the floor laughing out loud. This is a must read for everyone.

While you won't find information on how to safely jump out of a 2 story window into a trash dumpster, you WILL find information on how to gain control of a one-horse open sleigh, how to defend yourself against a charging reindeer and how to extricate yourself or someone else who is stranded in a chimney.
Some survival tips are pure fun, like How To Repurpose A Fruitcake (doorstop, object d'art and tire block for your car are just a few), while others may actually be quite helpful in an actual situation: How To Prevent A Turkey From Exploding; How To Extinguish A Burning Turkey; and How To Treat Mistletoe (and food) Poisoning In Both People And Pets.

As stated in other reviews, this covers many situations with a mix of humor and practical advice. However, be forewarned that the final entry is how to handle a child asking the dread question that crosses them over from Christmas innocent to member of the vast conspiracy we adults participate in. While the answer is very well written it can cause upset and upheaval if you have a reader who hasn't caught on yet. It's a bright, shiny holiday book and the silliness attracts kids like a magnet. Beware. On the other hand, if you've been looking to broach the subject, their approach is wonderful.

This is a little tome that will take you less than an hour to skim through,if you are one who can usually figure how to handle just about any situation; you won't be much the wiser from perusing it.If adaptation ,logically working out a problem,using initative,improvising,etc., are traits that are fairly foreign to your nature and you believe every situation calls for an instructional course or instructions----well this book was written for you. Then again;if such are your needs,this books deals with only a few challenges,and if you have any hopes of contending with the ordinary challenges of life;you're gonna need a whole lot more help than you'll find in this book.
I am not really sure if the authors put this together as a put-on,or actually know people who really need this sort of help,
If you are wondering what to do with this book,after reading it,the suggestions on "How To Repurpose a Fruitcake",may give you some ideas.

I haven't read any of the other "Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbooks," so I'm not writing with some sort of comparison to other versions. On its own footing, this book was certainly tolerable, if less than spectacular.

My primary complaint is that it was hard to decipher the intended purpose for this book. After reading some more practical suggestions, it felt like it was supposed to be a genuine help for folks who have problems during the holidays. But after reading some of the more outlandish suggestions, it seemed as if the primary purpose for the book was just to be funny. I just didn't like being yanked back and forth from these two divergent approaches.

If a book is supposed to be practical, then make it all practical. But if, as I suspect, this book was supposed to be funny, then plant that tongue firmly in cheek and make it funny. And that would include cutting out the various entries that were just plain boring. The schizophrenic nature of this book left me disappointed.

Nonetheless, there was enough humor throughout to make it enjoyable. I'm not going to buy copies for all of my friends, but we'll keep our copy in the bathroom during each Christmas season, knowing that some folks will enjoy spending a few minutes perusing these clever and often funny recommendations for surviving the holidays!!

The original Worst Case Scenario handbook was a good guide, essential for your paranoid friends. I enjoyed that one, so for some reason my family has given me all the follow-on books as gifts. None of them really compare to the original, but this one comes close in some respects.

Many of the scenarios are completely outlandish, so don't buy this looking for practical advice. Unlike the original, this isn't a book to buy your paranoid death-fearing friend. Some advice is practical, like dealing with swallowed mistletoe, driving in a blizzard, or dealing with a canceled plane flight, but it can get lost in the more outlandish, like fending off unwanted kisses, jumping from a runaway sleigh, fending off a charging reindeer, dealing with a meddling parent, etc. Some situations just don't boil down to 3 easy to follow steps and a diagram.

I do love the section on repurposing a fruitcake, though.

Enjoy this for a small laugh and pass it around amoung the adults for the holiday.