Peak Oil Prep: Prepare for Peak Oil, Climate Change and Economic Collapse (Paperback)

by Mick Winter (Author)
Key Phrases: sink into the bed, community currency, compact fluorescent bulbs, United States, Peak Oil, Oil Depletion Protocol (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A directory of ideas, resources and information to get you through the coming challenges of energy scarcity, climate change and economic collapse...Mick presents his information with humour and in a very practical and down-to-earth way...Peak Oil Prep provides a wealth of information and should prove useful to anyone trying to Powerdown and make the necessary changes to prosper through the changes that are coming." -- Graham Strouts - Zone5.org

"A user's manual for sustainable living with lots of practical tips and links to additional resources. Will help you save money and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle while lowering your ecological footprint. A good book for anyone trying to live sustainably." -- Robert Rapier - The Oil Drum

"Excellent! Very comprehensive with a strong focus on solutions." -- Megan Quinn, CommunitySolution.org, Co-producer of "The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil"

"From my perspective, anything we can do to build lifeboats for ourselves and our loved ones as we move closer to collapse is essential. Mick Winter's Peak Oil Prep is a powerful and practical guidebook for doing just that...Winter has provided us with a superb manual containing the basics of preparation for a world which seems both inevitable and not that far in the future." -- Carolyn Baker - Speaking Truth to Power

"A summary of the many ideas floating around, with the theme of individuals preparing themselves for peak oil and similar events. Author Mick Winter takes a reasonable, moderate tone in presenting the information and references. The book would be most useful for newcomers to the field and might make a good textbook for a short course." -- EnergyBulletin.net

Product Description
Three Things You Can Do to Prepare for Peak Oil, Climate Change and Economic Collapse -- You can easily lead a more sustainable, money-saving life right now. But you have to do it yourself. No one, including the government, is going to do it for you. The book covers topics that list three free, or low-cost, things you can do to save money; decrease energy dependence; fight global warming and abrupt climate change; and improve your home, your community, and your environment. Topics include: Self-employment, relocation, local business, car, food, shopping, money, neighborhood, kitchen, bathroom, yard, heating, cooling, lighting, and many more.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 246 pages
• Publisher: Westsong Publishing; 1st edition (October 24, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965900045
• ISBN-13: 978-0965900041
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #598,924 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not quite as advertised, October 14, 2007

By	Cartoon lover (Mid west) - See all my reviews

I have been reading this book, and am mostly through it - enough that I feel that I can render an opinion on this.

First, please note that I subscribe to the theory of peak oil - it's a question of when, not if - and ecological
living.

Having said that, the book frankly lacks focus and is somewhat sophomoric in its approach. It seemed less focus on life when energy is no longer affordable and more on promoting a certain view of how things should be. Really, he spends very little time writing and more time giving massive blocks of internet references that seemed to have passed his filter of political correctness than utility. For example - he talks about home power generation, and then appears to have ignored an all-purpose website - Home Power magazine -for reasons unknown, other than perhaps the magazine doesn't pass his concept of correctness (after all, it is available at Barnes and Noble). Another case in point - heirloom seeds. A very good idea - but his one source is some kind of communal seed outfit. A fast internet search shows a dozen or so outfits from Burpee on down. I'd prefer working with someone who actually tests their seeds in multiple environments.

Most of the book seems focused on socialized/communal living. For example, he promotes the idea of cohousing - which is fine - but his example is the N street housing complex in Davis California, which adapts the idea a couple of steps further where everyone proceeds to eat in communal settings. There are many other examples that can be found that may be more palable to ones living rather than be forced to come under someone's else's idea of political correctness.

Indeed, he talks about Cuba as a shining example of a country that has passed through Peak Oil, and how wonderful life is there now - ignoring one very obvious fact that Cuba has milder weather than most of the US - at least I am not aware of Havana having snow storms - which makes life much easier. And I didn't need a paragraph on how the US doesn't allow travelers to visit Cuba in a book about survival after peak oil.

Indeed, one of the things he promotes is moving to smaller communities - 5000 people or so. Somewhat elitist - I've run into many, many people who can barely keep food on the table and a roof on their heads, and somehow I cannot see them packing up into a beat up old car and driving to sunnier climes to an uncertain economic future.

Finally, he shows little imagination about how life may really be like when the crunch does hit. For example - one of the things he talks about is using the internet for communications after peak oil starts rippling through the economy. An interesting concept, given that there is a debate among people in information technology as to whether or not the internet is a massive energy hog. Certainly having to run multi-terabyte server farms 24/7 cannot be done with 300 watts.

This is not to say that the book won't get you thinking at least - it will - but some of the insitutional reviewers indicated that it was a blueprint for living after peak oil - I'd call it less of a blueprint and more of a sketch - with many details omitted and not well thought out.

One other thing - he promotes three big ideas - they are using compact flourescent bulbs, planting a garden, and biking to work - and all I can say is - "Duh".

29 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, December 28, 2006

By	TD (Boston) - See all my reviews

Wow, this is bad. It's poorly written and basically a cut n paste job from many websites on the topic. Do a search on Peak Oil and you will find the same info for free on the top websites dealing with this issue.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Less is More, March 10, 2007

By	Metta (Davis, CA) - See all my reviews

I really enjoyed Mick's Peak Oil Prep. First, it is extremely clear and easy to read. Second, it provides simple, inexpensive and practical advice on what we can do, individually, to make a difference. Third, it can be read as a reference book or as a straight read. Reading nonfiction is often a chore for me, as I usually lose my thread of thought when I lay fact-based works down; this book has such short, independent sections that putting it down and picking it up again is a delight, rather than a chore. This is also aided by the sense of humor throughout the book. Thanks for a fun and useful book to guide us through the rough times. CGY