The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this outrageous parody of a survival guide, Saturday Night Live staff writer Brooks prepares humanity for its eventual battle with zombies. One would expect the son of Mel Brooks to have a genetic predisposition to humor, and indeed, he does, and he exhibits it relentlessly here: he outlines virtually every possible zombie-human encounter, drafts detailed plans for defense and attack and outlines past recorded attacks dating from 60,000 B.C. to 2002. In planning for that catastrophic day when "the dead rise," Brooks urges readers to get to know themselves, their bodies, their weaponry, their surroundings and, just in case, their escape routes. Some of the book's more amusing aspects are the laughable analyses Brooks proposes on all aspects of zombiehood, and the specificity with which he enumerates the necessary actions for survival-i.e., a member of an anti-zombie team must be sure to have with him at all times two emergency flares, a signaling mirror, daily rations, a personal mess kit and two pairs of socks. Comic, though unnecessarily exhaustive, this is a good bet for Halloween gag gifts and fans of Bored of the Rings-esque humor. 100 line drawings.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"'So meticulous and well researched that it's more scary than funny. This book lays out everything you need to know to protect yourself from flesh-eating monsters' - Esquire 'A bloody-minded, straight laced manual for evading the grasp of the undead' - Time Out 'A tome you start reading for fun and then at page 50 you go out and buy a machete just to be on the safe side' - New York Post 'Ignorance is the undead's strongest ally, knowledge their deadliest enemy. Personal choice, the will to live, must be paramount when the dead begin to rise. The choice is up to you.' (from The Zombie Survival Guide)" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 1 edition (September 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400049628
• ISBN-13: 978-1400049622
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (459 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #301 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

334 of 349 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Being safe means being prepared!, January 19, 2004

By	J. N. Mohlman (Barrington, RI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Let's face it: at one time or another we've all faced a zombie scare we aren't prepared for. And yes, the local constabulary usually cleans things up with a minimum of fuss, but what happens when things go wrong and the cavalry doesn't arrive? That, my friends, is the day that Max Brooks' "The Zombie Survival Guide" saves your life. With several millennia worth of field experience distilled into a manageable 254 pages, everything you need to know to survive the coming war with the undead can be found in these pages. Your life and the lives of those you love are at stake, act now and be prepared!

OK, so that paragraph was obviously tongue in cheek, but hopefully in conveys some sense of what Brooks' remarkable "The Zombie Survival Guide" is like. While obviously a parody of both the horror genre and civil defense/survivalist manuals, it maintains an "all-business" demeanor, never once cracking the façade to reveal the underlying humoristic intent. The result is a book that is, when taken as a whole, a funny, incredibly thorough work of satire. However, at the same time, page-by-page, it is a rather accomplished addition to zombie horror.

Starting with zombie physiology and then moving on to weapons, tactics, long-term strategy and history Brooks has produced a manual which has a thoroughness that belies the absurdity of its subject. Point by point he discusses the pros and cons of rifles, machetes and flamethrowers, then considers the optimal defensive positions for various types of outbreaks. After an extensive discussion of survival in a zombie doomsday scenario, he lays out zombie outbreaks through history, and what their implications are. Throughout, entries are extensively cross-referenced and alternative courses of action are always weighed for potential risks and benefits.

The remarkable thing about all this is that Brooks has managed to infuse a tension, and urgency into his manual that makes for great reading. Part post-apocalyptic fiction, part "Night of the Living Dead" and part "Saturday Night Live" sketch, this is a book that should hold appeal across a broad range of genres. Thorough without being dry, creepy without being clichéd, and funny without relying on cheap laughs, "The Zombie Survival Guide" is undoubtedly one of the most original books I have ever read, and one that I enjoyed reading immensely. If you appreciate any or all of these genres, or if you just enjoy a well executed, original idea, this is definitely a book you'll want to check out.

And remember...Tomorrow may be too late, read this book today!

Jake Mohlman

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you buy only one zombie survival manual, buy this one!, September 30, 2003

By	R. Ma - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

These are precarious times in which we live. And as such, there have been a great many "survival"-type titles on the bookshelves. Most of these field texts don't give you anything but a mouthful of Greek salad when it comes to protection from the undead. Fortunately, Brooks addresses every possible zombie issue in his useful manual against the reanimated.

From terrain, weapons, fortifications and vehicle selection to sensory characteristics of the living dead, Brooks leaves no headstone unturned. His thoroughness is your critical advantage over the panicked masses when the dead rise. For example, I thought that my ATC Vietnam tomahawk would be sufficient primary protection. The manual has made me aware that although my weapon of choice has the skull penetrating power required, it is only effective in close combat against a small number of undead adversaries. Thus, I have supplemented my equipment with a Hammerli Trailside .22 rimfire pistol, a Barnett RC-150 crossbow, and a titanium crowbar.

The logbook at the end of the manual has been particularly useful, as I have recorded one incident in my vicinity already - a bar fight in Williamsburg, Brooklyn where two victims were bitten by a shambling, 'homeless-looking' man. One man died on the way to the hospital and the other succumbed to a blood infection 24 hours later. Families of the victims are pursuing legal action against the hospital because the attending physician had both bodies 'accidentally cremated'.

My one critique is with one particular sentence in the manual, where Brooks equates an "aged" steak as one that has begun to rot, attacked by microbes like all dead flesh. This analogy has put me off red meat for the last month. Perhaps that is a positive thing...

68 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Undead Don't Laugh, December 19, 2006

By	Ethan D Van Vorst (Salisbury, NC USA) - See all my reviews

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Max Brooks has put together a rather unique book that it's simply impossible to classify. Part field guide, part arcane zombie history book, and part disaster-training manual, it also manages to keep things serious enough to make you wonder if what it's talking about is real. I began to wonder if Brooks actually believed what he was writing, and that's a big plus point in the book's favor.

The book is separated into several portions, ranging from zombie physiology, what zombies can do and can't do, an overview of Solanum, the microorganism that gives life...or "unlife" to the zombie, as well as a pretty fascinating look at what weapons are best matched against your undead opponents and what kind of structures to barricade yourself in should an outbreak occur. At the end of the book is a pretty extensive collection of "historical" zombie outbreaks throughout human history. The whole thing is written so seriously that you'll laugh out loud when you get to the end of the book and see several Zombie Action Checklists for the owner's use to keep track of outbreaks.

Here's what I've learned should an outbreak occur:
-Grab an M1 Garand and lots of ammo
-Machetes and trench spikes are superior to machine guns
-Get a bicycle...zombies can't hear you and you can always carry your bike over rough terrain, and all without reliance on gasoline
-Chainsaws are fun, but will give you a false sense of power (sorry Bruce Campbell!)
-Flame throwers are the ultimate zombie-killing weapon. But carrying 70 lbs. of equipment on foot will make you slow enough for zombies to catch you.
-Off-shore oil drilling rigs are the ultimate hideout!
-If it all blows out of control make for the nearest tropical island, or the Artic circle if you can handle the cold
-Stay away from hospitals in the case of an outbreak

The book's serious tone about things so ridiculous will make you laugh out loud several times during the reading of it. This was one of the most unique and entertaining reads I've had in a very long time, and I thoroughly recommend it!