Tag Archives: Book Review

The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide: Review and Giveaway

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Creek's New Book

I received a review copy of Creek Stewart’s latest book, The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide.   I had read his first book, Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag and reviewed it previously.   I had great expectations for the second book, and I was pleased to read it.

It is well known that The Hunger Games books and movie had a lot of survival type situations and this book relates how one might actually survive when faced with such difficult circumstances.

First, the Big Question

We might as well get the big question out of the way:  Do you need to read The Hunger Games series of books or see the movie before you can appreciate this one?   I would say it helps, but it is not absolutely necessary.  I admit I have not seen the movie, but I did read the books a couple of years ago.   There is a tie-in, as the topics relate to some of the survival issues covered in the book, but if you have not read or seen the movie you will still learn a lot of survival lessons.

What I Thought about The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide

I thought the book was very informative and covered all the necessities for survival.

Some of the topics include:

  • Finding water and making it safe to drink
  • Identifying edible plants
  • Building snares
  • Building a shelter to protect against heat, cold, wind and rain
  • Fire-starting
  • Navigation
  • First aid
  • Travel tips for rescue and evasion
  • Making tools to increase the odds of survival such as a bow, knife from a sharp rock

and a lot more.

I enjoyed the sections that I personally feel deficient in, such as identifying plants that are safe to eat, finding your way using things in nature, natural camouflage, good fire-starting materials etc.

I liked reading the “Survival Quick Tips” that were sprinkled throughout the book, giving helpful advice that is related to the section.  The book also includes a lot of photos and illustrations, making it easy for the reader to follow along.

The author gives specific advice on where to look when you need additional information about a subject such as the best guide for foraging plants, references and actual brands of gear that are known to work.   As anyone who has researched emergency gear knows, finding out about what works and what doesn’t takes time and money:  having concrete advice like this handy eliminates a lot of guesswork and wasted time.

Fortunately for us, we are not faced with life or death survival situations such as those experienced by the characters in The Hunger Games, but you never know when you will be faced with such a predicament.  The time to learn these skills is now, not when we’re already deep in the middle of a crisis.  As author Creek Stewart says, “Remember, it’s not IF but WHEN.”  I recommend The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide to anyone who wants to learn survival skills in an entertaining but illuminating format.

Now for the Giveaway

Two lucky readers will be chosen to win this giveaway of the following:

  • Autographed copy of The Unofficial Hunger Games Wilderness Survival Guide
  • Willow Haven Outdoor Logo Sling Pack,
  • A 100% cotton Willow Haven Outdoor Survival Bandanna
  • A Multi-Fuctional Survival Tool with built in lanyard, compass, ferro rod, whistle and water-proof container for storing matches other survival kit items.

Creek's giveaway 2

To win, please comment below regarding any of the following:

  • What survival situation in The Hunger Games you were most curious about
  • What you hope to learn from this book

Entries will be accepted until Sunday, May 26th at 8 pm Central.  We will contact the winners via email-please respond within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.  Good luck!

 

Protect Yourself: www.gotpepperspray.com

Protect Yourself: www.gotpepperspray.com

Review of Apocalypse Drift by Joe Nobody and Book Giveaway

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Apocalypse Drift - Copy

I recently finished reading Joe Nobody’s new novel, Apocalypse Drift.  The book deals with the aftermath of an economic collapse, that was triggered by a cyber attack.  We see the main characters’ struggle for survival in the ensuing chaos.  I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but instead share my impressions of the book.

Too Close for Comfort

The backdrop of the story, with the economy already weak and a formerly upper middle class family caught in a downward spiral had me thinking about real events and real people.  The characters are well defined and their predicament is believable.  I could not help but look at parallels with current headlines.

Fast paced

The story moves along at a good clip and the book is hard to put down.  I spent all my free time reading it and finished it in a couple of days.

Now for the minuses

I have to admit that since I am not into sailing, I rushed through some of the nautical descriptions as this is not something I personally can relate to.

The book describes a possible solution to the economic ills, which sounds plausible to me, however, I cannot see things getting resolved as quickly as they did in the book.  Perhaps I am more pessimistic, but that’s just me.

A Worthwhile Read

I enjoyed the story overall.  The events described are realistic and well thought out.  As an after effect of reading a Joe Nobody book, I started revisiting my own preparations mentally and double-checking my emergency plans.   And that is always a good thing.

Book Giveaway!

For a chance to win a copy of Apocalypse Drift, leave a comment below on either one of the following:

  • What is your favorite Joe Nobody book and why?
  • If you have never read a Joe Nobody book, what is your favorite SURVIVAL FICTION book?

The winner* will be chosen at random on Saturday, May 4th at 8 pm Central.  Good luck!  I look forward to reading your comments.

*Winner will be notified via email.  Winner must reply to email notification within 48 hours or another winner will be drawn.

 

Emergency Essentials/BePrepared

For beginning preppers

DebtProof Living

 

Book Review: The Home Distiller’s Workbook

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HomeDistWkbk

I received a review copy of the Home Distiller’s Workbook by Jeff King.  Before we jump into the review, please note, as clearly indicated in the back cover of the book:  Warning:  It is illegal to distill alcohol in the United States without first obtaining the proper licenses.”

If you have ever wondered how the mountain men back in the day made moonshine from corn, this book tells you how in great detail.

It is a small book, which I think is a “plus” as it does not contain a lot of fluff and excess details.  It tells how the process works:  fermenting, distilling and aging.  It covers the ingredients needed, equipment, concepts and finally, recipes.

You can tell the author is quite knowledgeable and passionate about the subject.  He provides a lot of hands on tips.

The book is very thorough and informative.  Although distilling was not a subject I personally considered,  I found it to be an interesting read.  I enjoyed learning about the science behind it, how the yeast and other ingredients interact with each other; the diagrams were helpful as well.

Because it is illegal, and also requires a lot of equipment, home distilling is not on the “to do” list, but knowledge about the process is a good thing.  If the laws were to change, becoming skilled in distillation can be valuable.

If you are interested in learning about home distilling for educational and entertainment purposes of course, this is a good book to have.

 

 

In case of shortages:

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Book Review: 299 Days

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299 days coverpage

 

I received review copies of 299 Days:  The Preparation and 299 Days:  The Collapse by Glen Tate, and now making progress on my fall reading list.  These are the first two installments of a book series about the challenges and struggles of Grant Mason, a suburban dweller who awakens to the need to become prepared for the difficulties ahead.

The story’s premise of a gradual collapse of the country’s economy due to overspending by all branches of the government is plausible and a bit “too close for comfort.”  You can imagine something list this unfolding before your eyes, and therefore it is easy to put yourself in the main character’s shoes.  Any person who has felt the need to prepare will also be able to relate to his challenges of trying to convince his family to prepare.  How do you deal with someone who is in denial, even as you see your worse fears coming true?   This is a struggle that would resonate with many readers.  I don’t want to give too much of the story away so am trying to refrain from revealing too much detail in this review.

I enjoyed the pace of the story which is engaging and entertaining enough to make the reader want to continue.   The writing style can be a bit choppy at times, and some of the political generalizations may be something you’d have to overlook depending on your inclinations.   Not a major flaw, just an observation:  the second book, The Collapse seemed a bit short, compared to the first book, and could have been easily combined with the first book.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and would continue to read the subsequent books.  I look forward to reading the entire series, as well as additional works by Glen Tate.

For your gold and silver coins, visit:

 

Compact, Efficient and Lightweight Survival Stove

Solo Stove

For beginning preppers

Can the Internet Collapse? “Broken Web” Explains

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 brokenweb

I just finished reading the book “Broken Web The Coming Collapse of the Internet” by George A. Ure, who runs the widely popular UrbanSurvival website.

Before I go into my review, a quick background story.  To be honest with you, the book was on my “read sometime in 2013″ list, but I had not planned on reading it right away.  Until I lost my home internet connection for two and a half weeks that is.  That’s right, the last couple of weeks in December, I had no internet at home at all, and had to go to friends’ homes to answer emails, pay bills online and post on Apartment Prepper.   Dealing with the outsourced customer- “no service” was frustrating enough so I will spare you the dirty details, but there was much hand wringing and gnashing of teeth before the problem was fixed.

After this experience,I felt I really needed to read “Broken Web The Coming Collapse of the Internet“  Could the ‘net really “break?”  The author provides many compelling reasons, all of them plausible, on how the internet can be interrupted, from an EMP, computer viruses, malware, cyber-attack etc.  The book also delves into a fascinating discussion on the widespread societal changes as a result of the net, both good and not-so-good.  We are all overly dependent on the internet, and a collapse of the internet would result in a financial meltdown, a breakdown in communications and mass chaos.

I thought the book was quite thorough and well researched.  I was not as attentive on the sections dealing with technical discussions on economics and manufacturing, but that is not a minus against the book, just my personal preference.

If it is truly possible the internet can collapse, do we need to worry?  Perhaps, but along with all the other threats we are facing today, it would be unproductive to fret.  In a section of the book titled “What You Can Do About It”  Mr. Ure offers several actionable steps to help us come up with a plan to prepare for such an event.  I read this section a couple of times just to make sure I got all the details.

Reading this book opened my eyes to possibilities I had not considered before, and it also offered constructive steps one can take.  I recommend this book to anyone who wants to be as prepared as possible.

Broken Web Collapse of the Internet is available via Amazon Kindle or Barnes and Noble Nook. 

 

Check out the Legacy Premium line of storage foods carried by one of our sponsors, PrepareWise.

 

Don’t let those expiration dates get past you.  An inexpensive but helpful tool to keep track of supplies (Iphone or Ipad users):

 For beginning preppers

 

 

 

A Review of Brushfire Plague

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I just finished reading Brushfire Plague by R. P. Ruggiero.   Aptly titled, the book deals with a world is overtaken by a fast moving pandemic causing a multitude of deaths, resulting in the breakdown of society.  It is written from the viewpoint of a man who is not only coping with the harsh new realities of living in a world WROL, but is also trying to save his son, help his neighbors, and later find the origin and a possible cure.

Brushfire Plague is riveting and fast paced.  Once I picked it up, it was hard to put down.  I appreciated the detailed descriptions of the early days of the pandemic and how quickly society started degrading.  The book portrayed in a realistic manner how people would react to a sudden disaster:  they start out being in denial and have trouble accepting that the lawlessness can reach through their nice neighborhood.   At the same time, there is a ray of hope that in the face of tragedy:  good people can unite and help each other survive.

Brushfire Plague has a great story that is quite believable.  I had a bit of difficulty bonding with the main character, Cooper, who seemed mercurial and volatile.  One one hand, he was prone to angry and occasionally tearful emotional outbursts, on the other hand, he can quickly turn into a cold killer (albeit justified) without a second thought.  Nonetheless, I appreciated the turmoil he found himself in, and he was overall a capable and heroic character.

There are plot twists and turns that are quite enjoyable though I don’t want to reveal the entire plot.  Many questions were answered at the end of the book but there were a few unresolved threads that hint at a possible sequel.  I look forward to reading more stories by R. P. Ruggiero.  I hope that you will read Brushfire Plague and enjoy it as much as I did.

Visit SafeCastle for your preparedness supplies:

Visit SafeCastle for your preparedness supplies

 

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Good ideas for building a food storage plan can be found here:

 

Book Review: Without Rule of Law by Joe Nobody

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Today I wanted to share my review of Without Rule of Law, by Joe Nobody.  I’ve read a couple of his other books:  Holding Your Ground and Holding Their Own.  I also had the opportunity to interview Joe Nobody not too long ago.

The title, Without Rule of Law:  Advanced Skills to Help you Survive is aptly titled – it is really for the “advanced” level of prepping.  The skills taught in the book are applicable in a worse case scenario, when things fall into anarchy, there is little or no government assistance and emergency supplies have dwindled, soon to run out.

I should mention that Amazon carries the following WARNING: This book contains material that may be offensive to some readers. It is an instructional guide covering tactical actions and capabilities which should only be executed in last-resort survival situations.

I have a confession to make:  It took me a while to finish Without Rule of Law.  In fact, Mr Apt Prepper read it before I did.  After he finished reading, he told me he found good insight but it goes above and beyond what most people’s perceptions are, and what they are willing to face.

The reason it was difficult for me to read this book is because it deals with situations that most of us are not prepared to face:  How to “hide, evade scavenge and infiltrate” as the book cover shows, are largely skills that most beginning and intermediate preppers haven’t thought about in much detail.  On the surface, you know “Times can get bad,” but you don’t really think in terms of “How bad?” and “What will I do when my preps run out, the family is starving?”   To be able to read the book, I had to accept that in an actual breakdown of society, the situation will become extreme enough that these skills will be necessary to survive.

I finished reading the book recently.  Without Rule of Law delivers what it says:  how everyday folks can learn how to hide, evade, scavenge and infiltrate.   It is an instruction manual that will tell you all the necessary equipment, steps to take, and exercises that will help you become more proficient in these skills.  It opened my eyes to certain ideas that are still new to me.  One example of something I learned was “everything must work at night”  We’ve practiced using our equipment but have only done it during the day.  Well, you need to be able to get things to work when it’s dark so it’s necessary to practice in low light conditions.  I was fascinated with the sections on how to hide in plain sight.  Different scenarios, in both rural and urban settings are included.  It is up to the reader to find what is applicable to his or her situation and comfort level.   Without Rule of Law covers a lot of tactics that you hope you never need but may have to utilize if the worse case scenario were to happen.

 

 

 

Win a Free Copy of Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag Book!

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You can win a free autographed copy of Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag.  See my review:

If You Read this Book, “You Will Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag”

Just leave a comment below on the following subject: 

What would make you decide to bug out of your home versus shelter in place?

The winner will be a random drawing from all the comment writers.  Contest ends on Sunday, May 27, 2012 at 8 pm Central, and I will announce the lucky winner on Monday, May 28th. 

Good luck!

If You Read this Book, “You Will Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag”

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One of the first things I realized when I first got involved in emergency preparedness is the possibility we may to leave our home in the event of a disaster.  Living in an apartment in the middle of a big city, you know things will fall apart quickly if the infrastructure fails.

Even though I would much rather shelter in place, I know I must be ready for the possibility of bugging out.  That is why I was very interested to read my review copy of  Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag by Creek Stewart.  I was eager to compare my own bug out bag contents to what the book recommends.

About the Author

Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag was written by Creek Stewart, who owns Willow Haven Outdoor, a school that teaches outdoor living and survival skills covering topics from primitive skills to urban preparedness.  Check out his website at www.willowhavenoutdoor.com

Creek Stewart, Author of Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag

What I Thought of the Book

As the title indicates, the book includes everything you need to know to put together your bug out bag.  I actually wish I had this book before I got started; it would have saved me a lot of time and effort.  Much of what I learned was picked up through trial and error.  If you read this book before getting started or as you are accumulating supplies you can be assured that you will choose wisely based on the knowledge shared in the book.  It is thorough and detailed that it also includes sections on specific needs such as traveling with pets, children; and also provides tips on the best way to pack the bag.  The book has an easy going tone, that emphasizes important issues without being alarming.

I liked that the book encourages readers to buy the best quality possible, as your life can depend on some of the contents of the bag, and the author mentions up front that accumulating these supplies can add up.  At the same time, he does offer a lower cost alternative with items purchased from a big box store, which will suffice.

Throughout the book are “Survival Quick Tips” that show how you can make things yourself.  I enjoyed these sections and would have liked to have seen more of these tips.  Some of my favorites are the coffee can stove and using a bandanna as a makeshift water filter.  Even if you already own a bug out bag, you will find a lot of useful information that you hadn’t considered before.  I liked the options given in the weapons section- you need something to protect yourself, but if you prefer not to carry a gun there are other choices.  One of the strengths of the book is that it gives you options that you can tailor to your situation.  After learning some new things from the book, I am making a few changes to my own bug out bag.

Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag by Creek Stewart deserves a place in your survival bookshelf and I recommend you pick up a copy.

Remarks about Apartment Prepper’s Bug Out Bag

As part of the Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag book tour, I have answered 3 personal Bug Out Bag questions:

  • Question # 1: How old were you when you built your first Bug Out Bag?

I started building my first bug out bag when I got serious about preparedness two years ago.  In terms of “prepping age”  I had a complete one by year 2  ;)

  • Question # 2: What do you consider the top 5 items in your Bug Out Bag?
  1. Water purifier – I use the Lifesaver bottle – this has literally been a life saver while out hiking.
  2. First Aid kit – I’ve had to use the Band-aids, pain relievers and allergy medicine or I would have been miserable.
  3. Paracord – you can never have enough paracord
  4. Kool Tie – for brutally hot and humid Texas summers, I have relied on my Kafka Kool Tie for comfort
  5. Swiss Army Knife – I like it so much I now keep it with my key ring

I’ve added Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag to my Amazon Store, or you can find it by clicking here.

 

For excellent sources for your security and “go-bag” supplies, please visit:

A Review of Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family for Everyday Disasters and Worst Case Scenarios

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I was excited to receive my review copy of Survival Mom:  How to Prepare Your Family for Everyday Disasters and Worst Case Scenarios by Lisa Bedford.  I know you’re supposed to be neutral before you start reading, but I will admit I had high expectations for this book.  Having visited The Survival Mom blog for a couple of years, I know it is my “go-to” place to find out about survival issues for a mom such as myself.

The book is well organized and describes every facet of preparedness including having the proper mindset and avoiding panic, water and food storage, organizing your home to optimize space, learning to live without electricity, finances, safety and security and much more.  I recommend reading it from start to finish to get the most out of the book, but busy readers who have an agenda in mind can easily jump around and choose a chapter they are most concerned about.  Throughout the book are interesting anecdotes, quizzes, quotes and lists that enhance learning and add variety to your reading experience.  The tone is light, and never alarming or oppressive.

The book met and exceeded my expectations, and I highly recommend it.  Whether you are new to preparedness, intermediate or a veteran, you will find this book a valuable resource to keep in your survival library.

 

Here’s an update for you:

Jeff the Berkey Guy and Survival Mom are giving away a Big Berkey Water Filter.  Here’s a link to the blog post with all the details, http://thesurvivalmom.com/2012/04/17/the-berkey-guy-and-survival-mom-giveaway/  The contest ends on Saturday, April 21.

 

Don’t forget to check out our friends at http://PreppingGuys.com for gear review and preparedness projects!