This is a very insightful and well constructed book. There is a TON of information. It does lean heavily on food storage, dedicating nearly 2/3 of its 315 pages to various facets of food (production, preservation, storage). The remaining 100+ pages discuss things like clothing/bedding; Heat, cooking and light, Medical/dental; sanitation/personal care; communication, etc.
There are more than 2 dozen checklists which are very comprehensive and detailed. In my opinion these checklists combined with the nearly 20 pages of resources (pp 295-314) and other books recommended (chapter 31 - Survival Library pp 297-304) make the book worth purchasing. However - this great strength can also be a weakness, make sure the copy you buy is current. The first and second printings were back in the 1980's and don't contain updated resource lists ( a lesson I learned when purchasing Making the Best of Basics by James Talmadge Stevens). The older editions, I suspect are equally useful resources but won't have the very best part of the book.

The author is very specific on figuring the amounts of each food types to store based on caloric needs of your age group and reminds you to think ahead and anticipate changes as a person or child ages. As a nurse I feel this information is critical to overall health as he includes the number of calories needed per age. He also recommends that you store a variety of foods as well as 'treat' foods to compensate for a change in your diet that might eliminate our fast food habits. This book will guide you in creating a pantry suited to your own family. I highly recommend this book for the details it provides in all areas of long term food storage.

I enjoyed this book very much. This is a reference book and a book of facts and useful imformation. The writing style is dry. I get a little nuts when I buy a book about home preparedness and there are chapter's about making arrowheads and how to skin a rabbit and how to make a fire by rubbing two sticks together. If things every get this bad, I don't want to live anyway. However, in Mr. Sprigarelli's book, you won't find nutty stuff like making arrowheads. It's smart stuff and to the point. It's worth the money. Regards, Keith Renick, Peachtree City, Ga.

I have a personal copy of this book and thought so highly of it that I tried to buy one for my son. Amazon was temporarily out of stock so I made an online purchase directly from the authors. Guess what, that was in December and it is April now and the book was never sent. The authors have responded to email inquiries and promised to send the book. However they have never followed through and also have never bothered to send a refund. Maybe they are having a crisis of their own, in which case maybe they aren't all that well prepared after all. If you must have it, buy from Amazon or another credible source.

This book brings up too few scenarios to be useful that way, and really didn't do much more than thoroughly go into the pros and cons of purchased food preservation methods.

Overall, the book is informative. However it devotes too much time to growing food and not enough to being able to survive if you and your family are stuck at home for an extended period of time, such as during a flu pandemic, or loss of electricity for a few weeks. More "retreat home" info would be useful. I would suggest purchasing this book for its overall informative value. But, if you live in NYC or another urban sprawl, most of this book would not apply since growing food and raising animals would not work.

Are you ready for a major crisis?

Most people are not. They have no more than a few days supply of food and no idea what to do in the event of a real long term emergency. After all, you can just run down to the local grocery and get whatever you want, 24 hours a day, right?

Hurricanes, earthquakes, blizzards and other natural disasters happen everywhere in the world and they are relatively easy to prepare for, though most people expect "The Government" to take care of them when the inevitable happens. Those who lived through Katrina, the LA riots, etc. know better -- when you dial 911 and there's no answer, you'll have to take care of your family yourself. If you go to the supermarket to stock up...the shelves will be bare and lines of scared people 20 deep at the cash register buying anything in a can and exchanging stories of rioting will snap you into a new reality. I personally experienced this after the LA riots -- it really happened and it WILL happen again.

When disaster strikes, you won't be able to get gasoline, food, clothing or any of the necessities of life -- the store owners will be home protecting their families. Their store may be looted by angry mobs roaming the streets. Believe me, you'll want to avoid all that unpleasantness by preparing now.

It's impossible to prepare for absolutely everything unless you live a self sufficient life off the grid, but this book covers most everything you need to know as an ordinary "civilian". Food, water, shelter, clothing, security, power, etc. -- it's all in here. I especially liked the food section, which does a good job reviewing different types of long term food storage and listing resources for supplies. A year's supply of food is something everyone should have around and this takes a little planning and management that the book does an excellent job of laying out for you. It doesn't have to cost a fortune, either, if you can spare $5-10 per week, in a couple of years, you'll have your year's supply of food in your closet.

I liked the author's philosophy; you're better off having the things you'll need than a pile of gold coins. Being prepared with canned foods, shovels, a garden, a way to make water and power -- these are far more valuable than a few gold discs (though it would probably be good to have a little gold, too). At the height of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, an ounce of gold bought two cans of tuna. Today, it's a lot cheaper to buy two cans of tuna than an ounce of gold, and that's the point of this book.

If you don't think this can happen here in the U.S. or anywhere else in the world -- think again -- it can happen anywhere! This book is a very good overview of everything you will need to survive a major crisis. Even if you don't buy this book, you owe it to yourself to be prepared.

I found this book to be extremeley helpful in its content and uses. It was the most informative book out there and was very detailed. There were many ideas presented that I hadn't even thought of, and I found that it was easily readable. I am so much more prepared in my home for any emergency and I am so much safer after reading this book. This book presents a step by step guide that saves you from hours of research and headache. I wish I had found this book sooner.

I hate to be too critical of this book, because I did enjoy reading it and I think it is well worth the money, but I hope Spigarelli reads the customer reviews and hires a good editor before turning out his second edition. There are many, many careless errors in the book that make me believe that some of the instructions may be just as careless. For instance, "approximate" and "proximate" are not interchangeable. The information regarding food storage, particularly the sources of information (e.g., researchers at BYU) reveal the Mormon origins of much of the information. The medical information seems to me (as a layman) to be just plain absurd. For instance, he recommends storing 200 Phenergan tablets (that's a lot of nausea), but only 100 tablets of "acetamine" (??), a couple vials of Pitocin (I suppose we'll be inducing labor at home) and 50 Valium tablets (including two vials of the stuff for injection). I could imagine going to my doctor and asking for a prescription for all those little goodies. My guess is that he'd prescribe something else for me (i.e., a good anti-psychotic). Of course, there's also a recommended arsenal of various types of guns and thousands of rounds of ammo (probably for guarding all the prescription drugs...). Nope, maybe I should be giving it two stars instead.

I thought the book gave a lot of excellent information. I am an old Boy Scout so there is a lot of information in there. I have supplimented the book with a Survival training book that talks about plants, shelters, general survival type of information.
I liked the book.

I bought this book on the strenght of other reviews, and that was a mistake. It is disorganized and unrealistic.

Realistically speaking, we should all aim to prepare for a Katrina-type disaster: one that affects a wide region, with the severe effects of total lack of services lasting 2-4 weeks. This book wants me to prepare a year's worth of stored food. To fulfill this plan, I'd have to move to a farm so I could grow food, raise animals, and have enough room to store the amount he reccomends. It sure isn't going to work in my one-bedroom aparment.

The overall organization of the book is awful - no planning involved in the order of chapters. The first 2/3 of the book are food storage and preparation. If you really want to learn how to grow crops, raise animals, grind your own flour, make your own leather, can/pickle/smoke/preserve your own food - you're better off buying books on those specific subjects. This one goes over them in enough detail (and bad writing) to be boring, but not enough to actually teach you how. Even more ridiculous, he details so many preparations that require electricity. If we have roads and electricity and whatnto, probably I'm not living off my stored foods anyway - and how many of us can set up our own solar power grid sufficient to run the freezer, household appliances, water heater, well pump, whatever?

And then the final 1/3 glosses over preparations for a 2-4 week disaster when it should be focusing on them. If we have a Katrina-type problem, I need to be able to take care of myself until services are reasonably restored enough to either live reasonably, or get out of the area. And if the disaster affects the whole country and there is nowhere to go.... Aside from buying your own farm/ranch in the wilds, living off solar power, etc, you're out of luck.

So, long story short, if you're like me - if you want to be prepared for an act of terrorism, a flood, a fire, a hurricane or tornado, that sort of thing, buy the books below instead.

Organize for Disaster: Prepare Your Family and Your Home for Any Natural Or Unnatural Disaster

PREPAREDNESS NOW!: An Emergency Survival Guide for Civilians and Their Families

I bought this book on the strenght of other reviews, and that was a mistake. It is disorganized and unrealistic.

Realistically speaking, we should all aim to prepare for a Katrina-type disaster: one that affects a wide region, with the severe effects of total lack of services lasting 2-4 weeks. This book wants me to prepare a year's worth of stored food. To fulfill this plan, I'd have to move to a farm so I could grow food, raise animals, and have enough room to store the amount he reccomends. It sure isn't going to work in my one-bedroom aparment.

The overall organization of the book is awful - no planning involved in the order of chapters. The first 2/3 of the book are food storage and preparation. If you really want to learn how to grow crops, raise animals, grind your own flour, make your own leather, can/pickle/smoke/preserve your own food - you're better off buying books on those specific subjects. This one goes over them in enough detail (and bad writing) to be boring, but not enough to actually teach you how. Even more ridiculous, he details so many preparations that require electricity. If we have roads and electricity and whatnto, probably I'm not living off my stored foods anyway - and how many of us can set up our own solar power grid sufficient to run the freezer, household appliances, water heater, well pump, whatever?

And then the final 1/3 glosses over preparations for a 2-4 week disaster when it should be focusing on them. If we have a Katrina-type problem, I need to be able to take care of myself until services are reasonably restored enough to either live reasonably, or get out of the area. And if the disaster affects the whole country and there is nowhere to go.... Aside from buying your own farm/ranch in the wilds, living off solar power, etc, you're out of luck.

So, long story short, if you're like me - if you want to be prepared for an act of terrorism, a flood, a fire, a hurricane or tornado, that sort of thing, buy the books below instead.

Organize for Disaster: Prepare Your Family and Your Home for Any Natural Or Unnatural Disaster

PREPAREDNESS NOW!: An Emergency Survival Guide for Civilians and Their Families

Spigarelli has put together a great how-to book and I recommend it highly. Where he falls short is supporting an out-dated food pyramid. A healthy diet becomes even more important after a catastrophe.

As a master's degree candidate in nutrition, I found glaringly inaccurate statements regarding animal proteins (meat and dairy) as they relate to a "proper diet". The book has been updated since its original date of publish, but the chapters on food choices seem to have been left untouched. I recommend tweaking his recommendations away from the large amounts of animal proteins and plus up the grains/legumes/vegetables and enhance the supplementation to boost B12 and D. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is leading us to death/disease/discomfort/ailments at very young ages so why continue that diet after a crisis when you may very well have no access to medical assistance? That simply does not compute.

I shared the dietary chapters with doctors, teachers and colleagues and they reacted just as I did. "What year was THAT written?" was said quite a bit. One of the many roads that have brought us to the precipice of crisis is the misuse of land and water toward keeping animals and the pollution derived therefrom, not to mention the negative effect of animal proteins to the human body. Even after a crisis, I cannot imagine the giving of precious land and water over to livestock when crops will sustain us.

Again, this is a very good book and Spigarelli should be commended on a job well done. I would just like to stress the fact that you should inspect the food recommendations more closely as the "conventional wisdom" regarding the food pyramid over the years is off base.

This book has very little practical information on too many subjects. I have read much better books with more practical information in fewer pages.

I am no grammar Nazi, but this book constantly confuses "looses" with "loses". For example page 55 states: "...air dried tends to loose nutrients more slowly...". This editing error is constant, and happens often in the book. It makes me question all the other information in the book. If something so common (top 10 internet misspelling) can slip in, what other mistakes abound? I could forgive one instance, but this one is repeated at least 10 times.

In reference to the 1 star rating and review by the user below my review... The book is really a 5 star book had it added some more important medical/first aid information. To give the book only one star and complain about the diabetes statement... You are WRONG Master Hahn, the writer did not state that he really recommended any sort of high carb/sugar intake by diabetics, and his statement about the findings of diabetics gettings better from higher intakes of high carbs/sugars IS COMPLETELY true. The writer states that neither low or high is 'bad', he's giving his thought on the fact that the evidence/research on the subject is conflicting... The show 20/20 even had almost an entire episode dedicated to the findings that higher carb/glucose intake (which is frowned on by most of western medicine) has actually been PROVEN to improve the problems assosiated with diabetes or COMPLETELY rid the person of the mal-symptoms.

Whoever reads this review; know that any one-book with important and sensitive information contained in it such as a disaster preparedness book, should be taken into consideration BUT not considered the ultimate law of the universe. An author can always get something wrong or tell you to prepare a certain food a way that you dont happen to like or find meaningful...So, you should ALSO read at least one or two MORE disaster prep books in order to get a better overall perception of what seems to hold true across the board and seems more applicable to you. This book though, is worth it, trust me, I'm U.S.Army Infantry and all of what this book teaches holds true!

In reading the section on Individual Storage Foods, I read a section that was actually shocking. It is bad enough that most food storage plans are centered around grains and beans (and toxic soybean especially!), but the one section that I read... and one of the first that I stumbled on in scanning the book stated that "Contrary to popular opinion that a high intake of sugar causes diabetes, hypoglycemia, cardiovascular diseases, etc., the predominance of scientific evidence provides no proven cause and effect relationship. In fact, considerable evidence indicates that diets high in carbohydrates, whether from starches or sugars, result in improved glucose tolerance for diabetics... "!

That statement is completely unreal. It is not only false, but is exactly 180-degrees opposite of the truth. The overabundance of carbohydrates - especially sugars and starches - has led this country to now be officially declared as having a diabetes epidemic! And diabetics are universally put on low carb to ultra low carb diets! Just as one source, go to Dr. Mercola's web site (mercola.com) and run a search on sugar (also while you are at it, run searches on "grains" and "soybeans".. prepare to be shocked).

The best survival food ever was good old-fashioned pemmican. Not the Yuppie type, but the real McCoy with ground up jerky mixed with beef fat. Explorers not only survived on it, but thrived on it for months at a time.

The author may have some other really good pieces of information in there, but that "error" was simply too serious for me to give the book any further thought. I returned it otherwise unread.... fortunately I had just borrowed it and didn't have to go through the hassle of returning a purchased book!

Although I only have three other books to compare this too, this was perhaps the most informative and realistic of all of them. It goes the extra mile to help you plan out your actual requirements and discusses the realistic ways to get there.

If you are pretty savvy in the health food area you will quickly recognize the blanket 'institutionalized health' statements like "white sugar is just as nutritious as any other sugar". As is so often with these statements they are supported by 'numerous studies' but not a single footnote or reference. Still, the book has solid merits on realistic food storage within reasonable bounds.

I think I read in an earlier review that if you could only buy one book on crisis preparedness that this was it. Well that is the truth. This book touches every aspect of crisis preparedness with reference to other sources if more in depth information is needed. Before you buy anything that has anything to do with crisis preparedness, buy this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is helpful for anyone interested in learning how to prepare you and your family from a number of different crises should they occur. It is good for those who are serious about puttng these plans into action or one just interestd in the subject in general.

This is quite an extraordinary book. I read a lot, mostly non-fiction, and I give this author credit for doing an absolutely tremendous job of research, of book construction, and of presentation.

THe bulk of the book is about food and water--stockpiling, production, and preservation are the three largest chapters--but the rest of it is completely useful as well.

The resources section is lengthy, explicit, diverse, and totally helpful.

I put the book down with a comment to my wife that survival is very hard work, and preparing for survival is almost as hard. This book does everything possible to help you get started. It is chock full of gems, for example, plan on 26 rolls of toilet paper per person per year. I had no idea!

I also admire the author for being blunt about not favoring "retreat homes." His common sense view is that you have two choices: move now, or prepare your existing home for survival. His thinking, that it may be impossible to GET to your retreat home (or, I would add, once you get there, take it back from the armed strangers that have broken in and will kill you on sight) makes perfect sense.

This is not the only book you want. I admire the two spotlighted reviews very much, and have kept my own review short because of the excellence of the other reviews. Let there be no doubt: this book is worth every penny, and every minute of your time.

I recommend a four-part approach to preparedness: a below-ground safe room and iodine pills, train the kids to go deep and sit for three days in case of a nuclear event; a 3-4 week supply of water, food, and essentials that assumes NO ELECTRICITY; a one-year rudimentary supply kit; and a neighbohood association to study and prepare for survival as a group.

This is quite an extraordinary book. I read a lot, mostly non-fiction, and I give this author credit for doing an absolutely tremendous job of research, of book construction, and of presentation.

THe bulk of the book is about food and water--stockpiling, production, and preservation are the three largest chapters--but the rest of it is completely useful as well.

The resources section is lengthy, explicit, diverse, and totally helpful.

I put the book down with a comment to my wife that survival is very hard work, and preparing for survival is almost as hard. This book does everything possible to help you get started. It is chock full of gems, for example, plan on 26 rolls of toilet paper per person per year. I had no idea!

I also admire the author for being blunt about not favoring "retreat homes." His common sense view is that you have two choices: move now, or prepare your existing home for survival. His thinking, that it may be impossible to GET to your retreat home (or, I would add, once you get there, take it back from the armed strangers that have broken in and will kill you on sight) makes perfect sense.

This is not the only book you want. I admire the two spotlighted reviews very much, and have kept my own review short because of the excellence of the other reviews. Let there be no doubt: this book is worth every penny, and every minute of your time.

I recommend a four-part approach to preparedness: a below-ground safe room and iodine pills, train the kids to go deep and sit for three days in case of a nuclear event; a 3-4 week supply of water, food, and essentials that assumes NO ELECTRICITY; a one-year rudimentary supply kit; and a neighbohood association to study and prepare for survival as a group.

In a disaster we're likely to have the clothes on our backs and be able to improvise shelter from the remains of our buildings or have a handy tent if we're prepared. Any fool can manage these basics.

FOOD is NOT something most of us have on hand in large quantities in a form we can store without refridgeration. WATER is not so simple in many areas where streams and ponds aren't readily available. The focus of this book is on storing and preserving food/water for short and long term emergencies. It's too late to figure it out after a disaster. Sigarelli offers extensive imformation on how to prepare in a manner easily incorporated into our every day lives- now. Small adjustments over time allow for easy stockpiling. You decide if you want to prepare for short or long term disaster.

Highly recommended.

This book covers a great number of areas involved in preparing for weather or other crisis that would interupt, power, water or the overall supply chain. I feel that it covers each area well enough to raise awareness and lead an interested person to seek additional information if needed. This is especially true in cases where certain tools or supplies are needed.

I got this book for my cousin and he loved it.
Amazon beat everyone's price.
thanks

This book covers a great number of areas involved in preparing for weather or other crisis that would interupt, power, water or the overall supply chain. I feel that it covers each area well enough to raise awareness and lead an interested person to seek additional information if needed. This is especially true in cases where certain tools or supplies are needed.

Recommended by a contact on a survival board, this book is one of the true staples on how-tos. After reading it, cover-to-cover, I can only agree. He was absolutely right. I'm still using it as a reference for my on-going activities and preparations.

Don't be a sheeple. If you are at all concerned about What-ifs? or really want to know the nitty-gritty of preparedness, get this book. Enough said. K.I.S.S.

For all those reading several of these 'Survival Books'. This one seems to have the most balanced approach to keeping you, your family, and others around you (which after an experience like that I'm sure those that went though it around you will be a part of your family for the rest of your life)ALIVE!!!

Our rural neighborhood is putting plans together in the event of a natural disaster. We have been told by our county government that it may be two weeks - or longer - until help can arrive from outside.

This book was an enormous help in planning.

The book covers food storage very well. It only touches on other aspects of preparation, but thats fine....I have yet to find a book that can cover all aspects (it would probably be too huge). The check lists for supplies are quite extensive (food, tools, medical, dental, etc.)....bottom line...its worth the price.

Everyone should have this book!

This book is very thorough, and although it seems a bit alarmist, it's apparent that the information he covers could really become necessary in terms of a major disaster. My primary criticism is the in the editing. The author continually uses the word "loose" when he means "lose," for example, and it's an error that's found throughout the book. It makes me cringe when I see it, but when you get past things like that the information is valuable and it's well presented.

Whether you're an all-out build-a-bomb-shelter in your backyard type, or just someone who wants to be prepared for a weeklong power outage in the winter, this book has you covered.

If you're like I was, you're looking through the various disaster preparedness books wondering which one is best. I have worked my way through 7 of the most popular books and offer a shared review of all of them here. I hope this comparison helps you make a decision.

Book 1: Crisis Preparedness by Jack A. Spigarelli
Like many of the disaster preparedness books, this one begins by answering the question, "Why bother being prepared?" It also outlines a framework for being prepared that includes accumulating supplies, getting mentally and physically prepared, and having your finances in order. One thing I particularly liked was the emphasis on the importance of knowledge. It wasn't just about what items you need, but also what skills and knowledge you should develop. But this book is mostly about food preparation for a major disaster, with emphasis on having a year's food storage, milling your own grain, growing sprouts, home canning, dehydrating, freeze-drying, etc. There are detailed tables showing the calories of various foods including their protein, fat, and carbs. The final third of the book offers advice on other topics, including weapons, hand tools, clothing, energy, medical, sanitation, transportation, communications, and home preparation. The book concludes with a list of recommended books and a brief listing of companies that sell disaster preparation items. Overall, this is a very good preparedness book. I probably should have given it 5 stars, but I thought it went a bit overboard on the food plan.

Book 2: Preparedness Now! By Aton Edwards
This is another thorough disaster preparedness book. It is organized into brief chapters (some only a few pages) on a variety of important topics, including: water, food, shelter, sanitation, communication, transportation, and protection. It is also filled with many packing lists detailing what you should get in preparation. It also introduces the e-kit (a very lightweight kit to keep with you) and grab-n-go bag with more extensive items. Final chapters of the book discuss various possible disasters, including earthquakes, tsunami, infectious diseases, chemical and bio warfare, crime, fire, and extreme weather. Some of the commentary is a bit questionable, but the technical content is good. Note that this book does not offer any detail on food storage.

Book 3: Disaster Preparedness for Dummies
First of all, this isn't a book. It's a DVD video. I wasn't paying attention when I bought it, and was a bit surprised when it arrived. I generally like the Dummies series. They are well researched and serve as a good summary. This DVD offers a lengthy video discussing many disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, etc.), briefly outlining how you might prepare for them. It also has an overview of how you should react in case of a terrorist attack (nuclear, chemical, and biological). But the advice is all very general, and is more like what you'd expect to hear from your local weather station. For example, the video repeatedly advises you to "stay calm" and "evaucate in an orderly fashion." The videos are high quality, but don't expect detailed outdoor survival tips or food storage suggestions. Everything presented is relevant and useful, but it feels more like a FEMA public service announcement.

Book 4: Emergency Food Storage and Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton
This book is broken into six main sections. The first section offers decent but very incomplete summaries on preparing for short-term emergencies. The second section discusses how to store and purify water. The third part talks about the logistics of setting up a food-storage program, and has some suggestions on how to store food. The fourth section details what types of foods you should store. The fifth section has blank inventory planning pages. And finally the last section has some recipes. About half of the 285 page book is either blank planning pages or simple recipes. The first half of the book is pretty good stuff, but I found this book to be incomplete. It does however offer some good advice on food storage.

Book 5: Organize for Disaster by Judith Kolberg
This book goes an entirely different direction than the other preparedness books. Emphasis is on understanding the federal resources (i.e. FEMA, Red Cross, etc.) available, creating a personal intelligence network, organizing essential documents, maintaining insurance coverage, listing a home inventory, preparing your house for disaster, basic first aid, and having a good family communication plan. There is also a good list of necessary items to have on hand that would suit many common disaster. I recommend this book for its common-sense look at disaster preparedness. However, it is not the only book you would need, because it doesn't detail food storage, water purification, heating, etc.. That said, it covers some topics that the other books overlook.

Book 6: Making the Best of Basics, Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage Stevens
This book is almost completely about in-home food storage and preparation. There is little discussion outside that (except for basic water issues). Many chapters discuss food in significant detail, to include things like grains, recipes, preparing sourdough breads/biscuits, dairy products, honey, sprouting, drying of fruits/vegetables. At the end of this book is a huge compendium of preparedness resources, telling where things can be purchased in every US state.

Book 7: No Such Thing as Doomsday, by Philip L. Hoag, revised in 2001
This book offers well-researched insights into disaster preparedness. Topics include water, food, heating/cooking, light, power, communications, medical, sanitation, and security. Those subjects are well done. However, much of the book reads like a bit of doomsday prediction, with many pages devoted to scaring the heck out of the reader... focusing on missile attacks, chemical dangers, nuclear war, radiation, decontamination, communist threat, etc. For me personally, I would have like to see more pages devoted to likely threats (e.g. hurricanes, floods, earthquake, blackout, fire, etc.). Also note that Amazon may not carry the latest version (updated in 2001), so you may want to buy directly from the author.

Overall, if you can only purchase three books, I would recommend Book 5, Book 6, and either Book 1, 2 or 7. With those three, you should have a balanced look at common sense organizing, food storage, and emergency items to have on hand.

Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Process of Elimination" - an intense thriller in which a martial artist, a greedy corporate attorney, and a conspiracy theorist try to stop a world-class sniper out to shape the next Presidential election.

Please be kind enough to indicate if reviews are helpful.

If you're like I was, you're looking through the various disaster preparedness books wondering which one is best. I have worked my way through 7 of the most popular books and offer a shared review of all of them here. I hope this comparison helps you make a decision.

Book 1: Crisis Preparedness by Jack A. Spigarelli
Like many of the disaster preparedness books, this one begins by answering the question, "Why bother being prepared?" One thing I particularly liked was the emphasis on the importance of knowledge. It wasn't just about what items you need, but also what skills and knowledge you should develop. But this book is about mostly about food preparation for a major disaster, with emphasis on having a year's food storage, milling your own grain, growing sprouts, home canning, dehydrating, etc. There are detailed tables showing the calories of various foods including their protein, fat, and carbs. There is also some discussion of guns, clothing, energy, medical, sanitation, and home protection. There's a decent listing of sources for disaster preparation items.

Book 2: Preparedness Now! By Aton Edwards
This is one of the better disaster preparedness books. It is filled with brief chapters (some only a few pages) on a variety of important topics, including: Water, Food, Shelter, Sanitation, Communication, Transportation, and Protection. It is also filled with many packing lists detailing what you should get in preparation. It also introduces the e-kit (a very lightweight kit to keep with you) and grab-n-go bag with more extensive items. Final chapters of the book discuss various possible disasters, including earthquakes, tsunami, infectious diseases, chemical and bio warfare, crime, fire, and extreme weather. Some of the commentary is a bit questionable, but the technical meat is good.

Book 3: Disaster Preparedness for Dummies
First of all, this isn't a book. It's a DVD video. I wasn't paying attention when I bought it, and was a bit surprised when it arrived. I generally like the Dummies series. They are well researched and serve as a good summary. This DVD offers a lengthy video discussing many disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, etc.), briefly outlining how you might prepare for them. But the advice is all very general, and is more like what you'd expect to hear from your local weather station. The videos are high quality, but don't expect detailed outdoor survival tips or food storage suggestions. Everything presented is relevant and useful, but it's not particularly enlightening.

Book 4: Emergency Food Storage and Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton
This book is broken into six main sections. The first section offers decent but very incomplete summaries on preparing for short-term emergencies. The second section discusses how to store and purify water. The third part talks about the logistics of setting up a food-storage program, and has some suggestions on how to store food. The fourth section details what types of foods you should store. The fifth section has blank inventory planning pages. And finally the last section has some recipes. About half of the 285 page book is either blank planning pages or simple recipes. The first half of the book is pretty good stuff, but I found this book to be incomplete. It does however offer some good advice on food storage.

Book 5: Organize for Disaster by Judith Kolberg
This book goes an entirely different direction than the other preparedness books. Emphasis is on understanding the federal resources (i.e. FEMA, Red Cross, etc.) available, creating a personal intelligence network, organizing essential documents, maintaining insurance coverage, listing a home inventory, preparing your house for disaster, basic first aid, and having a good family communication plan. There is also a good list of necessary items to have on hand that would suit many common disaster. I recommend this book for its common-sense look at disaster preparedness.

Book 6: Making the Best of Basics, Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage Stevens
This book is almost completely about in-home food storage and preparation. There is little discussion outside that (except for basic water issues). Many chapters discuss food in significant detail, to include things like grains, recipes, preparing sourdough breads/biscuits, dairy products, honey, sprouting, drying of fruits/vegetables. At the end of this book is a huge compendium of preparedness resources, telling where things can be purchased in every US state.

Book 7: No Such Thing as Doomsday, by Philip L. Hoag, revised in 2001
This book offers well researched suggestions into disaster preparedness. Topics include Water, Food, Heating/Cooking, Light, Power, Communications, Medical, Sanitation and Security. Those subjects are well done. However, much of the book reads like a bit of doomsday prediction, with many pages devoted to scaring the heck out of the reader... focusing on missile attacks, chemical dangers, nuclear war, radiation, decontamination, communist threat, etc. More time could have been devoted to likely threats. Also note that Amazon may not carry the latest version, so you may want to buy from the author.

Overall, if you can only purchase three books, I would recommend Book 5, Book 6, and Book 2 or 7. With those three, you should have a balanced look at common sense organizing, food storage, and emergency items to have on hand.

Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Process of Elimination" - an intense thriller in which a martial artist, a greedy corporate attorney, and a conspiracy theorist try to stop a world-class sniper out to shape the next Presidential election.

Please be kind enough to indicate if reviews are helpful.

If you're like I was, you're looking through the various disaster preparedness books wondering which one is best. I have worked my way through 7 of the most popular books and offer a shared review of all of them here. I hope this comparison helps you make a decision.

Book 1: Crisis Preparedness by Jack A. Spigarelli
Like many of the disaster preparedness books, this one begins by answering the question, "Why bother being prepared?" One thing I particularly liked was the emphasis on the importance of knowledge. It wasn't just about what items you need, but also what skills and knowledge you should develop. But this book is about mostly about food preparation for a major disaster, with emphasis on having a year's food storage, milling your own grain, growing sprouts, home canning, dehydrating, etc. There are detailed tables showing the calories of various foods including their protein, fat, and carbs. There is also some discussion of guns, clothing, energy, medical, sanitation, and home protection. There's a decent listing of sources for disaster preparation items.

Book 2: Preparedness Now! By Aton Edwards
This is one of the better disaster preparedness books. It is filled with brief chapters (some only a few pages) on a variety of important topics, including: Water, Food, Shelter, Sanitation, Communication, Transportation, and Protection. It is also filled with many packing lists detailing what you should get in preparation. It also introduces the e-kit (a very lightweight kit to keep with you) and grab-n-go bag with more extensive items. Final chapters of the book discuss various possible disasters, including earthquakes, tsunami, infectious diseases, chemical and bio warfare, crime, fire, and extreme weather. Some of the commentary is a bit questionable, but the technical meat is good.

Book 3: Disaster Preparedness for Dummies
First of all, this isn't a book. It's a DVD video. I wasn't paying attention when I bought it, and was a bit surprised when it arrived. I generally like the Dummies series. They are well researched and serve as a good summary. This DVD offers a lengthy video discussing many disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, etc.), briefly outlining how you might prepare for them. But the advice is all very general, and is more like what you'd expect to hear from your local weather station. The videos are high quality, but don't expect detailed outdoor survival tips or food storage suggestions. Everything presented is relevant and useful, but it's not particularly enlightening.

Book 4: Emergency Food Storage and Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton
This book is broken into six main sections. The first section offers decent but very incomplete summaries on preparing for short-term emergencies. The second section discusses how to store and purify water. The third part talks about the logistics of setting up a food-storage program, and has some suggestions on how to store food. The fourth section details what types of foods you should store. The fifth section has blank inventory planning pages. And finally the last section has some recipes. About half of the 285 page book is either blank planning pages or simple recipes. The first half of the book is pretty good stuff, but I found this book to be incomplete. It does however offer some good advice on food storage.

Book 5: Organize for Disaster by Judith Kolberg
This book goes an entirely different direction than the other preparedness books. Emphasis is on understanding the federal resources (i.e. FEMA, Red Cross, etc.) available, creating a personal intelligence network, organizing essential documents, maintaining insurance coverage, listing a home inventory, preparing your house for disaster, basic first aid, and having a good family communication plan. There is also a good list of necessary items to have on hand that would suit many common disaster. I recommend this book for its common-sense look at disaster preparedness.

Book 6: Making the Best of Basics, Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage Stevens
This book is almost completely about in-home food storage and preparation. There is little discussion outside that (except for basic water issues). Many chapters discuss food in significant detail, to include things like grains, recipes, preparing sourdough breads/biscuits, dairy products, honey, sprouting, drying of fruits/vegetables. At the end of this book is a huge compendium of preparedness resources, telling where things can be purchased in every US state.

Book 7: No Such Thing as Doomsday, by Philip L. Hoag, revised in 2001
This book offers well researched suggestions into disaster preparedness. Topics include Water, Food, Heating/Cooking, Light, Power, Communications, Medical, Sanitation and Security. Those subjects are well done. However, much of the book reads like a bit of doomsday prediction, with many pages devoted to scaring the heck out of the reader... focusing on missile attacks, chemical dangers, nuclear war, radiation, decontamination, communist threat, etc. More time could have been devoted to likely threats. Also note that Amazon may not carry the latest version, so you may want to buy from the author.

Overall, if you can only purchase three books, I would recommend Book 5, Book 6, and Book 2 or 7. With those three, you should have a balanced look at common sense organizing, food storage, and emergency items to have on hand.

Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Process of Elimination" - an action-packed thriller in which a private investigator, a conspiracy theory expert, and a greedy corporate attorney trying to stop a world-class sniper who is out to shape the next Presidential election.

Please be kind enough to indicate if reviews are helpful.

If you're like I was, you're looking through the various disaster preparedness books wondering which one is best. I have worked my way through 7 of the most popular books and offer a shared review of all of them here. I hope this comparison helps you make a decision.

Book 1: Crisis Preparedness by Jack A. Spigarelli
Like many of the disaster preparedness books, this one begins by answering the question, "Why bother being prepared?" One thing I particularly liked was the emphasis on the importance of knowledge. It wasn't just about what items you need, but also what skills and knowledge you should develop. But this book is about mostly about food preparation for a major disaster, with emphasis on having a year's food storage, milling your own grain, growing sprouts, home canning, dehydrating, etc. There are detailed tables showing the calories of various foods including their protein, fat, and carbs. There is also some discussion of guns, clothing, energy, medical, sanitation, and home protection. There's a decent listing of sources for disaster preparation items.

Book 2: Preparedness Now! By Aton Edwards
This is one of the better disaster preparedness books. It is filled with brief chapters (some only a few pages) on a variety of important topics, including: Water, Food, Shelter, Sanitation, Communication, Transportation, and Protection. It is also filled with many packing lists detailing what you should get in preparation. It also introduces the e-kit (a very lightweight kit to keep with you) and grab-n-go bag with more extensive items. Final chapters of the book discuss various possible disasters, including earthquakes, tsunami, infectious diseases, chemical and bio warfare, crime, fire, and extreme weather. Some of the commentary is a bit questionable, but the technical meat is good.

Book 3: Disaster Preparedness for Dummies
First of all, this isn't a book. It's a DVD video. I wasn't paying attention when I bought it, and was a bit surprised when it arrived. I generally like the Dummies series. They are well researched and serve as a good summary. This DVD offers a lengthy video discussing many disasters, Hurricanes, Tornados, etc., briefly outlining how you might prepare for them. But the advice is all very general, and is more like what you'd expect to hear from your local weather station. The videos are high quality, but don't expect detailed outdoor survival tips or food storage suggestions. Everything presented is relevant and useful, but it's not particularly enlightening.

Book 4: Emergency Food Storage and Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton
This book is broken into six main sections. The first section offers decent but very incomplete summaries on preparing for short-term emergencies. The second section discusses how to store and purify water. The third part talks about the logistics of setting up a food-storage program, and has some suggestions on how to store food. The fourth section details what types of foods you should store. The fifth section has blank inventory planning pages. And finally the last section has some recipes. About half of the 285 page book is either blank planning pages or simple recipes. The first half of the book is pretty good stuff, but I found this book to be incomplete. It does however offer some good advice on food storage.

Book 5: Organize for Disaster by Judith Kolberg
This book goes an entirely different direction than the other preparedness books. Emphasis is on understanding the federal resources (i.e. FEMA, Red Cross, etc.) available, creating a personal intelligence network, organizing essential documents, maintaining insurance coverage, listing a home inventory, preparing your house for disaster, basic first aid, and having a good family communication plan. There is also a good list of necessary items to have on hand that would suit many common disaster. I recommend this book for its common-sense look at disaster preparednes.

Book 6: Making the Best of Basics, Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage Stevens
This book is almost completely about in-home food storage and preparation. There is little discussion outside that (except for water issues). Many chapters discuss food in significant detailo things like grains, recipes, preparing sourdough breads/biscuits, dairy products, honey, sprouting, drying of fruits/vegetables. At the end of this book is a huge compendium of preparedness resources, telling where things can be purchased in every US state.

Book 7: No Such Thing as Doomsday, by Philip L. Hoag, revised in 2001
This book offers well researched suggestions into disaster preparedness. Topics include Water, Food, Heating/Cooking, Light, Power, Communications, Medical, Sanitation and Security. Those subjects are well done. However, much of the book reads like a bit of doomsday prediction, with many pages devoted to scaring the heck out of the reader... focusing on missile attacks, chemical dangers, nuclear war, radiation, decontamination, communist threat, etc. More time could have been devoted to likelier threats. Also note that Amazon may not carry the latest version.

Overall, if you can only purchase three books, I would recommend Book 5, Book 6, and Book 2 or 7. With those three, you should have a balanced look at common sense organizing, food storage, and emergency items to have on hand.

Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Process of Elimination" - an action-packed thriller in which a private investigator, a conspiracy theory expert, and a greedy corporate attorney try to stop a world-class sniper who is out to shape the next Presidential election.

Please be kind enough to indicate if reviews are helpful.

I've read `em all and this is absolutely the best over-all source available on emergency home preparedness. I consider it a 'must have' for anyone seriously interested in preparing themselves or their families for whatever crises may happen, be it terrorist attacks, riots, revolution, famines or just hard economic times. Not only is it the most up-to-date, it also contains a ton of useful information. And, unlike some, it's not just a compilation of old government sources but contains the most original research and info I've seen anywhere by far. It is well thought-out, intelligently written, and just as applicable for the experienced or the first-time beginner. It tells you everything you need to know about both short- and long-term storage beginning with the critical food and water. It honestly compares the different types of food, tells what you need to store, how much you need, and where to store it. Then it discusses the other areas of preparation (too many to list here) and expertly guides you through each of them. There are many tables and charts showing you the options and helping you not overlook anything important. It has an extensive book list for additional in-depth information and gives specific sources for obtaining hard-to-find items along with addresses, phone numbers and web sites. If you only buy one book this should be it.

Author of
THE TRUTH
ABOUT CAFFEINE

I picked up this book after having read it some time ago. Reason is I chanced to read these reviews, and I'm stunned. Best book on the subject, perhaps. However, I've yet to read one book, on the subject, worth the price. Please, do yourself a favor and use the price of this book as partial payment for a Red Cross course. Very much of the content is common sense, and more important, time is valuable - don't waste it on this.

Having just started 'stockpiling' and emergency preparedness, this book has been our bible. It is comprehensive, informative, and easy to follow, even (especially??) for newbies like us. The advice is practical and never preachy. It can be read cover-to-cover or as a guide by just going to specific chapters that you need info on. It is not, like so many other resources on the subject, doomsday oriented; and it works well for disasters and the like or just helping one to prepare for the leaner times that sometimes arise in life.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in the subject matter as well as for people you'd like to 'gently' introduce to it. I'm buying several copies for friends and family.

Definitely 2 thumbs up!

This is a no nonsense guide without too much "over the top" doomsday portrayal. It addresses the reality of existing without services and recommends things to store, things to have on hand, and things to enhance your survival when things go wrong.

Money well spent, even if to review basics. If you have already done a little planning, it is a good book to have for those who haven't, and to check your own plan.

I found this book to be a great resource on long term food storage, but I gave it 4-stars since I didn't think it gave enough attention to other areas in this emerging area. Written in 2002, it provides its information taking terrorism into consideration, which is definitely a positive. I think the book could be updated to include preparedness skills for pandemic flu threats and other emerging issues, but this is a minor criticism. All in all, the book is probably one of the best sources for practical information on food and water storage and general survival skills. The resource list at the end is worth the price of the book. I also appreciated the fact that the author realized that budget considerations are important in this area and that not everyone can afford to buy thousands of dollars worth of freeze dried foods.

I found this book to be a great resource on long term food storage, but I gave it 4-stars since I didn't think it gave enough attention to other areas in this emerging area. Written in 2002, it provides its information taking terrorism into consideration, which is definitely a positive. I think the book could be updated to include preparedness skills for pandemic flu threats and other emerging issues, but this is a minor criticism. All in all, the book is probably one of the best sources for practical information on food and water storage and general survival skills. The resource list at the end is worth the price of the book. I also appreciated the fact that the author realized that budget considerations are important in this area and that not everyone can afford to buy thousands of dollars worth of freeze dried foods.

This book will not help you survive an emergency that you have not prepared for, but it will help you prepare so that you avoid emergencies in the first place.

Just as the title says, this is a preparation handbook. It will help you prepare the place you live so that you can make it through tough times in relative safety and comfort.

No, it will not help you learn to forage for nutritious weeds, track NWO soldiers to their base in the forest, or how to most efficiently loot the bodies of the dead. On the other hand, it will help you decide what food to store and how much, how to keep your electricity running, how to keep a working water supply, and includes a very brief section on guns.

I've read a lot of self-sufficiency books and this is one of the most well rounded that I have encountered. If you are already a survival nut, this won't cover any new ground, but if you have people in your life you are just beginning to show some interest in self-sufficiency, there is probably no better introduction.

This book will not help you survive an emergency that you have not prepared for, but it will help you prepare so that you avoid emergencies in the first place.

Just as the title says, this is a preparation handbook. It will help you prepare the place you live so that you can make it through tough times in relative safety and comfort.

No, it will not help you learn to forage for nutritious weeds, track NWO soldiers to their base in the forest, or how to most efficiently loot the bodies of the dead. On the other hand, it will help you decide what food to store and how much, how to keep your electricity running, how to keep a working water supply, and includes a very brief section on guns.

I've read a lot of self-sufficiency books and this is one of the most well rounded that I have encountered. If you are already a survival nut, this won't cover any new ground, but if you have people in your life you are just beginning to show some interest in self-sufficiency, there is probably no better introduction.

This book gets four stars, because although it is a very well researched and practical book, it is probably, as some other reviews have observed, strong on food preparation, needs and preservation (very important) but a little light in other areas.

I do think, however, this is an excellent book and for anyone who is keen to inform themselves and prepare for crisis management beyond the 72-hour disaster scenario and wants to be prepared for "long emergency" scenarios, I think this book is indispensable.

It is a very serious book and has some indepth and quite complex information. It is by no means something written for the armchair survivalist.

It is not what I'd call light reading, either, nor should it be.
If you have a serious interest in crisis preparedness, this is an excellent book to have.

This book is an excellent resource for developing a plan to deal with the aftermath of a disaster, whether natural or man made.

The author walks the reader through determining the amount and types of food they should store, providing many insights into saving money by avoiding "miracle" survival foods.

However, this book falls short of preparing the reader to survive either a chemical, biological or nuclear attack, the chapters that pertain to these topics are very light and the author recommends purchasing his other book to learn how to survive these disasters.

This book is excellent for the individual that wants to prepare a food and water supply and is also good for readers on a limited budget, the author identifies several ways to save money by preparing the food for storage yourself.

This book also has an excllent check list for an emergency escape kit, also known as a 72 hour kit, and general survival tools.

The book has a short list of suppliers in the back, many of which can be found by using google or yahoo. The author also directs readers to his website for more up to date information, unfortunately the website only contains an advertisement for one of his other books.

All in all if you are looking for really good information on how to store a food and water supply, whether it be a 1 week or 5 years this book will give you information enough to get started.

If you are looking for tips on surviving the immediate disaster though purchase another book in addition to this one.

Great book. I really don't see how one could be any better on this subject. The author has a very organized mind, has done his homework, and gives very specific recommendations that are practical and easy for anybody to follow. No wasted space or filler in this book. It's really a reference manual that you'll end up underlining and refering back to again and again. I highly recommend it.

This is a great book for anyone interested in surviving any disaster. There is no telling what the future may hold, but this book is a good start in any survival library.

This book is well thought out, organized in a simple and logical manner, and gives you plenty of information to design your own plan for a crisis of any kind.

Unlike other books that just offer a bunch of check lists and "buy what I tell you" recommendations, this book allows you to make your own decisions of what you will and will not need to stock for a crisis. Additionally, almost all of this can be done on a budget. Much of the food you could need is available from your usual grocery store in canned form. This is a huge savings over many of the dehyrated and freeze dried options normally presented in survival literature.

Overall, if you are looking for a book to use as a basis for which to begin planning for a crisis, this is it.