New This Month

Emergency:  This Book Will Save Your Life

Wondering about the apocalypse is nothing new–as long as people have lived on Earth, they’ve wondered when the end will come. But I’ve heard it said that my generation (the one composed of people who did most of their growing up after the Cold War ended) has been the first to really think about what comes next. Yeah, civilization as we know it is going to end because of economic collapse, war, zombies or Biblical prophecy…but then what?

That question is a perpetual topic of conversation here at BookPeople, so Neil Strauss’s new book has been an instant hit. After The Game, his somewhat-creepy but undeniably fascinating non-fiction best-seller about “Pick Up Artists,” Strauss turned his attention to more serious subjects. Just what would a city boy do if a natural disaster or terrorist attack knocked out his power for weeks? How would he survive without stores and hospitals?

Seeing the world through “apocalypse eyes,” Strauss sets off to figure out just what he would do to keep himself and his loved ones safe if (when) the unthinkable happens. This is a great how-to book for low-tech self-sufficiency, and is especially helpful if you’ve lived in big cities your whole life (like me).