Books

So, I pulled out my copy of “When Technology Fails” by Matthew Stein. It’s a large book, not one that will fit in a pocket, certainly, and somewhat heavy, even for a “paperback”, with 493 pages of print. What Stein really means is, “when SHTF”!

I haven’t pulled this book out in a while, so, it was interesting to flip through it for my notes. I’m one of those people who likes to mark my books as I read: notes in margins, highlight a few things, that sort of thing.

What struck me as I went back through this book is that I did not have the same response to it as the first time I read through it. Perhaps that is because I have learned a great deal since I first picked up this book so that now, much of it seems well, sort of “primary”. But I do not want to give you the wrong impression; it does, indeed, have useful information in it.

I came to the conclusion that this book, “When Technology Fails” is a good starting point for beginning preppers.  It covers just about every area of thought one might need to consider in meeting every conceivable need when SHTF. The problem is, for the most part, it only touches on most of the subjects, and some information you might do well to research further.

I would not, for example, put much stock in the “training” available for medical and emergency health care. Having served as a volunteer for many, many years with the world’s largest disaster relief agency, including teaching First Aid and CPR at various levels, I did not find the information all that useful, even though it purportedly was taken from the ARC book (what little is there).

Take the class, folks. It’s a hands-on thing, for sure. All you need is one person to take the class, get the book, and teach the others, if it comes to that. There are also some great DIY ways to make saline solution. But much of what you learn is best learned “in live practice”, not from a book. The book is a reference, not a teacher.

There are many illustrations, but they are all low-budget drawings, IMHO. I don’t think they will do anyone much good, but they are better than nothing.

The one exception to the limited information, in my opinion, is WATER. Stein does an excellent job of telling you most of what you’ll need to know about water, storing it, treating it, threats to it and how to handle each threat…even those “unusual” places to find water in an emergency situation; I actually bought separate books just for that information!  So I highly recommend reading the section on water.

One thing I DO really appreciate about this book is that it contains many valuable references for contact; you can spend a lot of time trying to pull this information together, where to go for what information, who to contact to learn more about XYZ subject…but Stein has made that easy. I also like that he includes Joel Salatin, a Christian and possibly THE authority on whole food eating, and well as other individuals who have proven that they know exactly what they are talking about and are qualified to teach.

The real value in this book, in my opinion, is that it raises the right questions. You won’t find all the answers here, but, if you don’t know what questions to ask, how can you possibly find the answers? This is a good resource for those new or young at prepping, or even just a quick review for seasoned preppers, in my opinion.

I bought Mike Oehler’s book The $50 & Up Underground House Book back in 1978 when it was first published. And yes, I lived in the panhandle of Idaho at that time (where Mike hails from).

My homestead was on the north facing slope and just not suited to an underground home even though I have always yearned for one. Well, my house burned and that book went with it, but Wyzyrd just sent me these two books. I am still totally a believer!

The $50 & Up Underground House Book is a classic in the alternative building world. If you have ever been interested in the advantages of earth sheltered building this book is a must!

New to me is The Earth-Sheltered Solar Greenhouse Book by Mike. LOVE THIS BOOK! Even read a recent newspaper article from Minneapolis, where a couple up there is harvesting fresh vegetables year around in the city using this method.

This book has a good index, lots of drawings, some full color photos and takes you from his first experiments to the conception and development of the earth-sheltered solar greenhouse.

How impressed am I?

Well, I’m considering building one off the side of my house. I don’t have a south facing area that is not blocked from the sun by something, but I do have an east side that I believe would not only produce vegetables, but assist my home with solar heat and where I could put my koi, chickens, pigeons and rabbits in the winter.

We’ll see what happens, but I have been drawing, thinking, redrawing, thinking more, and pretty sure I have a plan that may just work – heat sink and all!

For more timeless survival wisdom and ideas, check out these survival guides and PDF downloads.

Soup Night: Recipes for Creating Community Around a Pot of Soup, by Maggie Stuckey (Storey Publishing, 2013) isn’t a gardening book—though its author has two garden books to her credit and gardeners will love the ways these recipes incorporate garden produce. It isn’t exclusively a cookbook either—though it has some very tasty recipes. Soup Night is a cookbook with a purpose—to build community understanding and coherence by encourage neighbors to gather for meals.

The book began when the author heard about a monthly “soup night” held on a street in Portland, OR.

Once a month, the neighbors gather for soup and conversation. Hosting duties are divided up (usually at a once-a-year block party) and the host makes two big pots of soup — one with meat, one without.

Beyond that, the rules are simple and flexible. Guests come whenever they want between 6 and 8 p.m.; they can contribute wine, bread, a dessert or salad, or not if they aren’t able to; and everyone brings their own bowls and flatware, so the host does not have to do a vat of dishes. Not everyone makes it every month, and that is fine.

This simple low-key event has done much to cement relationships in the neighborhood, making it friendlier and safer.

From that first gathering, Stuckey discovered soup nights all over the country, from Houston to Milwaukee, New York to San Francisco. The book celebrates those neighborly gatherings and encourages others to start their own soup nights. She does this with stories about the soup nights she’s visited and recipes that lead soup makers (and gardeners) through the seasons.

For cold winter nights like the ones we’ve had recently, Stuckey offers recipes for a beef stew topped with coleslaw, red lentil soup (delicious!), potato-wild rice soup and a beautiful butternut squash soup.

In spring, the soups are lighter: asparagus and pea, sherried mushroom. As a gardener, the late summer and fall soups look especially appealing: strawberry gazpacho with berries, tomatoes and cucumbers and a corn chowder with potatoes, leeks and cream. The soup recipes are supplemented by recipes for breads, salads and desserts, all from the folks who host soup nights around the country.

I am a book “scavenger”. Basically, I look through books for information and then move on to another. It’s a rarity that I read a book from cover to cover. Several weeks ago I downloaded Going Home onto my Kindle Fire. It’s taken awhile but I finally finished it.

What a great book!!

The basic premise of the movie revolves around “Morgan” who is traveling away from home/family and there is some kind of EMP event. His car – as well as most everyone else’s  – dies. He grabs his pack and starts walking the 200+miles……going home. Along the way, Morgan has his fair share of excitement as societies morality begins to plummet as their desperation raises.

The book does a good job creating the environment of no power, no modern conveniences. I really got into the head of Morgan who was desperate to get home to see his wife and kids. Always wondering if they were OK – Morgan had to be careful to keep his head and make minimal mistakes to stay alive.

As he travels on foot mile after mile – his experiences really got me thinking about my own situation. I work 22 miles from home and sometimes travel 150 miles or so away. What would happen if something happened and I needed to walk?  I have started to rethink my vehicle kits.

Morgan has one adventure after the other – from saving some innocent civilians from ruthless murderers to surviving a game of cat and mouse in the dark against ruthless brigands. Morgan is not a super soldier or super hero – just determined to get home.

Morgan was a prepper prior to the EMP event. He had some basic supplies in his pack to help him along the way. He also made some very important friends and picked up some supplies – including a hand-held HAM radio. His use of the HAM really intrigued me. His ability to communicate to friends (not going to give anything away) helped not only give him valuable information but also boosted his morale.

I mentioned “friends”. Morgan did not walk alone the whole way. He met up with a few people who joined him on his journey. Safety was found in numbers and they often worked to their mutual benefit – but not always. In that kind of situation as you can imagine some very close bonds could be made.

There are tons of awesome preparedness books and ebooks available. If you like adventure, a bit of intrigue, and some preparedness fiction – this book is for you. It will really get you thinking.

For more timeless survival wisdom and ideas, check out these survival guides and PDF downloads.