Real World Survival

This is an excellent, no-nonsense guide filled with practical wisdom of what to do to prepare for a disaster — rather than to panic and not know what to do after one strikes. Richard’s stories that he shares at the beginning of this book — his father and him on a mountain hike, the fire on the sides of a road in the mountains — and others could have ended in great tragedy, but taught him well, and now he teaches others what he has learned. One important lesson is to always pay attention to your surroundings and to understand your surroundings and local conditions from experts. Richard engages the physical senses with his descriptive writing, such as the terrifying earthquake that he, his wife and son experienced. “It was as if the Mad Hatter had taken control of our apartment,” he writes. Getting prepared before a disaster hits “can mean the difference between living through a disaster and not surviving at all.” The key is to be ready and to know what to do when one occurs, but finding the middle ground between not being prepared at all and being overly prepared, ruled by fear. Richard encourages the reader to be prepared to be without help from anyone for at least three days, and possibly up to two weeks in large disasters. Some ideas he offers, such as buying a portable generator or solar power panels, may not be possible for some people, especially those who are renting a home. Other suggestions, like buying MREs and lots of trash bags, having extra batteries, clothes, and blankets, keeping a supply of water (enough for two weeks for all people with you), are very doable and are great ideas. He includes suggestions to keep a full tank of gas, a renters’ insurance or homeowners’ insurance plan that includes a stay at a hotel for several weeks or months, going over escape routes in your home in case of flooding, fire, or other disasters. He also listed additional great resources for disasters, a list of foods for your emergency supplies, what should be in your emergency medical kit, and a binder with important documents, family contact info, maps, etc. I love the pictures in the book, too. One of the most important things to do before a disaster hits is to “Look around you. Just look.” Be aware. Be alert. Be prepared. Don’t wait until disaster strikes and it’s too late. This is a book everyone should read to help prepare in the event of some disaster. Loved it.

The author begins by listing his expertise and experiences which qualify him to write a book of this nature. He gives examples of disasters he has experienced and the lessons he learned from surviving them, e.g., hiking with his father, having his car surrounded by fire, and narrowly escaping a flash flood in a dry riverbed. He asks you to start by first asking yourself what kind of disasters are likely to occur in your area. Being aware of where you are and of what is around you can save precious minutes if/when disaster strikes. You need to be prepared to not be rescued for a minimum of three days to a couple of weeks. In this book, the author will teach you: how to prepare for and deal with disruptions to power, gas, water, sewage, trash collection, cell phone service, internet, and cable services; the types of disasters you might have to deal with (volcanoes, fires, earthquakes, chemical spills, floods, hurricanes, nuclear disasters, long-term power outages, rioting and looting, tornados, tsunami); and the disaster information services you can subscribe to. He will then lead you step-by-step to creating your disaster plan, a communications plan, preparing your home (including stockpiling water, food, flashlights, batteries), packing a go-bag, and preparing for trips and outings. The author maintains a light, conversational tone throughout, keeping your interest and making this book easy to read. There is a bit of repetition when you read the book from start to finish, but this allows you to re-read portions out of order as needed and still find the information required. This is an invaluable guide for everyone, not just the preppers. All I can say is that I hope you never have to implement the emergency preparations taught in this book. And, as the author advises, find the middle ground of preparedness and “don’t live your whole life waiting for a disaster to happen.” Littered with anecdotal experiences of the author as well as other people, this book makes for an interesting and informative read. Followed by a glossary of the terms used in the book and a list of recommended reading materials.

This survival guide is well-researched and written by a qualified expert. I loved the way this book was put together, catching my attention right off the bat and flowing perfectly. The author starts off having the reader consider what sort of disasters could occur in their area. It’s something I’d never really thought about, and I got hooked from the start. I felt like the author was sitting next to me, literally guiding me and telling his personal experiences to me. I commend the author highly for this. Earthquakes, floods, fires, volcanoes — you name it, the author has crucial information for readers. He discusses the importance of preparation and teaches the reader how to survive in any situation. I learned so much, and could see this as being an important book to keep on hand at all times. Overall, this was an interesting and informative read. I loved the author’s “voice” and respected his expertise. A well-deserved five stars!

First I found this book spot on, on everything he offered to get ready for an emergency. We have two go-to bags — mine I carry in my truck, the other my husband carries in his car — and when we’re together we take them both. But I had not included a whistle or thought of trash bags for bathrooms in case there’s no flushing water. In my personal opinion everyone that lives in areas where they know something big will happen should own it, follow it, and use it as a guide to get themselves ready and their family, because I had never thought to have a person outside the state as a contact person. Simple basic things you never think about — good book, very helpful, everyone should read it and follow his advice.

As a trained incident commander, an EHS professional of 25 years experience, and a certified Safety Professional, Richard’s book is well written and well formatted for the average person. It is a wealth of knowledge on what you should do in the event of an emergency. Don’t rely on your common sense, because in the heat of the moment, like Richard’s late wife in the earthquake, we all will do something that in our “common sense” we know not to do. Thank you Richard for distilling down your CERT knowledge to help us all.

The book that made me realize as a parent there are so many things I can do to be prepared for any disaster. Easy to understand, practical, and thought provoking. This is a must have for everyone.

Right from the beginning Lowe draws us into the situation by giving anecdotes of personal experience where he wishes he knew what he knows now. Then he goes through a list of types of events — from floods to power outages — telling what can happen and how to prepare for it. This is not an alarmist book, but a simple, easy to follow bits of advice to help anyone get through an emergency. It is a must read.

Unfortunately, it was more basic and general than I was looking for.

it was OK…nothing groundbreaking