Americans at Risk: Why We Are Not Prepared for Megadisasters and What We Can Do Now by Irwin Redlener
This is a political base book that looks in-depth at the inner political workings of how America dealt with disasters like Sept. 11th and Hurricane Katrina. It also compares how other countries deal with disasters. I would love to see this book updated to incorporate the lessons learned from Japan’s recent earthquake/tsunami that resulted in nuclear disaster.
Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Family Safe in a Crisis by Peggy Layton
This book covers the basics of Long Term Food Storage for beginners who know absolutely nothing about prepping. Unfortunately, about 1/3 of the book is either recipes or for LTS inventory tallies. But it would be good for someone who knows nothing.
A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs: Of Eastern and Central North America (Peterson Field Guide) by Steven Foster
Maybe my copy was outdated, but I find identification from a book difficult.
The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer
Again, maybe my copy was outdated, but I find identification from a book difficult.
How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times by James Wesley Rawles
This book is literally a straight copy of what J.W.R. has on his blog. He is what I would consider an extreme prepper in that he covers stuff like barricading your property with concertina wire, and investing in precious metals and alcohol for future bartering. His information is good, but I consider it an extremist point of view of worst case scenarios.
One Second After by William R. Forstchen
A novel, that I consider the premier fictional account of life after SHTF (in this case an EMP which few of us know much about). This story delicately weaves together the many factors we might face: lawlessness, abandonment by health care professionals, disease and illness from lack of sanitation/medicine, starvation and even cannibalism. It is a pretty good read.
SAS Survival Handbook, Revised Edition: For Any Climate, in Any Situation by John ‘Lofty’ Wiseman
This is an “I am lost in the woods with nothing” type of book. Good for worst-case scenarios, but not necessarily practical for long-term planning.
The Self Sufficient Life and How to Live It by John Seymour
This is an older book that has seen multiple editions through the years. It covers almost all the basics of homesteading. It is a GREAT resource for many aspects of off the grid living. J.S. is considered the grandfather of the homesteading movement.
The Solar Food Dryer by Eben Fodor
This book was a bit disappointing because half of it was instructions for only one style of food dehydrator. The author also talks about the importance of making sure your drying screens are food safe, but then goes on to use recycled items (window and window screens from a recycling center) without knowing if the selected screens are food safe. I believe that anything coming in contact with food needs to be food safe unless we are truly in a SHTF society where scavenging becomes the norm.
The Ultimate Guide to Homesteading: An Encyclopedia of Independent Living by Nicole Faires
Like John Seymour’s book but more current with a look at a few more areas of interest such as herbal medicine, canning, and fiber arts (weaving, sewing, etc). It is what I would consider an essential encyclopedia for anyone uninitiated in homesteading. This book is one of my “keepers”.
The Unthinkable: Who Survives when Disaster Strikes and Why by Amanda Ripley
This book, written by a journalist, is about the psychology of surviving catastrophic events. It uses a plethora of tragic events from the last 100 years.