The Perfect Primer
How To Survive The End Of The World As We Know It
Tactics, Techniques And Technologies For Uncertain Times
By: James Wesley, Rawles
Plume Books
www.penguin.com
Reviewed by: Josh Haney
Copyright 2009
It was not too long ago, back in early 2008, that I had the chance to review Patriots-Surviving The Coming Collapse by Mr. Rawles. At that time no one was particularly worried or knowledgeable about swine flu, the global banking meltdown or quite a few of the other problems that seem to be popping up not just here in the states but all over the world. I was quite impressed at the amount of knowledge that he hid in plain sight within the pages of his adventure novel that was more than a decade in the making. I was also astounded by how many of the predictions he had made within it's pages were coming true.
Now we flash forward to a little more than a year later and, to quote from the author, it seems that the Schumer is hitting the fan. There are nightly media reports about pandemic influenza, monetary runs causing some countries to enter the beginning stages of depression and other specters that would cause even the most skeptical among us to rethink their position. So, it's no surprise that Mr. Rawles has stepped forward to once again offer some guidance to those that have never considered the end of the world as we know it, or TEOTWAWKI in survivalist circles.
This time there is no pretense of fiction, just straight-forward tactical advice that can get even the least prepared up to speed in a remarkably short time. The information is presented in a straightforward manner, reading like wisdom from a trusted family member. And instead of giving you a one size fits all solution to the logistics involved, there are discussions on which pieces of the puzzle are more important to your clan.
As I read this book, I was in the middle of a cross-country move to a safer locale for my kin and as I got through the chapters I realized that some of my well-placed notions needed to be rethought. With this book in my back pocket and the contractor's number on speed dial, I was able to fix holes that had appeared in my plans before I reached a point where there would be no fixing them. Now when the SHTF I won't be kicking myself for things that I hadn't even considered being a problem. I'll have my family squared away, safe and sound, with enough left over to help out the neighbors.
If I have any complaint it's that the book was to short! Clichéd I know, but I wanted more information, more of his clear-cut data gathered from years of studying this very subject, more of exactly what the title offers. Luckily there are enough web links, companies and organizations listed as references, as well as Mr. Rawles very own SurvivalBlog, that anything not contained within these pages is still just a few clicks (or calls) away. You've really got to admire someone whose goal is to get you prepared, even if he has to send you elsewhere to make that happen.
It's that dedication to the subject matter that makes me recommend this to folks who are just starting to get their heads in the game. While other writers have released books that are no more than cobbled together recipes for disaster, this is a functional primer that is just as pertinent to those of us who think we have our game plan worked out.
If the world comes to an end with a whimper, as T.S. Eliot so succinctly put it, or kicking and screaming you'll be glad to have t
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