Just in Case: How to Be Self-Sufficient When the Unexpected Happens

Although this book is written from the perspective of someone living in the US, the information given is also applicable to those of us living elsewhere in the world. I'm lucky enough to live in the UK which, as a temperate zone, doesn't really have to cope too much with things like extremes of weather, but I think it's useful to have "just in case" guides on what to do if something goes wrong and you're on your own for a time.I bought this book in 2012 for that reason, and the section I've mainly referred back to since then has been about powercuts (it has handy information on keeping pipes from freezing if the electricity shortage is longer-term, and what to check in your home once the power is back on).Hopefully I never need to get to the stage where I have to scavenge for food in the wild (as a 54 year old woman with no natural survival skills, I'm pretty sure I'd be picked off by predators - human or otherwise - or do something stupid that led to my downfall, long before I made a success out of going "Grizzly Adams"), but the information in this book is still very useful and it's handy to have something to refer back to if needed.The reason I chose this book over others is because it's written from a family perspective of coping if something unexpected happens, and is not one of the usual "gung-ho" survival guides written by an ex- Navy Seal, which assumes that the people who have lived in homes with clean water from taps and access to electricity at the flick of a switch for their whole lives can suddenly revert successfully back to living off the land with things they make themselves from bits of discarded wood and some wire ("Behold - I have fashioned a water wheel which can also skin rabbits!"). If things ever get that bad, and we're back to living in caves, I'll probably be one of the first to do something stupid and die off pretty quickly, which I'd probably be looking forward to as I'd be pretty miserable with that sort of survivalist life! Those more-extreme "end of the world prepper/SHTF" guides are for a completely different type of person, and I wish them well following the Apocalypse (which I'll not survive) when they inherit the earth (what's left of it).This book does mention things to be aware of in the event of a terrorist/biological weapons attack, but doesn't go into "life after civilisation ends" level of detail. There are certainly books which have that level of information, but it's not one I need.In the meantime, this handy book details things that people like myself can use in case of those unexpected day-to-day emergencies when you can't rely on the usual public services to help you if something has gone wrong.Also has some useful store-cupboard recipes in the back :)

I gift this book to all my friends - its simply brilliant as a starter for wanna be preppers or anyone who needs to care for the family.

Emergency preparation for families - it only loses a star due to its US focus, though the advice itself is international. It should probably be awarded that one star back for stuffing any religiosity between the lines rather than in the paragraphs. Very readable, very helpful, very sensible.

This book is a very interesting read that allows the reader to prepare for, at least on the most part, any eventuality. The methods in it are practical and easy to follow - they really illustrate how unprepared I am! With this book I can keep a little more peace of mind when the weather leaves us with harsher conditions.

Brilliant info and handy to use. I will be re reading it all the time. I would definitely recommend it.

This book has been written for the American reader and there is a fair amount of information that isn't relevant to us in the UK. The advice about stockpiling food and water is really just common sense but Kathy Harrison's check lists are useful. What I did find irritating was her dismissal of teenagers as being useless at anything but computer games and her unsolicited advice on not watching "junk TV" or having "junk relationships", what has that got do to with "prepping"? I am writing this in Feb 2014 when much of the country is flooded so being prepared for the worst does seem like a good idea. My home has been without power for a day here and there and my land line is now down after a storm. I will try to make sure that my car always has some fuel, that I know where I keep my candles and that I have enough food for my family for at least a few days. I also like the idea of keeping a backpack ready for everyone in the family with any essentials so that we can leave at a moments notice. As someone who often has an almost-empty store cupboard, this book has made me realise that I must do a little better in the preparedness stakes.

The opening pages focus on possible scenarios that make you realize how important it is to be prepared for difficult situations, that can and do happen. Very readable. Although the book is for the American market, most of it can be applied to a UK situation.

This is one of my favourite books as it covers a lot of easy to read categories which offer a lot of useful tips