What I'm Reading

Welcome Preppers and Survivalists,

Riverdale Branch

of the Toronto Public Library (ca 2014)

photgraph by

Nadiatalent

The following book was a gift from my brother Spartan. He sent it to me a few months ago, but this has been the first time that I had an opportunity to really read the book.

Dare to Prepare, 5^th Edition

book cover by

Deyo Enterprises, LLC

Dare to Prepare, 5th Edition by Holly Drennan Deyo is an encyclopedic survival manual covering many, many different subjects, such as getting started, water, food, and even specific disasters, like hurricanes, earthquakes, and even a Nuclear, Biological, or Chemical event.

Of course, I have forgotten the format from previous blurbs, so bear with me.



Yes, No, and Maybe
This pretty much covers, 'Should you read Dare to Prepare?'

Yes, ... If you are 'new' to prepping

No, ... If you are an 'old timer' when it comes to prepping.

Maybe, ... Especially, 'If' you can get a free copy or borrow it from the library.


Yes, No, and Maybe
The same goes for buying the book.

Yes, ... It's a treasure trove of information, in one place

No, ... Because Dare to Prepare is expensive

Maybe, ... That depends on you and your family.because this information can be found on the internet, for free. All you need to do is look.


To Suggest
Please understand, Dare to Prepare is a 'How To' manual. It covers the basics and some (what I call) advanced prepping information. In other words, you're not trying to convince someone to prep. They are already a prepper, and they just need a single source for information.

So, ... Yes, No, or Maybe.


To Buy
It's expensive. Even in a bulk buy, Dare to Prepare is expensive, so borrow it from the local library.

Ooops, I repeated myself, so let me add some 'new' information.

Get some friends together and make a bulk buy, so you can save some cash ; - )


Lastly
I don't mean to sound all negative about the book because it is a great book with a lot of good information for you, your family, and your friends.

But, ...

I didn't publish Prepper: Surviving the Tough Times Ahead (Smashwords) (Barnes and Nobles) (Fnac) (Kobo) in paper because a paper book is expensive, and once you have the basic prepping done, you're pretty much finished.

Plus, you should be building your own paper 'survival' manual by writing a notebook, printing informative articles then placing them in the notebook, and saving files to your computer or a thumb drive.

Oooh, ... You should also be practicing your skills, so you will remember them during an event, even the mundane ones, like constructing an improvised shelter, starting a fire, finding water, filtering water, purifying water, cooking long grain white rice and dried beans, treating for shock, and many, many, more skills.


I Apologize
Sorry folks, I messed up posting this blurb without writing anything. : - (

What I'm Reading

Welcome Preppers and Survivalists,

President Theodore Roosevelt

reading a book (ca 1912)

source

The World’s Work

Since projects at home and work have slowed down, a bit, I have been able to do a little reading.

So, ...

Liberty for All

bookcover by

Palgrave Macmillian

Liberty for All: A Manifesto for Reclaiming Financial and Political Freedom by Rick Newman
This book takes a complex and wide ranging subject, the current economic difficulties, and sheds light on the subject, currently and  historically, using a 'prepper' viewpoint


Lessons
For y'all that have been around here for a while, you know that I try to emphasize the 'Why?' better known as the 'Big Picture' when I'm writing, most of the time. This big picture perspective allows you to take general information and use it in specific situations.

Take building a fire. All you need is some fuel, a little oxygen, some heat, and you have a fire with a little effort.

So, ... If all you have is your children's refrigerator artwork with some broken 2X4s and 9 volt battery with steel wool, you can make a fire

Or

A car battery, jumper cables, and a pair of cotton jeans with some dry sticks.

Or

Sorry, back to ...

Mr. Newman's book sheds light on some of the things (Mindset and Finances) that most writers overlook and some things you and your family might want to think about, like ...

The first lesson, our national mindset can cause you and your family financial problems, take television commercials. They show the 'perfect' home, the 'perfect' family, the 'perfect' vehicle, the 'perfect' Christ Mass, the 'perfect' ... to get you and your family to spend money on, basically, stuff.

The second lesson, that I would like to point out from the book, is the old financial lessons may be inappropriate for the current situation, take purchasing a home.

It has been suggested for many years for a young couple to buy the biggest house possible because they will grow into the home, physically and financially. That isn't true, especially the financial part, anymore.

The next lesson might be the most important and least understood. This lesson, debt saps your freedom. If you owe someone, you have to pay them back. Thus, you lose some of your freedom.

Lastly, the author offers six ways you can increase freedom; build community, live in a smaller world, underconsume and overproduce, know your vulnerabilities, just say 'I don't know,' and hug a prepper.



To Read or Not to Read
This is a good basic book for starting to learn about the possible new financial realities facing you, your partner, and your children. A future that your family will need to survive, the next few years.

However, ... And it is a  small one.

Mr. Newman makes some anti-freedom remarks in the book. Yes, Mr. Newman believes, according to one or two statements in the book that, "Honestly, the "well-regulated militia" clause of the Second Amendment is almost like a practical joke the founders played on their modern descendants." and "The highest rate of gun violence in the developed world has done virtually nothing to persuade the majority of Americans it might be worth considering a few changes to the nation's tradition of readily available firearms."

So, ... If you can handle the vile comments made about your rights, you might want to read this book.


To Recommend
Hey, I recommended it to you, so you might want to recommend it to your adult family and friends, after you read it.

For children, no way, it's not that kind of book. Plus, you and your partner might want to change the 'stories' that you tell your children


Needless to Say
This isn't a 'How To' book, so ...

Borrow it from your local library or the inter-library loan program, at your local library.

Plus, in my opinion, it isn't worth the purchase price because of the anti-freedom opinions expressed in the book.