I'm going to post something different, start learning a martial art. It will help you stay in good shape and get you more comfortable with your body, it will help improve your confidence, and it will give you a tool that can help you defend yourself if you need it. If you're young and you're going out in the world you need to be able to protect yourself from the knuckleheads and even just develop the ability to escape from them. Also hand in hand should be conflict resolution and deescalation skills. Learn how to talk. On the same note, learn how to communicate in your relationships, express your emotions, and most importantly listen. Learn how to really listen to people without judgement and try to understand them. This will open up a lot of doors for you. People love to feel understood and you will love the freedom that comes from learning about other people's perspectives.

Edit: a couple of links.

/r/martialarts

Solo Training 2, this is a good book that covers the essentials of building your core muscle groups for martial arts, gives you some tips for practicing on your own, and has some good tips for the mental side of it as well as conflict resolution.

Geoff Thompson - The Fence pt 1, and pt2 this is a video by Geoff Thompson an experienced martial artist and former bouncer in England who teaches some ways to control situations in a violent street encounter or to notice things beforehand. There's a book too

In the same vein I recommend Defensive Living great book about your personal safety and developing a good system of personal awareness as well as telling you what to look for.

The Best Kept Secrets of Great Communicators a great audiobook series that covers a lot about how to communicate with people.

I also have more recommendations for the relationship/communication stuff if you want to know.

I think I can hook you up with an ebook copy of the Fence book and a rip of the Best Kept Secrets of Great Communicators if you want to hit me up via P.M.

Also I recommend getting into mindfulness meditation, even if you practice listening to your breath for a couple of minutes a day it can be helpful.

Here is most of my library, broken down, with links and some thoughts on each.

Karate Specific

• The Bubishi by Patrick McCarty (Amazon) - I think this book needs to be in every library.
  
• Classical Kata of Okinawan Karate by Patrick McCarthy (Amazon) - One of the first books I purchased by McCarthy. Details older version of classic kata found in a lot of traditional styles.
  
• Karatedo by My Way of Life - Gichin Funakoshi (Amazon) - Great read! I really nice view at the life of Funakoshi.
  
• The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate by Gichin Funakoshi (Amazon) - Another great read. While I'm no longer a practitioner of Shotokan, I believe the teachings of Funakoshi should be tought to every karateka.
  
• Okinawan Karate : Teachers, styles and secret techniques by Mark Bishop (Amazon) - Great amount of historical content, and helped link a few things together for me.
  
• The Study of China Hand Techniques by Morinobu Itoman (Lulu.com) - The only known publication by Itoman, this book detains original Okinawan Te, how it was taught, practiced, and some history. This was one of my best finds.
  
• The Essence of Okinawan Karate-do by Shoshin Nagamine (Amazon) - Great details on Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu kata, and some nice historical content.
  
• The Way of Kata by Lawrence Kane & Kris Wilder (Amazon) - Fantastic book on diving deeper into kata to find the application of the techniques.
  
• Classic Kata of Shorinji Ryu: Okinawan Karate Forms of Richard 'Biggie' Kim by Leroy Rodrigues (Amazon) - Not quite accurate as to the title, this book details the versions of shorinji-ryu kata as if they were taught by a Japanese school. Still able to use, as long as you understand what stances and techniques have changed between Okinawa and Japan.
  
• Black Belt Karate by Jordan Roth (Amazon) - This was a gift from a friend. I have a First Edition hard cover. Shotokan specific, and has some nice details on the kata.
  
• Karate-do Kyohan: The Master Text by Gichin Funakoshi (Amazon) - Love this book, especially for the historical content.
  
• Kempo Karate-do by Tsuyoshi Chitose (Shindokanbooks.com) - The only known book from Chitose, highlights his history, his thoughts and ideas for practicing karate-do as a way of life, and contains steps for practicing Henshu-Ho. Chitose is the creator of the style I study. I have this book for obvious reasons. Your mileage may vary.
  
  Kobujutsu Specific
  
  
• Okinawan Weaponry: Hidden methods, ancient myths of Kobudo & Te by Mark Bishop (Amazon) - Really great detail into the history of some of the weapons and the people who taught them from Okinawa.
  
• Okinawan Kobudo Vol 1 & 2 (Lulu.com) - Fantastic books detailing the kihon and kata of Okinawan Kobudo. Anyone who takes Ryukyu Kobujutsu, and doesn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on the original texts by Motokatsu Inoue, this is the next best thing.
  
• Bo: Karate Weapon of Self-Defense by Fumio Demura (Amazon) - Purchased it for the historical content. Doesn't actually apply to anything in Ryukyu Kobujutsu, but still a decent read. I also have his Nunchaku and Tonfa books.
  
  Other Martial Arts
  
  
• Applied Tai Chi Chuan by Nigel Sutton (Amazon) - A great introduction to Cheng Style Tai Chi, detailing some of the fundamentals and philosophy behind the teachings.
  
• Tai Chi Handbook by Herman Kauz (Amazon) - More Cheng Style Tai Chi, but this one has more emphasis on teaching the shortened form (37 steps).
  
• Tai Chi Chuan: Classical Yang Style: The Complete Long Form and Qigong by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming (Amazon) - Just received this for Chirstmas, and looking forward to diving in. Includes some history of Tai Chi Chuan, Yang style Tai Chi, philosophy, and has instruction on the complete long form (108 steps)
  
• The Text-book of Ju-Jutsu as Practiced in Japan by Sadakazu Uyenishi (Amazon) - I have a very old version of this book (1930ish). Picked it up for the historical content, but still a great read.
  
• Tao of Jeet Kun Do by Bruce Lee (Amazon) - Notes on technique, form, and philosophy from Bruce Lee. Another must read for every martial artist, regardless of discipline.
  
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: The Ultimate Guide to Dominating Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Combat by Alexandrew Paiva (Amazon) - Excellent step by step illustrations on performing the basic techniques in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Easy to understand and follow. Contains several tips on what to watch out for with each technique as well.
  
  Health and Anatomy
  
  
• The Anatomy of Martial Arts by Dr. Norman Link and Lily Chou (Amazon) - Decent book on the muscle groups used to perform specific techniques in martial arts. On it's own, not totally useful (but not useless), but with the next book, becomes gold!
  
• Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy by Bret Contraris (Amazon) - Brilliant book that details what muscles are use for what type of action, and gives examples on body weight exercises that pin-point those specific muscle groups. My best purchase of 2014, especially when paired with the previous book.
  
• Martial Mechanics by Phillip Starr (Amazon) - Slightly Chinese Martial Arts specific, but contains great material on how to strengthen stances and fine-tune technique for striking arts.
  
  EDIT: I can't believe I forgot this one...
  
  
• The Little Black Book of Violence by Lawrence Kane & Kris Wilder (Amazon) - Fantastic book about situational awareness, what happens during fights, and the aftermath. LOVED this book.
  

And that's stage 3, I guess: escaping the matrix and becoming free.

You have to master your weaknesses and squeamishness - the desire for comfort and relief from boredom are your greatest enemies. Here, there, everywhere. Suppress it, and nurture your resilience.

Read Stoic philosophy (Boethius and Marcus Aurelius particularly,) - it will help you conquer your fears. Read Thoreau's On Walden Pond (particularly if you're homesteading.) This goes for every scenario and every approach.

For true palaeolithic living, well, I don't believe it's possible as a vegan, sorry. It certainly isn't in colder climes.

If you weren't a vegan, I'd say learn to hunt and fish (by hand: guns are cheating, unless you can make one - and its ammunition - from scratch. Which you can't.) And tbh, the lack of meat is probably going to mean that it is truly impossible to survive entirely off-grid. It's a catastrophic liability in a long-term survival situation (no offence intended,) because you need a lot more calories living wild than you can possibly get from foraged vegetation (especially in the winter, when inconveniently there's a lot less vegetation to forage,) so if you lose the agriculture, you're dead. But any knowledge or practice is better than none.

I have eaten raw animals whole, I have slept in snowdrifts, I have nursed myself through pneumonia in a harsh Welsh winter without antibiotics, tent or sleeping bag when the nights were hitting -12°C (I did go back to winter foraging from bins after that point - it felt like cheating a bit, but hey, if it's good enough for bears.)

I was lucky enough to have a comfortable cave, a well-stocked woodpile and modest larder (enough nuts and jerky, and a supply of dried rosehips.) And I hacked dormant wild garlic bulbs out of the frozen ground when I so ill I couldn't walk more than 6 paces without needing to sit down and catch my breath.

It would kill me for sure now (even without the pneumonia,) - I'm 50, and in solo caveman years that's waaay past life expectancy. But it didn't then.

If you can catch and kill a rabbit with a bootlace, skin and gut it with your teeth, and eat it raw, you will never starve (even when the rabbits run out, there'll be rats. For as long as the atmosphere lasts anyway.) I set myself that, and many other challenges over the years. Squeamishness training.

A large proportion of humanity would literally rather die than resort to such survival. I've never understood that - but then, I'm a survivor.

And when the atmosphere crashes, and humanity (along with all other aerobic life on the planet,) dies in the superstorm-torn Canfield atmosphere I foresee coming down the pike,... well, that's my current prepping project. But I think there aren't many folks who can really pull that one off (and I'm not at all sure even I can.) Or would want to. Life on this planet is about to get a whole lot harder, and it's only because I'm the stubbornest bastard I know that I'm even contemplating it.

Concerning veganism.

I'm not aware of any indigenous tribes who are or ever were vegans. I don't disapprove of veganism - it's your choice, and I can respect that entirely, but it's not natural - it's a modern, "civilised" fad (no offence intended.) We evolved for omnivory. I do massively disapprove of factory farmed meat though. I'll eat it if I have to (largely to keep my wife quiet - bless her though, she will reciprocate by trying my wildlife recipes too, though she's not a big fan of most of it.) I'd always rather hunt or raise my own (and, after a few decades of practice, I can take out a cormorant at 20 yards with a stone if I'm hungry or curious. Surprisingly tasty actually - very like duck. Even my wife was impressed - she certainly preferred it to puffin, which I consider delicious, but she thought was fishy.)

I don't have many sources to suggest I'm afraid - I learnt from pre-internet books (and life-endangeringly reckless personal experimentation,) so long ago I don't even remember them clearly, but Google is your friend, and there are good YouTube videos for a lot of this stuff I know.

http://instructables.com in particular is an invaluable resource.

This book however is a good set of projects that may help to round out your skillsets and give you some inspiration. Basic, but well-structured, useful stuff.

Hope any of that's useful.

Hope the meaty bits weren't too squeamishness-provoking (consider it a useful lesson if they were ;)

Good luck!

Edit: fixed pasting errors (grrr!)

My suggestions are all of the "bug-in" variety, FWIW.

-- Two gardening books that any potential seed savers should have: "Seed to Seed" by Suzanne Ashworth and "How to Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties" by Carol Deppe. Deppe's book sounds esoteric, but is actually a fantastic guide to using the scientific method on a small scale to maintain or or adapt seed varieties.

-- A free tl;dr pamphlet for seed saving can be found here. Good to print out and keep with a seed vault.

-- Another gardening guide -- especially useful for the spreadsheet lovers among us -- is "How to Grow More Vegetables," by John Jeavons. This one details the double-dug intensive bed method of gardening, which strives to maintain fertility without animal input. But the real beauty of the book is in the charts, which give caloric nutrients densities of food, potential yields (divided up into low, medium, high, depending on how improved the land is), plant spacing for maximum yields, etc. These numbers allow you to make back of the envelope calculations on, for instance, what square footage you need to produce X pounds of beans resulting in Y amount of calories, and how many Z lbs of seed beans you'll need to plant that area.

-- Both local and widely adapted foraging guides. I like Nature Bound for a quick and dirty portable guide, but there are tons out there. Good photos are essential if you are unfamiliar with identifying plants.

-- "The Art of Fermentation" by Sandor Katz. How to make beer, wine, bread, pickles, sauerkraut, yogurt, weird stinky meats, etc. without a lot of fussy equipment or special purified yeasts. Must-have book on preserving food without electricity.

-- USDA canning guide, also free. At a minimum, the introduction is worth printing and throwing on the shelf with the cookbooks.

-- "Encyclopedia of Country Living" is a good one-volume homesteading guide.

-- Humanure Handbook. Everything from composting toilets to safely using shit as fertilizer.

-- And finally, here's an amazing number of useful old public domain books that will keep you busy for weeks.

Best preparation sources for step 3:

UWorld

This is the absolutely most important resource for you to use. If you are going to do nothing else to prepare for Step 3, then this is what I would recommend.

UWorld

NBMEs

it will highlight your areas of weakness and point you towards the areas you should be spending the most time.

NBME

Review Books

Review books should be used as a way to supplement your knowledge, refresh yourself on topics that you may not have seen for several years, and to address material that you are struggling to learn through the question bank.

The recommended books are:

1. First Aid for Step 3
   
2. Master the Boards for Step 3
   
   

   CCS
   

   
   1- UWorld’s CCS Cases help you prepare and boost your confidence for the test day. 
   
   uworld ccs
   
   2- Mapping CCS: 2019, excellent preparation tool wide range of cases. The high yield non uworld cases can be find
   here
   
   2019 Mapping ccs
   
   3- Crush CCS cases: provides easy and short review.
   
   crush ccs
   
   

   Biostats and Abstract/ Pharm ads:
   

   
   UWord biostats: Good review, good price
   
   UWorld Biostats
   
   Biostats words for the boards: good book, and the best is to take a live tutor course. it will save your time:
   
   Biostats words for the boards
   
   USMLE STEP 3 Preparation Plan:
   
   1. Start early
   
   Different preparation times have been suggested, Depending on what you are doing, if you are in residency or not, at
   least 3-4 weeks of dedicated studying for the exam is needed.
   
   2- Q Banks:
   
   NBMEs can be used as a way of predicting your final score. Take an NBME at the very beginning of your Step 3 study
   period. Doing this can give you a baseline score, and will often make students much less nervous about the exam.
   
   2. Consider using tutor
   
   Live tutor can save a lot of your time reviewing your weak points whether they are ccs, biostats or pharmacology. that
   will allow a more focused approach to your studying.  
   
   3. Master Clinical Case Simulation (CCS) Questions
   
   CCS accounts for 25% of your final score, before going to the exam, make sure that you practice the cases and you
   understand the principles about the software
   
   4. Don’t underestimate Biostats, preventive medicine, Abstract/ pharm ads and pharmacology questions
   
   The exam had a significant number of biostats questions, more than prior steps. These topics are as important as
   internal medicine and pediatrics in the exam.

I copy and pasted most of this from my old notes, so don't think I'm crazy and wrote nearly 9,000 words just for you! But browse these and you'll have a fairly comprehensive idea about the impact of Nuclear testing in the continental US. I tried to find mostly websites and movies, but there are three books at the end if you're into that sort of thing. This is about 1/4 of the source material I had readily available, so if anything specifically interests you let me know and I can give a few more leads probably or answer any questions!

General history

Fifty Years From Trinity by the Seattle Times Company. This website provides the full text of the 1995 article “Fifty Years From Trinity,” by Bill Dietrich, and interactive presentations of information about atomic bombs. Focuses on the Trinity test site, the Nevada test site, and the plutonium production complex at Hanford Washington. Also has interactive learning tools for teachers and students, including a quiz, supplementary articles and documents.


Movies

The Atomic Café (vimeo link to movie) directed by Rafferty, Kevin / Loader, Jayne / Rafferty, Pierce - This creatively edited film depicts American uncertainty, fear, ignorance, and paranoia in the early Cold War, using the very propaganda that instilled these traits into the American consciousness. It is a montage of U.S. government archival footage and newsreel footage from the forties and fifties. It begins with Col. Paul Tibbets narrating his mission that dropped the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, spliced with the footage of the explosion and ensuing human effects. Tibbets describes being demonized for his role, and states that America is suffering an atomic guilt complex. The clips include footage of U.S. Army training. One shows an officer telling soldiers that radiation is nothing to worry about, and then records the men racing into a still smoldering atomic test area. Other footage reflects the suburban paranoia—families gather in bomb shelters believing themselves safe, while children outside practice “Duck and Cover”. A memorable clip shows an American officer explaining to natives of Bikini Atoll that they must be evacuated for the good of mankind.

Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie directed by Kuran, Peter - This documentary film depicts the history of the development of nuclear weapons both within and outside of the United States from 1945 to 1963. It contains incredible atomic bomb footage from declassified materials that were painstakingly restored by the film’s production team, an effort which won an Oscar award for Peter Kuran. The film conveys the extent of nuclear testing that took place during that era, and includes footage of tests on the ground, underwater, suspended from balloons, and in the upper atmosphere. The footage is both visually stunning and unsettling. The film also features an interview with Edward Teller who is widely acknowledged as the “father of the hydrogen bomb.” I'm pretty sure it used to be on Netflix.

Dark Circle directed by Beaver, Chris / Irving, Judy / Landy, Ruth - This award-winning film focuses on the victims of nuclear weapons production, testing, and use. It features the stories of workers at the Rocky Flats, Colorado production facility; residents near the facility; United States servicemen participating in nuclear tests; survivors of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki; and activitists who opposed the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in California. Originally produced in 1982, the film was revised in 1991. It stresses the long term human impact of nuclear weapons.

Websites

http://www.atomictestingmuseum.org/ The National Atomic Testing Museum, Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation. The site features a virtual tour of the museum through photos and video clips. I've been to the actual museum and would definitely recommend it if you're ever in Las Vegas!

http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/ State of Nevada: Agency for Nuclear Projects - This is the official website of the Nuclear Waste Project Office of the State of Nevada’s Agency for Nuclear Projects. The website includes links to hundreds of government and other documents, including news clippings, many in PDF format.

http://www.atomicarchive.com/index.shtml Atomic Archive by AJ Software and Multimedia - This website is a comprehensive resource for information on nuclear weapons.The almanac contains information on nuclear facilities, forces, and test sites. The media gallery has photographs, videos, animations, and maps. The store offers items related to nuclear issues such as DVDs, books, and magazines for purchase or subscription. News links and a This Month in Atomic History section are featured on the home page.

http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/ “Radiation Protection” United States Environmental Protection Agency - This is the Radiation Protection section of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the United States website, which informs citizens of the harmful effects of radiation to people and to the environment and details ways to avoid exposure to radiation.


Fallout/Downwind Books

Justice Downwind: America's Atomic Testing Program in the 1950s book by Ball, Howard (less than $10 on Amazon and definitely worth it) - This book was among the first scholarly studies to examine the ways “downwinders” in Utah were affected by fallout from atmospheric atomic tests in Nevada in the 1950s and their early efforts to gain radiation exposure compensation from the U. S. government. Introductory chapters summarize the development of the atomic bomb and the creation of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the agency that created and operated the Nevada Test Site. Subsequent chapters describe the downwinder communities in southern Utah, their reactions to the above-ground atomic tests, and the health consequences that began to gain national attention in the late 1970s. The author presents medical research on cancer, especially leukemia, in the test site region, and explores legal action by the downwinders, especially Allen v. United States, to win compensatory damages from the federal government. The author’s study period ends in the mid-1980s, well before the U. S. Congress passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to provide money payments to people who suffered cancers linked to the atmospheric tests in Nevada.


Atomic Soldiers: American Victims of Nuclear Experiments book by Howard L Rosenberg. This book describes how the United States military used its own personnel to test the psychological impact of atomic blasts. It also examines the effects of nuclear testing on people who lived close to the Nevada Test Site. In particular, the author, a journalist, uses the story of Russell Jack Dann as an example of what he indicates thousands of United States servicemen endured. He follows the story from the time Dann was recruited to be present at a nuclear blast through his testimony to Congress in 1978 about his experiences. The author sets the context for Dann’s story with background information about the decisions being made at the highest levels of government. The author relies on declassified Pentagon reports and extensive interviews with survivors for his source material, giving the book great authenticity. The majority of the content reflects personal experiences, not scientific information, for which other references should be consulted. (Used on Amazon for <$10.)


The U.S. Atlas of Nuclear Fallout: 1951-1962 Volume I. Total Fallout by Miller, Richard L. This book is a comprehensive study of nuclear fallout in the United States based on published U.S. government documents released in the late 1990s. The fallout from every above-ground test conducted in Nevada is examined in detail, with illustrative maps. The book shows the 80 counties with the highest fallout from each individual test and the fallout for every county in the continental U.S. for each test series. The author also examines the concentrations of different types of radionuclide fallout across the U.S. The book concludes with statistical analyses of the relationships of nuclear fallout, including specific radionuclides, and cancers in the population. Strong relationships were found between fallout distribution and a variety of cancers, particularly female colon cancers and lymphosarcomas. These data were used in research such as the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) study of thyroid cancer. The book is supported by hundreds of pages of maps and tables. This is the abridged general reader edition... look for it at a University library near you, it's way too pricey to own but is a great resource if you're curious about the geographical spread of the fallout.

Edit: clarifying- I wrote all these summaries, they are not just copied and pasted from someone else ;)

I'm an EMT-B and WFR trained my WMI of NOLS. Though spendy, the course taught me everything I needed to know to pass my National Registry test. I work as a Professional Ski Patroller, and the emphasis on remoteness, self-sufficiency, and improvisation have proven the most useful in my professional setting and my off the clock backcountry excursions. Though I doubt I'll ever have to improvise a traction splint at work, the great emphasis on doing lots with little has helped me greatly in the field when patients present atypically, or when backup is a long way distant.

Another great aspect of the WMI program, is the length. It's 28 days of EMS, with not much else. Unlike taking your EMT through the local community college, I was surrounded by raft guides, skiers, and climbers, rather than meathead wannabe firefighters. (WFR only courses are cheaper, run about a week, and are often offered by WMI/WMA through large state universities such as the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the University of Washington, to name two).

I've also taken a Wilderness First Aid class, but it offered little more than what I learned in the First Aid Merit Badge as a boy. I highly recommend the WFR class, at a minimum. The curriculum covers much of what can go wrong in the backcountry, with an emphasis on patient care with only what climbers, skiers, and expedition hikers routinely carry. I greatly enjoyed my WMI of NOLS course, though friends work for WMA and SOLO and the syllabi and emphasis are pretty much the same throughout.

To work professionally, or for many SAR teams, you'll likely need an EMT-B (EMT-1 in some states) or be a registered first responder. Some great armchair resources include Paul Auerbach's Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine and the NOLS Wilderness Medicine: 4th Edition .

Autogenerated.

I am Jason Hanson, former CIA officer, security specialist, and expert on safety and survival. AMA!

Hello, Reddit! I’m Jason Hanson, a former CIA officer and founder of the Spy Escape and Evasion school. I use the safety and survival tactics I learned on the job to help civilians protect themselves and their families and covered some of them in my New York Times bestselling book, Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life.

My new book, Survive Like a Spy, goes deeper into the world of espionage with stories from real CIA operatives engaged in life-threatening missions around the world, and will show you how to use these spy techniques in situations like a kidnapping or a natural disaster.

So, whether you have questions about conducting the perfect surveillance detection route or about whether that episode of The Americans or Homeland is remotely close to what being a spy is actually like, I am here for it. AMA!

Proof


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You are correct, it was more survival, now that you mention it. It was around for a while and I remember it was green, the pages were waterproof and ripproof. I never read that much, but I did learn how to capture moisture for drinking water. That's about all I recalled.

Thanks for the book suggestion. Amazon had the 3rd edition of the Wilderness First Responder. I previously grabbed a Boy Scout manual as suggested in another thread, for the basics. Camping, even for 2 weeks, was fine. It when things go wrong that you want to know what to do to stay alive or keep others alive.

Note to the wilderness noobs: After a long day of hiking in the mountains, the cool inviting pool of water that you take your clothes off and dive into, is not, repeat, is not remotely warm. I'm not saying I did that.. <whistles>

I joke with friends about the new pecking order should there be some mega-disaster and we kind of 'start over', how my skills in making beer, wine and spirits will have me high on the totem pole.

Thanks again for the AMA and for your responses!

> But, I'm already realizing that security is something of an illusion.

Yes, it is. I call the illusion part, soft security. The converse is hard security, which are physical and/or electronic barriers, or even dogs. There is a $3 book for the kindle, called Kick Ass Home Security which you might also check out. It's cheap, but I think it's pretty good if you're trying to come up with security ideas. There is a lot of stuff in there I hadn't thought about. Ultimately, the best security is going to be a mixture of hard and soft security techniques.

What I find interesting is that in the US the submarine service is very tight lipped, but in Russia (especially post Soviet Union) they're much more open about it. I have extended family who are/were in the US Navy and other military branches, including a cousin who was the intelligence officer for an aircraft carrier group, and his son is currently deployed on a sub somewhere. None of my family members talk very much about their service. Those that do pretty much only talk about things that happened 50+ years ago.

I remember when the book Blind Mans Bluff came out, which explored the history of the US submarine service, and went into detail about a number of missions pulled off by them from the 50's up through the late 80's. It detailed how US subs were venturing into Soviet territories on a regular basis to tap undersea telephone cables on a regular basis, etc. When my dad asked a friend who was a former sub commander about the book his response was "Heads should roll for what was discussed in that book".

On the other hand, my understanding is that the authors of books like Hostile Waters, which documents a near meltdown of a reactor in a Soviet submarine, had very little problem meeting with and talking to some of the surviving crew members of that submarine.

My husband was sort of opposite, but I think it helped having a to-the-point guide for him to read. He took charge of it after reading (more skimming) through this book about how to care for your child's health. There was a section about the importance of sleep for babies, along with an overview of a few sleep training techniques. He picked timed checks, and just went for it. It was harder on me, but he sort of held my hand and we got through it together.

It was this book: Taking Care of Your Child: A Parent’s Illustrated Guide to Complete Medical Care https://www.amazon.com/dp/0738213497/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ceMSDbXDT64P6

SAS Survival Handbook

Wilderness Medicine

Where There Is No Doctor

First Aid For Dogs

These are the ones I have. The SAS Survival guide is great for general survival know-how. Wilderness Medicine and Where There Is No Doctor are both great resources on field medicine and first aid. I got First Aid For Dogs because I probably wouldn't go anywhere without my dog and I want to be able to take care of him like he's part of the family.

If you buy all these off Amazon, then they will give you many more suggestions on good resource books. These are just the ones I keep ready and good overviews of many different scenarios.

So....while the author's parents were still functional, what plans did they make for disability? Yeah, I know. I got kids! Then one kid dies, and the doctor says "You won't live long without a triple bypass!" and that'll be another $30,000 that you don't have for four years of miserable quality life...or maybe no extra life at all!" And daddy/mommy of no-money and no-plan thinks "It's ok! I'll burden the other kid!"

I know exactly one elderly parent who planned for their own age and disability. ALL the others are doing the worst possible things: begging the children not to put them in one of "those places," squatting on the aging, unmaintained Mommy house, because they just couldn't possibly not have the littles over at Christmas!, avoiding conversations about age and disability, and natch! ALWAYS getting all possible medical care to keep them alive...and alive...and alive...

And then the kids...whoever are left...end up resenting them. Who'da thunk?

This woman's parents were paragons of The No-Plannie-Parent. Did they ever talk to their kid about disability and aging? Never, which is why she couldn't imagine it. Did they maintain good health? Not if their photos are any indication! Did the death of their son inspire any re-thinking of "burden our kids" as a plan? Not a bit of it! Did they manage their money wisely, becoming more frugal as they aged? They could hardly have done worse. A reverse mortgage lets you spend while you stay in the Mommy house! It's a dream! Except when you move out, and you have to sell, and the whole amount comes due. Stupid and self-indulgent, but that's the kind of people the writer describes: "jet setters" who don't have any money in their old age.

We, the CF will end up better off than the childed elderly as we age, because we have plans. We're frugal, so that we have cheap habits and lots of money. We're not greedy for the Eight! Percent! Per year! That the stock market actually does not deliver. We expect to need care in our age, and we have no expectation that we can squat on a giant, high-maintenance Mommy house at 80 because the universe owes us family Christmases. We deal with professional money managers and lawyers, not with our kids who, at best, don't know what they're doing. We anticipate disability and make decisions about refusing life-extending care.

/u/WeetzieBat2020 thank you for the book recommendation, and let me add Less Medicine More Health by the physician who pioneered evidence-based medicine studies at Dartmouth. A great book for end-of-life planning.

I'd say if it is in the genre, and you like the story, there is something to be gleaned from any of them. I'm almost through with the Calm Act series. While not heavy on the prepper angle it did make me think a little bit more about my gardening that I've been neglecting and what an assett it can be. It's not your standard prepper book. None of the: "He pushed another of the M855 55 grain full metal jacket rounds with their steel penetrator into the 30 round PMAG with window making sure to leave it filled to 28 rounds so as not to bind the spring when he slid it into the 18 inch barrelled Bushmaster DM with Leopold 3-9 variable zoom scope attached."

Some are books are hardcore knowledge pushers like Rawles' Patriots others are more seed planting, but if you are looking for it there's something to learn in them all. So what if the protagonist has whizz bang night vision scopes? Think about YOUR preps in that situation and how YOU could address the situation. Maybe you need that, maybe you don't but the situation the auther came up with is worth considering from multiple angles.

That's my take. A disaster/survival/prepper book is just a window into scenarios that the author came up with and the solutions they used. Maybe you like what they did or not, but the situation may prompt you to consider working on a new skill or playing out the scenario yourself.

PS I like the [Complete Book of Survival by Stahlberg] (https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Survival-revolution-Hurricains/dp/1569801207) because it gives a bunch of interesting broad situational based scenarios, with historical examples and context, precursors, leading particulars and the author's perspective on how to address them.

I hope I'm not intruding with this comment, but I would like to suggest the following. These breech safety issues and handling, great reference and general knowledge on calibers and types of firearms, considerations of using a firearm for defense of person, and the political spectrum of defense of your rights. Your local library should have access to most of these, if not all.


https://www.amazon.com/NRA-Step-Step-Guide-Safety/dp/1510714057/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=gun+safety+books&qid=1565731130&s=gateway&sr=8-3


https://www.amazon.com/Shooters-Bible-Guide-Cartridges-Woodard/dp/1616082224/ref=sr_1_11_sspa?keywords=gun+safety+books&qid=1565731182&s=gateway&sr=8-11-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzSEtXQzU1MEVFTVdIJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDU0OTI1MVhMRzU0OFhHU1ZUTCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUExMDExMTk4Mjk4NTBaQjU0NUhYMyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX210ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=


https://www.amazon.com/Straight-Talk-Armed-Defense-Experts/dp/1440247544/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ER5SYVCWNABB&keywords=massad+ayoob+straight+talk&qid=1565731210&s=gateway&sprefix=Massad+A%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-1


https://www.amazon.com/More-Guns-Less-Crime-Understanding/dp/0226493660/ref=sr_1_2?crid=41NV0B82VUEQ&keywords=more+guns%2C+less+crime&qid=1565731229&s=gateway&sprefix=more+guns%2C+less%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-2

Fierce_Fox is right. FM manuals such as FM-217-76 Survival.....may be somewhat outdated but the information is reliable.
As a Medic/EMT my prepping focuses on my skill set with everything else falling close in line. I have a lot of information in digital format; both on USB and a small external drive. I have a small tablet that is in my BoB for reading documents and such.
At a minimum, here are my suggestions:
FM 21-76 Survival - Department of the Army
https://archive.org/details/military-manuals
SAS Survival Guide - https://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Guide-Collins-Gem/dp/0061992860/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496552&sr=8-1&keywords=sas+survival+guide
The Pocket Prepper's Guide - Bernie Car
https://www.amazon.com/Preppers-Pocket-Guide-Things-Disaster/dp/1569759294/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496827&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=The+Pocket+Prepper%27s+Guide+-+Bernie+Car
The Complete Disaster Home Preparation Guide - Robert Roskind
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Disaster-Home-Preparation-Guide/dp/0130859001/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496881&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Complete+Disaster+Home+Preparation+Guide+-+Robert+Roskind
How To Survive the End of the World As We Know It-James Wesley,Rawles
https://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-End-World-Know/dp/0452295831/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496952&sr=8-1&keywords=How+To+Survive+the+End+of+the+World+As+We+Know+It-James+Wesley%2CRawles
Bug Out - Scott B. Williams
https://www.amazon.com/Bug-Out-Complete-Escaping-Catastrophic/dp/156975781X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483496991&sr=8-1&keywords=Bug+Out+-+Scott+B.+Williams
When There Is No Doctor - Gerard S. Doyle, MD -
https://www.amazon.com/When-There-Doctor-Challenging-Self-reliance/dp/1934170119/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1483497054&sr=8-2&keywords=When+There+Is+No+Doctor
The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide - Joseph Alton, MD & Amy Alton, ARNP - https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Survival-Medicine-Guide-Preparedness/dp/1629147702/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483497109&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=The+Ultimate+Survival+Medicine+Guide+-+Joseph+Alton%2C+MD+%26+Amy+Alton%2C+ARNP
Last, but not least, The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks
https://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Survival-Guide-Complete-Protection/dp/1400049628/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483497158&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Zombie+Survival+Guide+-+Max+Brooks
The last one is more humor but it does have many great points and ideas.
A library that covered everything would be very heavy and take up a bit of space. For the minimum, at least 1-2 books on everything one will need to survive will still be a lot. These books should be read, reread, and read again. We can't memorize everything, but having this to go back on when needed is a great addition. There's tons of information online and downloadable for free.
Depending on one's skill set, then they may not need as much. Teach others in a group is a must. Can't have one person be the ONLY one who can do 'this' skill. IMO, research should always be the first step. So much information out there and it's free.

Would definitely recommend the books on edible plants, also gives medical benefits and cautions for eating too much of a single type of plant.

Also recommended The Survival Doctor's Complete Handbook: What to Do When Help is NOT on the Way https://www.amazon.com/dp/1621453057/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_qcYNBbEYT481E

Alot of good info, still reading it, plan to keep reading it over and over while taking care of business.

/u/permienz had a good suggestion when it comes to getting to know your neighbors. The more you integrate yourself with the neighborhood/town the better off you are going to be.

An interesting book on the subject is Prepping for a Suburban or Rural Community. Unlike most books on prepping this book talks about a strategy to set up an area civil defense force, starting as a 501c3 non-profit organization. If you've got the brass ones to start talking about something like that and get everyone on board (I don't, at least yet), there are few better options for building a resilient community.

It sounds like you might be on a path similar to this, so the book might give you the next idea to really kick things off.

I'd rather not, but if you insist...

edit-added link, great book if you don't know how.

This book might be of help for the second scenario.

FYI: https://www.amazon.com/How-Shit-Woods-3rd-Environmentally-ebook/dp/B004OR1KWC

> WFR textbook

Do you mean this book?

The sub sunk in the Atlantic at depth of 6000 meters. Wikipedia quotes this book: https://www.amazon.com/Hostile-Waters-Peter-Huchthuasen/dp/0312966121 which says that when two years after it sunk the Soviets went looking at the wreck, they found some missile tubes open and the missiles gone. If true and the Russians didn't do it, then the US did. But most of the missiles and the two reactors are still at the bottom of the ocean.

If you had read "How to Shit in the Woods" you would have known better.

How to Shit in the Woods