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You may have heard of Neil Strauss before. He has helped write the biographies of such icons as Marilyn Manson, Jenna Jameson, Motley Crue, and Dave Navarro. Previous to this book, I had never read anything he has written. Admittedly, I was skeptical. I was going into this book thinking it was a comical look at the dangerous situations life throws at you and how to survive them.  I was only partially right.


Neil Strauss has written a memoir about his descent into the sometimes frightening world of survivalism. Spurred by the eye opening events of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina, Strauss decided he needed a plan for "when the shit hit the fan (WTSHTF)". Having been raised in a high rise building in Chicago, his survival skills were lacking to say the least. This wasn't going to stop Strauss. What begins as a conquest for a second citizenship and some nature survival training turns into a life changing journey. 


Initially, I was drawn to this book because I thought it would be a fun and easy read. The whole book definitely has a comedic feel to it. But somewhere along the line, the journey becomes less about making a joke out of the whole thing and more about the self fulfillment that comes along with being able to not only survive the most dangerous and dire of situations, but to also be able to help others WTSHTF. I found this book to be extremely inspiring. When I wasn't reading, I was usually daydreaming about how I would react to the scenarios posed within the pages. This book makes me want to push myself to the limits and know that I'm prepared. Which, I'm sure I'm not. Are you ready for WTSHTF?

Purchase "Emergency" Here