“Tom Brown’s Guide to City and Suburban Survival” is packed with the wisdom it takes to be a confident urban survivor. Brown’s vast background filled with experience in outdoor survival and tracking makes him the perfect author to broach the subject of city and suburban survival. Famed for his ability to track down not only missing people but also fugitives, he knows the importance of having an intimate knowledge of infrastructure, resources, and natural events. Brown is the author of 16 books dealing with nature, awareness and survival, tracking, and a series of field guides. He runs the Tom Brown Jr.’s Tracker School where people from a wide variety of backgrounds learn the special skills of trackers. Brown has taken his years of experience and brought them to the city dweller in this succinct yet powerful guide to preparedness and survival in the city.
This guide is appropriate for those just beginning to consider the factors involved in survival and self-sufficiency during and after a disaster and for those who are expert in the field of wilderness survival yet uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the city or suburban environment. Most people live comfortable lives, with little need to even briefly consider survival. But, this can change in an instant. Knowledge and preparation are essential to survival in all forms of modern crises. This book gives the reader the knowledge of a vast range of situations and resources that will lead to having a rational, calm approach to disaster, protecting yourself and your loved ones in times of stress.
The book begins with a chapter devoted to the development of a survival attitude. This all-important aspect of preparedness brings the reader to a state of mental and physical readiness for not only daily living but rational handling of crises. It encourages a lifestyle of preparedness and practice that makes awareness and routine alertness almost instinctual. The more the reader practices the skills in the book the more they become ingrained and will come entirely naturally when the disaster strikes. There won’t be time for confusion, no internet to consult for tips and advice; it must be internalized long before needed. Beyond just knowledge and skills, Brown stresses physical and mental good health. Eating right and well, managing stress, and being physically fit not only improves your daily life, it makes you less vulnerable to attack by muggers and others who pick their victims just as a predator picks its prey, looking for the weak and uncertain. In times of disaster, it is the strong, the prepared, the healthy, who have almost instantly met their own needs, who can then quickly go on to reach out to the community offering their knowledge and skills to help others survive. Wouldn’t we all be grateful to have someone like this nearby in an emergency?
Further chapters in the book detail emergency shelters and how to survive in frigid weather even outdoors. Brown uses his vast repertoire of knowledge and blends it with possible resources available within the urban environment for a creative look at how to find water, heat, and shelter. Don’t know how to start a fire without a handy lighter or match? Find out different ways to have this essential tool for warmth and cooking when there is no power for miles around. Something that other authors of similar books frequently neglect is a detailed rundown of how city and home water and electrical systems work. This can be lifesaving information in an emergency.
Other chapters cover the essentials of emergency food and how to protect yourself and family from crime. Weather predicting and understanding fill an entire chapter, as modern man has lost touch with the natural world. The final chapter covers every possible disaster situation that may occur in an urban environment including nuclear attack.
There is an extensive section in the appendix of the book on wild edible plants that are common in the suburban and urban environment. Each plant is accompanied by a detailed line drawing that makes identification easy. Seasonal uses, medicinal uses, and advice for preparing the plant as food are thorough and simple to follow. There is also an interesting section that deals with urban animal life. Each animal has a brief description and illustration of the tracks. Whether you just want to know your four-legged neighbors or need to track them for emergency food in a disaster, this section gets the reader acquainted with urban wildlife.
This book could just be the lifesaver you need. It is well worth having a copy to carry with you wherever you go.