Best survival and prepper books

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Details for each book are further down the page. most links open an amazon listing, which requires us to say that on every line (sorry).

if you only buy a few:

You are reading: Best books for preppers

sas survival manual (amazon)
the complete survival medic manual (amazon)
when all hell breaks loose (amazon)
the self-sufficient life and how to live it (amazon)
just in case (amazon)

doctor:

the handbook of survival medicine (amazon)
where there is no doctor (amazon)
where there is no dentist (amazon)
A Book for Midwives: Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Women’s Health Care (Amazon)
The Modern Herb Dispensary (Amazon)
The Complete Medicinal Herb: A Practical Guide of the healing properties of herbs (amazon)
peterson’s field guide to medicinal plants & herbs for eastern/central usa uu. or the west (amazon)

outdoors and bushcraft:

98.6 degrees: the art of keeping your ass alive (amazon)
bushcraft 101 (amazon)
primitive life in the wild & survival skills (amazon)
shelters, shacks and shacks (amazon)

basic home repair and construction:

black and decker the complete photo guide to home repair (amazon)
renovation, 5th edition (amazon)
how your house works: a guide Visual Guide to Understanding and Maintaining Your Home (Amazon)
The Barefoot Architect (Amazon)
The New Illustrated Guide to Everything in Hardware Stores (Amazon)
the woodwright’s store: a practical guide to traditional woodcraft (amazon)

homesteading and self-sufficient living:

the self-sufficient life and how to live it (amazon)
the encyclopedia of country living, 40th anniversary edition (amazon)
foxfire series (amazon)
escape the city volumes one & two (amazon)
the resilient farm and farm (amazon)
mending by hand is easy: save time and money by repairing your own clothes (amazon)
new complete sewing guide: step-by-step techniques for making clothing and home accessories (amazon)

foraging:

Garden Food Gathering: 65 Familiar Plants You Didn’t Know You Could Eat (Amazon)
Wild Edible Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods (Amazon)
The Gatherer’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Wild Food Plants (Amazon)

growing food:

how to grow more vegetables (and other crops) than you ever thought possible on less land and with less water than you could imagine (9th ed.) (amazon)
all new square foot gardening (amazon)
four season harvesting (amazon)
gaia’s garden: a home-scale permaculture guide (amazon)
paradise lot: two plant geeks, a tenth of an acre, and the creation of an edible garden oasis in the city (amazon)
the holistic garden: biologically shaped fruit trees and berries ( amazon)
perennial greens: from artichoke to zuiki taro, a gardener’s guide to over 100 delicious easy-to-grow edibles (amazon)

food preservation:

preserve everything: canning, growing, pickling, freezing, fermenting, dehydrating, salting, smoking and storing fruits, vegetables, meat, milk and more (amazon)
ball complete book of canning homemade (amazon)
root storage: natural cold storage of fruits & amp; vegetables (Amazon)
wild fermentation (Amazon)

hunting, fishing and capturing:

Basic Fishing: A Beginner’s Guide (Amazon)
Basic Livestock Butchering & game: beef, veal, pork, lamb, poultry, rabbit, venison (amazon)
the complete guide to hunting, slaughtering, and cooking wild game — volume 1: big game and volume 2: small game and fowl (amazon)
the trapper’s bible: the most complete guide on traps and hunting tips (amazon)

vehicles, firearms, radios and other equipment:

The Total Handbook of Guns (Field & Stream): 335 Essential Shooting Skills (Amazon)
Ham Radios for Dummies (Amazon)
Small Engines and Power outdoor equipment (amazon)
auto repair for dummies (2nd ed.) (amazon)
chilton or haynes vehicle specific manuals (amazon)

self defense:

Street Survival Fighters (Amazon)
100 Deadly Skills: The Seal Agent’s Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation (Amazon)
Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected (Amazon)
When Violence Is the Answer: Learning to Do What’s Necessary When Your Life Is on the Line (Amazon)
the gift of fear and other survival signs that protect us from violence (amazon)
surviving the unthinkable: a total guide to self-protection for women (amazon)
bang left: how the marine corps’ combat hunter program can save your life (amazon)

non-fiction or specific disasters:

A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Rise in Disaster (Amazon)
Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why (Amazon)
bunker (amazon)
emergency: this book will save your life (amazon)
lights out: a cyberattack, an unsuspecting nation, surviving the aftermath (amazon)
Severe Space Weather Events: A Workshop Report
Nuclear Warfare Survival Skills: Life-Saving Nuclear Facts and Self-Help Instructions (Amazon)

fiction:

one second later (amazon)
emerson victory series: crimson phoenix and blue fire (amazon)
survival series: going home (amazon)
the jakarta pandemic (amazon)
the parable of the sower (amazon)
the hammer of lucifer (amazon)
under a telltale sky (amazon)
box nine (amazon)
sunfall (amazon)
the maddaddam trilogy (amazon)

children and young adults:

axe (amazon)
s is for s’mores: an alphabet for camping (amazon)
seed to plant (amazon)
we are the gardeners (amazon)
easy: gardening for kids (amazon)
child survivor: a practical guide to surviving in the wild (amazon)
the practical guide to knots: how to identify, tie and untie over 80 essential knots for outdoor activities (amazon)
the little black book of violence: what every young person needs to know about fighting ( amazon)

how books make this list

There’s no way to make a perfect list, and curators can’t read everything themselves, so we rely on community input to keep this list amazing.

Participate! here is the official discussion thread: what would you add or remove?

criteria:

prefer authors with a high level of authority or reputation.
avoid books with inappropriate levels of politics and other culture war rubbish.
favor books with professional readability . that generally disqualifies self-published amateurish work, sloppy ebooks, etc.
no advice is perfect (ours included), but we avoid books with clearly incorrect information, debunked survival myths, or advice that just isn’t are. t practical for most people.

curators:

c. Pallas is a long-time prepper, a former registered EMT and outdoor instructor, and a professor of conflict management at a US university (where he professionally reviews literature). She lived off the grid for two years in West Africa, was on the ground during a military coup.
Sarah Avery has a Ph.D. in English literature, has decades of teaching experience, and is an award-winning fiction author. she began preparing after hurricane sandy hit new jersey.
john ramey is the founder of prepared. he has written related topics read by more than 10 million people.
josh centers, a contributing writer to the preparation who has read more than 200 books between these topics.

if you only buy a few

If you just want to have a few books on hand in case something happens later, or if you’re starting your preparation journey from scratch, these are the essentials.

the complete survival doctor’s handbook by dr. james hubbard, family doctor with more than 30 years of experience. This book works its way through the major systems and organs (skin, bones, heart, etc.) and addresses common problems with each. it is readable enough to serve as a manual, not just a reference.

When all hell breaks loose by cody lundin, a respected teacher in the prep community (and tp contributor). This book emphasizes improvisation using multipurpose household items and equipment, perfect for extended shelter-in-place. the book includes a discussion of crisis psychology before moving on to detailed chapters on water, food, sanitation, etc.

sas survival manual, 3rd edition by john wiseman, former british sas petty officer turned professional survival instructor. This book fits well in an overnight bag and offers comprehensive coverage of what to do when he’s away from home. there are multiple versions that come in different physical sizes, and the labeling isn’t always clear, but you want the smallest.

the self-sufficient life and how to live it by john seymour. This classic book on family farming by a leading self-sufficiency teacher will introduce you to a host of topics of interest to preppers, including gardening, food preservation, brewing, crafts, and livestock management. It can serve as a shelf reference in an emergency and as inspiration for choosing topics to explore further.

just in case by kathy harrison. one of the best general introductions we have come across in book form. it is written in a candid, first-person style that many readers will find very accessible. it’s especially helpful for families and a good option for people you care about who haven’t started preparing yet.

medical books

Even doctors and paramedics refer to medical books on a daily basis. check out the prepared’s austere first aid online video course as a great way to learn in combination with off the shelf reference books.

the survival medicine handbook, by dr. Joseph Alton and Amy Alton. Written by a husband/wife and doctor/nurse duo, this 700-page volume guides laymen on how to help if there is no way to communicate with medical professionals or a modern medical environment.

Where There Is No Physician: A Handbook of Village Health Care, Revised Edition. Written by clinicians with practical field experience in 50 countries, this book is ideal for emergencies because it assumes the lack of modern medical resources.

where there is no dentist. Written by experienced community health workers, this book is intended for those working in developing countries where professional dentists may not be available. it is practical and illustrated, and it is written in a language accessible to non-professionals.

A Book for Midwives: Caring for Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Women’s Health by Susan Klein, Suellen Miller, and Fiona Thomson. Written by three midwives, one of whom is an associate professor at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, this book provides clinical guidance for those without formal medical education.

The Modern Herb Dispensary: A Guide to Medicine Making by Thomas Easley and Steven Horne, a clinical herbalist and former president of the American Herbalists Guild. This beautifully photographed and clearly organized book offers extensive instructions on how to prepare herbs for medicinal use.

peterson’s field guide to medicinal plants & herbs. Peterson’s Field Guides are the gold standard in plant identification. There are two books: one for the eastern and central United States and one for the western United States (both regions apply to Canada as well). features thoughtful color coding, so you can quickly find the purple plant (or whatever) you’re looking at and see its medicinal properties.

The Complete Medicinal Herbarium: A Practical Guide to the Healing Properties of Herbs. Although there is a 2017 edition, the images from the 1993 edition are far superior, so we recommend the additional cost to pick up that out-of-print edition. good for laymen because it includes great pictures, details on specific parts of the plant, and tips on preparation. one main section is organized by plant, another by disease.

nature and bushcraft books

Much of the theory of preparation is divided between when you are at home and when you are away from home. these books are relevant to managing emergencies outside your home, covering topics such as foraging and building shelters.

98.6 degrees: the art of keeping your butt alive by cory lundin. Written by a well-known survival instructor, this short book does an excellent job of teaching the underlying fundamentals of survival. Like Cody’s other recommended book, When All Hell Breaks Loose, it’s full of eye-catching illustrations to help explain the key points.

bushcraft 101 by dave canterbury, another well-known survival instructor who teaches how to select gear, take care of blades, tie essential knots, start fires, and build shelters and tools from what you find in the woods . is the first in an excellent series that includes advanced bushcraft and bushcraft first aid.

primitive wildlife & survival skills by john and geri mcpherson. Bushcraft 101 will take you to the backcountry, but in this book, the McPhersons get to the nitty-gritty of making bows, slaughtering game, tanning hides, lighting fires with bow drills, making primitive pottery, and building huts. he is a very technical guide to living as a caveman.

shelters, shacks and shacks. also available for free. an early 1900’s classic showing the various ways people built shelters before modern building materials.

home repair and basic construction

Basic repair and construction skills can be essential when professional services are not available or affordable. at an advanced level, they can also allow you to undertake projects yourself.

black and decker the complete photo guide to home repair offers very clear step-by-step instructions for numerous home repair tasks. the instructions are detailed enough for you to accomplish the task at hand, yet simple enough to avoid confusion. perfect for people with limited home repair experience, but useful for those with some experience.

Renovation (5th Edition) is more advanced and comprehensive than the Black and Decker volume. but the photo illustrations aren’t as clear, and the book includes details that can be distracting to beginners, like working with outdated wiring in older houses.

how your house works: a visual guide to understand and maintain your home by charlie wing. a fantastic guide that uses detailed illustrations to explain how specific fixtures and entire systems in your home work, demystifying the repair process. Although not designed as an instruction book, this volume also suggests simple solutions to common problems.

the barefoot architect by johan van lengen. Written by a professional architect with experience in developing countries, this book guides you step-by-step through the process of building a basic home.

the new illustrated guide to everything that is sold in hardware stores. an interesting way to learn about modern pieces and techniques. it also suggests other pieces you might need when working on a project, along with detailed images of how it all fits together.

The Carpenter’s Shop: A Practical Guide to Traditional Woodwork by Roy Underhill. “How to start with a tree and an ax and do one thing after another until you have a house and everything in it.” For decades, Underhill has taught traditional woodworking offline at his carpenter’s shop. he learns to make chairs, hay forks, dough bowls, and even an entire house.

housing and self-sufficient living books

books on the general idea of living more sustainably and independently. books about specific foods are in their own category.

The Encyclopedia of Country Life, 40th Anniversary Edition is a classic and beloved title that is still in print. works for beginners and as a reference for advanced settlers. it does not include more modern techniques such as solar. instead, it provides a lot of detail on non-tech topics, like the soil pH a pear tree needs.

foxfire series. This 12-volume series of Southern Appalachian rural lore originally began as an academic project to preserve historical knowledge of “Holk Hill.” includes farming, building, and crafts, as well as folk stories and music. often available in public libraries – many people end up trying the series and buying only the books/topics they like best, which is often #1 and whatever else they enjoy.

escape the city volumes one & two. here is tp’s review. After eight years of squatting in rural New Hampshire, the author wrote everything he knows about the squat in these two huge volumes that cover everything from chainsaw maintenance, to selecting a tractor, to welding, to building shelves, raising livestock, and even some recipes. a more technical companion to the encyclopedia of country life.

The Resilient Farm and Homestead explains how to design a landscape and home that is resilient to drought and climate change. our review.

mending by hand made easy: save time and money repairing your own clothes by nan l. ides a basic guide for beginners on how to mend your own clothes.

new complete sewing guide: step-by-step techniques for making clothes and accessories for the home from reader’s digest. once you’re ready to go beyond the basics, this is one of the top sewing reference books out there. has a whole section on how to adjust and modify a pattern.

search books

garden food gathering: 65 familiar plants you didn’t know you could eat. Written by a professional foraging instructor, this is the best book we’ve found on foraging in urban and suburban North American settings. some plants are wild, but most are common in man-made environments.

Wild Edible Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods is the best field guide we’ve found for finding food in the wilds of North America. Organized around the season of available plants, it’s meant for “need to eat now” rather than a hobby.

The Gatherer’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Gathering, and Preparing Wild Edible Plants is another well-reviewed option that has many color photos of over 30 foods found in the us. uu. and Canada.

growing food

Gardening books tend to be more about the classic idea of growing food from seeds planted each year. permaculture books are more about creating a “food forest” that doesn’t need to be replanted every year.

how to grow more vegetables (and fruits, nuts, berries, grains, and other crops) than you ever thought possible on less land and with less water than you can imagine, 9th edition by john jeavons , the director of ecological action. based on extensive field testing at the organization’s test sites. we chose it because it teaches important topics like composting, crop rotation, and seed storage, as well as providing an encyclopedic reference for things like plant spacing and plant yield. their techniques are based exclusively on manual tools.

new square foot gardening by mel bartholomew, a hobby gardener who pioneered a new approach to gardening made popular through television shows on pbs and elsewhere. sfg is a very simple way to get started in gardening, with clear instructions and easy steps. note that it relies on framed wooden boxes and a special mix of soils that makes it a bit resource-intensive and possibly too expensive for large-scale cultivation.

four season harvest by a professional organic farmer who grows vegetables year-round in maine. explains how to grow food year-round using unheated greenhouses and other techniques.

Gaia’s Garden: A Home Scale Guide to Permaculture by Toby Hemenway, Permaculture Design Instructor, Adjunct Professor at Portland State University, and Resident Scholar at Pacific University. Reflecting over a decade of personal experimentation, this book covers permaculture principles and their practical application in an extremely engaging way.

Paradise Lot: Two Plant Fanatics, One Tenth of an Acre, and the Making of an Edible Garden Oasis in the City by eric toensmeier and jonathan bates. Toensmeier is a leading temperate permaculture expert and Bates runs a permaculture nursery and consulting business. he covers his development of a sprawling permaculture plot in his urban backyard, giving you insight into both the effort it takes and the success.

The Holistic Garden: Fruits and Berries from Trees the Biological Way by a farmer and garden consultant. This highly regarded book, published by Chelsea Green, offers detailed advice on growing and maintaining fruit trees, bushes, and shrubs.

Perennial Vegetables: From Artichokes to Zuiki Taro, A Gardener’s Guide to Over 100 Delicious, Easy-to-Grow Edibles. Based on the author’s extensive research, this book will help you identify which perennials will grow well in your particular climate and niche conditions (eg, moist, sunny, or shady) in your garden.

food preservation

preserve everything: canning, growing, pickling, freezing, fermenting, dehydrating, salting, smoking and storing fruits, vegetables, meat, milk and more. Written by an author and professor of food preservation, this book covers the full range of preservation options, from canning to pickling to cold storage. clearly presented with beautiful images. great for reference.

Complete book of home conservation balls. good for basics. Published by the maker of the popular canning jars, this book serves as a starting point for home canning. note that despite the title, the focus is primarily on canning.

root storage: natural cold storage of fruits & vegetables. Written by a husband and wife team based on their personal experience, this book has been published for 40 years. includes advice on which crops to plant and when to plant them for optimal winter storage, as well as storage techniques.

wild fermentation. Fermentation is a low-energy, high-nutritional food preservation method, and Tennessee-based author Sandor Katz has been at the forefront of its revival. covers all aspects of fermentation, from making simple sauerkraut to beer, wine, and sourdough bread.

hunting, fishing or trapping books

Basic Fishing: A Beginner’s Guide was recommended by members of the tp community who are longtime anglers. Focuses primarily on freshwater fish in the United States and Canada. this field & stream is more popular, but it’s more of a collection of anecdotes than a proper guide.

basic cattle slaughter & Game: Beef, Veal, Pork, Lamb, Poultry, Rabbit, Venison is a well-reviewed classic that goes beyond butchering/dressing skills and into preservation.

The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Animals: Volume 1: Large Game and Volume 2: Small Game and Birds. Written by Steve Rinella, host of the popular carnivore show, along with hundreds of photographs by professional wildlife photographers. It also gets involved on the equipment side, like which scopes to buy for which distances/game.

The Trapper’s Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Hunting Tricks and Traps is the best seller in the category with thousands of positive reviews. we like that it’s organized by both the type of trap and the animal you’re trying to catch. many illustrations, although we would like them to be more detailed for learning.

books on vehicles, firearms, radios and other equipment

the total handbook of weapons (field and current): 335 essential shooting skills. the best book for those starting from scratch with firearms or who want to fill gaps in their knowledge. richly illustrated and photographed. the authors emphasize responsible gun ownership.

Amateurs for Dummies (2nd ed.). if the communications network goes down, ham radio is the only good way for civilians to keep in touch. but it has a high learning curve (more or less) unless you practice in daily life, so keep this reference handy.

Small Engines and Outdoor Power Equipment is good for beginners and people who already know how to check a spark plug. good illustrations and photos for a variety of small engines.

Auto Fix for Dummies (2nd ed.) is another book for beginners, but this time it focuses only on cars. Due to the wide variety of engineering from one model to another, this one focuses on more universal tasks, such as changing the oil or checking a timing belt.

chilton or haynes vehicle specific manuals cover the more advanced tasks unique to your car. Find the book that covers your vehicle and keep it handy for those scenarios where shtf but you need to roll through the wasteland mad max style.

self defense books

Self-defense is much more than learning to throw or block a punch. some of these books cover topics like situational awareness, de-escalation, and developing the mindset needed to fight back or manage emotions after doing it.

Street Survival Fighters by Kelly McCann, former Marine and founder of Crucible Training Center. focuses on simple and violent techniques.

100 Deadly Skills: The Seal Agent’s Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation. the most notable feature is that each ability is storyboarded to illustrate when and how to use it. For example, the sections on how to remove your hands from handcuffs, cable ties, and duct tape would be of interest to anyone concerned about home invasions.

coping with violence: preparing for the unexpected. Written by a former prison tactical team leader, this book covers the most common causes of violence and how to recognize them. can equip you to identify and respond to predators and prevent violence between and within groups.

When violence is the answer: learn to do what it takes when your life is at stake. “Violence is rarely the answer,” the author begins, “but when it is, it is the only answer.” Much of the book covers tactics and techniques to use when dealing with antisocial violence. a unique feature is the focus on the ingrained psychological, emotional and social patterns in us that make us hesitate to use violence.

the gift of fear and other signs of survival that protect us from violence written by the person in charge of a personal protection agency. This bestselling book focuses on teaching you how to predict danger and violence.

Survive the Unthinkable: A Total Guide to Women’s Self Protection by a professional self-defense instructor. aimed at women and focuses primarily on developing the proper mindset for self-defense.

Left From The Blast: How The Marine Corps Combat Hunter Program Can Save Your Life. emphasizes maintaining situational awareness and identifying threats in high-risk environments.

non-fiction & disaster-specific books

these are interesting books that don’t fit into the other “how to” categories. these books detail the characteristics of possible disasters, describe human behavior under extreme stress, or simply describe what preparation can look like.

A Paradise Built in Hell: The Remarkable Communities Emerging in Disaster by rebecca solnit, renowned essayist and non-fiction author. She weaves together what she’s learned from interviewing disaster survivors with historical and sociological research to explain how communities respond to disaster (and often thrive).

Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies and Why explores the strange and counterintuitive things the human mind does in emergency situations. some can save you, some can get you killed. based on research with fascinating case studies.

bunker by community member tp dr. bradley garrett here is the book review and interview. he visits different places around the world building communities or hardened havens, eventually changing his own life to join the movement.

Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life by neil strauss, famed bestselling author of The Game, is an entertaining and politically neutral book that is excellent for persuading others to consider preparedness. the author describes the preparation primarily in terms of learning new skills that fascinate him and increase his sense of agency. a useful antidote to the stereotype of guns and canned goods.

Lights out: a cyberattack, an unprepared nation, surviving the aftermath by ted koppel. Written by a famous journalist, this well-researched book argues that the US power grid is surprisingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. Koppel immerses himself in the human and technical aspects of the story and sees the prepper movement as a source of hope.

Severe Space Weather Events: Understanding Social and Economic Impacts: A Workshop Report. Published by the National Academies Press, this peer-reviewed report features a detailed discussion from leading researchers. can be downloaded for free.

Survival Skills in Nuclear War: Life-Saving Nuclear Facts and Self-Help Instructions by Cresson Kearny, Civil Defense Project Investigator at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. This book has been updated repeatedly since the 1970s, with the most recent in 2016. It focuses on the effects of nuclear weapons and ways to manage the consequences.

survival fiction books

In addition to being fun, it is possible to learn from the fictional stories, since you can immerse yourself in the scenario and think about what you would or would not do. for that reason, we have focused on books that present realistic scenarios and best practice responses. we also prioritize short-term emergencies over far-future depictions of a post-apocalyptic landscape.

Watch the best movies and TV shows to have fun in the same way 🙂

one second later is a well-researched book by william r. forstchen about a massive emp strike against the united states, told from the perspective of a small town leader in north carolina. features refugees, gangs, and a political struggle between the leaders of a rural town and the city government in nearby Asheville. The first in a trilogy, it’s well-written, entertaining, and a New York Times bestseller. some readers may not like the included foreword by newt gingrich.

victoria emerson series: crimson phoenix (part 1) and blue fire (part 2). well reviewed by one of tp’s top book reviewers. it focuses on group dynamics and other more practical emergency topics than the typical team and fight. totally apolitical and without silly stereotypes. follows a west virginia congresswoman and her two children as they are taken by the military to a secret government bunker before war breaks out in the middle east, which will later result in nuclear attacks on the united states continental.

the survival series: coming home. The first in a multi-book series, written by a contestant on Season 1 of the popular solo show and a long-time coach. Similar to One Second Later, the story follows a man who is trapped away from home when the national power grid goes out. some tp reviewers like this series, while others think it’s okay, but focuses too much on “team porn” and the common but false concepts of “teams solve everything”.

The Jakarta Pandemic, the first in a series of five books, is about a deadly flu that takes place in the suburbs and focuses mainly on social dynamics. the author seems aware that, for the worst flu on record, the overall mortality rate of infected people was 20% or less. he writes a scenario in which society struggles under the weight of mass absenteeism and material scarcity, but does not completely collapse.

parable of the sower by octavia butler. a favorite among preppers looking for stories that aren’t about rural white men. This dystopian classic follows a black teenager trying to survive during an economic and environmental collapse after losing her family. As she navigates an environment destroyed by climate change, she becomes a prophet of a new religion called Seed of Earth.

the hammer of lucifer by larry niven and jerry pournelle. a classic novel in the genre, featuring struggling Californians after a meteor causes tidal waves, massive rains, and general social collapse. some readers may be put off by the novel’s conservative politics.

under a telltale sky by r.e. mcdermott is the first part of the disruptive trilogy. a well-researched novel showing the impacts of a coronal mass ejection. It focuses on the crew of a tanker truck docked in Wilmington, NC, but also locals in Texas and elsewhere. It features some conspiracy tropes, with rogue government elements using mercenaries to steal resources from citizens, but otherwise does a great job of emphasizing the role of cooperation, training, and planning.

box nine by franklin horton. Part of a four-volume series. depicts a college freshman’s attempt to return home to her family after coordinated terrorist attacks sparked social unrest and widespread network failure. the book focuses on the role of parents in helping their children prepare and has a strong female lead.

sun of d. gideon part of a trilogy. A racially diverse group of college students attempt to commute from their college to a rural town in Maryland. features strong female and black leads. the plot has some bad set-up ideas, but it’s solid overall.

The Maddaddam Trilogy follows Snowman, known as Jimmy before a corporate engineered plague makes him the last man on earth. different from most post-shtf stories.

children and young adults

a mix of fiction and non-fiction for children ages 5-6.

axe by gary paulsen. fiction. a beloved young adult classic from an award-winning author that is read by many 10- to 15-year-olds in school. equally popular with adults looking for an easy and enjoyable read. Ax follows thirteen-year-old Brian when his single-engine plane crashes in the Canadian wilderness. he struggles to survive, as all he has is a windbreaker jacket and a new axe.

s is for s’mores: a camping alphabet. This beautifully illustrated book is perfect for getting toddlers and preschoolers interested and excited about time outdoors. also includes adult sidebars describing national parks and camping tips.

From Seed to Plant is a short volume for younger children that discusses the science of plant growth in a way that will help them understand what goes on in the garden.

we are the gardeners is another early elementary volume. reveals that gardening is a process of trial and error and learning through experience. a good book to encourage your children to learn by observing, looking for references and not being discouraged by mistakes.

easy peasy: gardening for kids is a beautifully illustrated book suitable for high school students ready to do their own gardening projects.

Kid Survivor: A Practical Guide to Wilderness Survival by Denise Long, who teaches child survival the professional way. Suitable for older children, this book clearly reflects the author’s expertise, covering basic skills in child-friendly language.

the practical guide to knots: how to identify, tie and untie more than 80 essential knots for outdoor activities. While there are plenty of “knots for kids” books out there, we like this one for its flat, spiral-bound design and clear illustrations.

the little black book of violence: what every young person needs to know about fighting. written by experienced martial artists. it emphasizes conflict avoidance, distinguishing between serious threats and mere provocations, and dealing with the aftermath of violence. may be appropriate for adolescents and young adults or the adults who advise them.

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Best survival and prepper books – The Prepared