Prepared: A Manual for Surviving Worst-Case Scenarios

The Introduction begins by asking what feelings the term “catastrophe” conjures up. Though “catastrophe” usually implies a cataclysmic, world-changing event, the reader is encouraged to think smaller and more specifically about their own situation. Examples of smaller catastrophes are provided, including mass shootings, home fires, hiking accidents, muggings, or localized environmental disasters, like chemical fires.

The essential elements of surviving said disasters are then outlined: A resilient mindset, thorough planning, situational awareness, and “good decision-making” constitute the first half of the “principles of modern preparedness” (2). The second half involves practical aspects, like what to carry on a daily basis, how to optimize a vehicle for survival, and how to do the same for a home. The seven principles, when combined, form a “matrix of preparedness” that allows individuals to survive and thrive in dangerous scenarios (3).

The author provides a personal anecdote involving his time as a Green Beret and CIA contractor in the Middle East. In Baghdad, Iraq, in 2006, the author was caught in a conflict related to the national elections in 2005. While pinned down on a rooftop taking fire from Shia sectarian insurgents, an F-16 Navy jet mistook the author’s squad for enemy combatants and began to initiate an attack on them.