Book Review -- When All Hell Breaks Loose

Book: When All Hell Breaks Loose--Stuff You Need to Survive When Disaster Strikes by Cody Lundin. (Amazon link). 450 pp., illustrated.

Overview: This book is about surviving post-disaster (i.e., it doesn't tell you what to do in the event of an earthquake or typhoon, but what to do afterward) for an extended period of time--one week to several months.

The book is divided into two basic parts: "Head candy"--dealing with the psychological and emotional aspects of survival, as well as some high level planning issues such as how much do you need for survival and for how long.

The second part, "Hand Candy" discusses the nuts and bolts of different survival skills and preparations. These include: shelter, water (storing, collecting and purifying), food, emergency sanitation, hygiene, lighting, cooking, first-aid, "sensible" self defense, communications, transportation, and whether to stay in place or evacuate.

Impression: I think this is the best and most important survival book that I own. As I had discussed in an earlier review, "survival" books often fall into different categories, ranging from pure wilderness or outdoor survival to what to do after the collapse of civilization. The outdoor survival book focuses on what to do when you are cut off from civilization with nothing more than a knife and string. The TEOTWAWKI survival books are, almost universally, intended for someone who is willing to move to a remote area and set up an independent, off-grid, homestead. The problem is in the middle--those people whose jobs (or other issues) prevent them from moving to BFE and/or expect a major disaster that may take weeks or months before normalcy returns, but not the complete collapse of civilization. That is, something major such as Katrina, the Haiti earthquake, the earthquake in Japan, or the mythical "big one" that will eventually hit California. This is where When All Hell Breaks Loose fits in.

It largely assumes that you will be staying in your house. Do you have emergency supplies of food and water stored away? Great! It will tell you how to gather those items, store them, and use them after a major disaster. And if you don't have those items, it will tell you how to scavenge your food and water and prepare them for safe eating; and how to improvise shelter and insulation. And what if some of your neighbors or, God forbid, your loved one's don't make it. He also discusses how to dispose of dead bodies, but document the death to (hopefully) the satisfaction of the authorities.

Now, I've read some other books on disaster preparation that are as dry as dirt in a desert. One thing I like about this book is that it includes some great quotes, and "illustrates" its principles with historical incidences of disaster, as well as the Mr. Lundin's personal experiences with using the techniques. In other words, it's readable.

As a counter example, several months ago I purchased Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family (I have the Second Edition, but apparently the 3rd Edition was released in May). It's a great book, filling essentially the same niche as When All Hell Breaks Loose, full of useful information and a great survival references. But it is also about as readable as an encyclopedia.

Finally, I like that Lundin not only explains what to do, but also why. 

Notable Points: It's hard to pick out just a few notable points in a book this good, but I will try.

One thing that I only appreciated after I had finished the book was the "Head Candy" section. Lundin spends a considerable amount of the book (some 83 pages) discussing the psychological and emotional issues with preparing and surviving a disaster. Not just stress and fear (although these are important issues), but also working with other people and adopting an "I can" attitude.

Lundin's discussion of water storage and purification is probably one of the best and most complete I've ever read and includes tips and information on solar purification that I've never seen anywhere else. The book is worth it just for this one topic.

If you have watched Lundin in Dual Survival on the Discovery Channel, you know that he is very much a hygiene "freak." However, I think the emphasis on hygiene, including tips on how to wipe your butt when you've run out of toilet paper, is critical given that dysentery is such a killer.

One of the most interesting chapters of the book to me was the book on self defense. Unlike many books, Lundin doesn't skip over this topic--he knows you may have to protect yourself from looters or gangs. However, he also recognized that he lacks the skills to discuss the topic. So, this is the one chapter that essentially consists of an interview with a self-defense expert. While I don't completely agree with the "expert," I appreciate Lundin's intellectual honesty in admitting he lacked the expertise in this one area--and it raises my respect and faith in his knowledge in the other areas discussed in the book.

In short, it is a great book and, I believe, a must- have for a survival reference.