Disasters happen. Be prepared. Here’s how.
As a leading security engineer, Michal Zalewksi has spent his career methodically anticipating and planning for cyberattacks. In Practical Doomsday, Zalewski applies the same thoughtful, rational approach to preparing for disasters of all kinds. By sharing his research, advice, and a healthy dose of common sense, he’ll help you rest easy knowing you have a plan for the worst—even if the worst never comes.
The book outlines a level-headed model for evaluating risks, one that weighs the probability of scenarios against the cost of preparing for them. You’ll learn to apply that model to the whole spectrum of potential crises, from personal hardships like job loss or a kitchen fire, to large-scale natural disasters and industrial accidents, to recurring pop-culture fears like all-out nuclear war. You’ll then explore how basic lifestyle adjustments, such as maintaining a robust rainy-day fund, protecting yourself online, and fostering good relationships with your neighbors, can boost your readiness for a wide range of situations. You’ll also take a no-nonsense look at the supplies and equipment essential to surviving sudden catastrophes, like prolonged power outages or devastating storms, and examine the merits and legal implications of different self-defense strategies.
You’ll learn:
• How to identify and meaningfully assess risks in your life, then develop strategies for managing them
• Ways to build up and diversify a robust financial safety net—a key component of nearly all effective preparedness strategies
• How to adapt your prep plans to a variety of situations, from shelter-in-place scenarios to evacuations by car or on foot
• Sensible approaches to stockpiling food, water, and other essentials, along with recommendations on what supplies are actually worth having
Disasters happen, but they don’t have to dominate your life. Practical Doomsday will help you plan ahead, so you can stop worrying about what tomorrow may bring and start enjoying your life today.
Author(s): Michal Zalewski
Edition: 1
Publisher: No Starch Press
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 267
Brief Contents
Contents in Detail
Preface
Part I: Thinking About Risk
Chapter 1: A Method to the Madness
A Method for Reducing Complexity
A Model for Quantifying Risk
The Challenge of Crony Beliefs
Chapter 2: The Specter of Humdrum Calamities
Unemployment and Insolvency
Loss of Shelter
Loss of Basic Utilities or Transportation
Unintentional Injury
Theft, Harassment, and Intentional Harm
Illness and Death
But Wait, There’s More!
Chapter 3: Exploring Large-Scale Risks
Natural Disasters
Industrial Accidents
Social Unrest and War
Economic Crises
Pandemics
Terrorism
Chapter 4: Oh No, Zombies!
Uniquely Virulent and Deadly Diseases
Runaway Climate Change
Other Planetary-Scale Natural Disasters
Exotic Physics and Miscellaneous Space Phenomena
Unimpeded Rise of Totalitarian Regimes
Global Thermonuclear War
Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse
Ghosts, Bigfoot, and the Coming Robot Apocalypse
The Scourge of Extraterrestrials
Looking Beyond Doomsday
Part II: The Prepared Lifestyle
Chapter 5: Mind Over Matter
Chapter 6: Building a Rainy-Day Fund
Finding Ways to Save
Compartmentalizing the Funds
Dealing with Debt
Knowing Where to Stop
Chapter 7: Safeguarding Your Savings
The History of Currencies
Debt as a Currency
The Age of Coin
Fractional Reserve Banking and Fiat Money
Cryptocurrencies
Revisiting Dangers to Liquidity and Capital
Loss of Access to Bank Accounts
Adverse Judgments
Gradual Inflation
Hyperinflation
Confiscation of Wealth
The (Monetary) Zombie Apocalypse
Methods for Mitigating Risk
Physical Cash
Diversified Bank Deposits
Bonds
Simple Currency Hedges
Equities
Stock Options and Commodity Futures Options
Precious Metals
Real Estate
Physical Collectibles
Cryptocurrencies and NFTs
Insurance Policies and Separation of Assets
Portfolio Design Strategies
Chapter 8: Engineering a Doomsday-Proof Career
Chapter 9: Staying Alive
Defensive Driving
Working at Heights
The Enemy in the Medicine Cabinet
Alcohol and Recreational Drugs
Workshop and Power Tool Safety
Fireproofing the Homestead
Other Dangers in and Around the Home
Chapter 10: Protecting Oneself in the Digital and Physical Realm
Dealing with Online Fraud
Maintaining Privacy on the Internet
Minimizing the Impact of Burglaries
Responding to Muggings and Home Invasions
Fending Off Pickpockets
A Word on Kindness
Chapter 11: Getting in Shape
The Folly of Miracle Cures
Establishing a “No Diet” Diet
Calorie Restriction vs. Exercise
The Importance of the Long Haul
Chapter 12: Building a Community
Chapter 13: Hatching a Plan
Jotting Down Scenarios of Concern
Modeling Sequences of Events
Defining Basic Strategies
Identifying Indicators and Decision Points
Planning to Fail
Facing the Final Contingency
From Plans to Supplies
Part III: The Essentials
Chapter 14: The Discreet Charm of the Bulletproof Vest
Chapter 15: Water
Estimating Water Needs
Household Storage Options
Hydration on the Road
Long-Term Storage Tips
Chapter 16: Nourishment
Estimating Bulk Calorie Needs
Nutrition in the Long Haul
Picking a Storage Strategy
Keeping Stockpiled Foods Fresh
Stocking the Doomsday Pantry
Specialty Survival Foods
Backyard Gardens as a Source of Food
Chapter 17: Sanitation, Hygiene, and Health
Waste Disposal
Containment of Flooding and Leaks
Dishwashing, Laundry, and Other Chores
Personal Hygiene
Medication and Medical Supplies
Medical Skills
Chapter 18: Fuel and Electricity
Keeping the Lights On
Powering Small Electronics
Staying Warm
Staying Cool
Cooking
Getting Around
Looking Beyond Short-Term Outages
Chapter 19: Household and Vehicle Tools
Storm Cleanup Equipment
Dealing with Car Malfunctions
Other Household Gear
Chapter 20: Evacuation Gear
General Preparations
Setting Up a Camp
Bad Weather Preps
Food and Water in the Wild
Knives and Other Camping Tools
Wildlife Management and Physical Security
Chapter 21: Protection Against Pollutants and Disease
Human-to-Human Transmission of Diseases
Zoonotic Disease Vector Control
Smoke and Industrial Accidents
Nuclear Disaster Preps
Chapter 22: Emergency Communications
The Lost Art of Pen and Paper
Satellite Communications
Two-Way Radios
Understanding the Range of Handhelds
Radio Bands and Types of Service
Digital Radios and Data Transmission
Licensing Requirements
Looking Beyond Handhelds
Chapter 23: Entertainment and More
Part IV: Active Self-Defense
Chapter 24: The Politics of Putting Up a Fight
Chapter 25: Standing Up for Your Belongings
What You Aren’t Allowed to Do
Buying Some Peace of Mind
Buying Time
Chapter 26: Fighting for Your Life
The Legalities of Self-Defense
The Right to Arm Yourself
The Merits of Unarmed Combat
Less-Lethal Defense Tools
Weapons That Kill
Chapter 27: Understanding Firearms
Handguns
Semiautomatic Pistols
Revolvers
Other Concealable Firearms
Deciding on Handgun Caliber and Size
Long Guns
Rifles
Shotguns
Ammunition
Firearm Safety Rules
Firearm Storage
Getting Good
Epilogue
Notes
Index
