I am researching information on preparedness and storage. My main focus started with foods. In this day in age I feel some of the best insurance we can all have is food, fuel, water/water filtration and enough cash to carry us through at least 6 months of hard times in the event we lost our jobs or any other type of natural or manmade disaster.
I purchased more than 40 of the most recommended books on food storage, survival and preparedness. This book would replace all but three of those books. (I have purchased over 200 on preparedness subjects)
This book covers everything imaginable and targets everyone including those who don't have much money to begin with to those who have more than enough. Start with this book first. If you feel you want more information that covers urban survival, survival medicine, growing your own food, security and protection etc... send me an email request for the subjects you are most interested in and I will gladly forward you a list of the best of everything I have found this far after more than two years of intense research on the subject.
It doesn't make any sense for me to write my own book on the subject since there is so much information already out there... So I decided to just help all of you take advantage of my experimenting so you don't have to invest in all the books and products that I have already invested in, used and researched. Save your money and send me an email at gaspdesign@earthlink.net and write; "Help me get ready" in the subject line. Tell me what you want more information on (food storage, gardening, preparedness supplies, emergency power, first aid, etc) and I will guide you to the best books and products including some that are sold here that can be downloaded for free online. No charge. I just think we all need to stick together and help each other out through all the difficult times. I won't be selling anything and I won't be giving your information away or selling it. I wish I would have had someone help me save by offering the same help to me.
Again... this book is the best all around complete guide if you only buy one book.
I love the Making the Best of Basics Family Preparedness Handbook. It covers SO much.
This book has a ton of charts, pictures, diagrams and worksheets to help you determine what you need (and what you need to DO) to live a life of being prepared.
Something I liked about this book in particular, is that it is LIFESTYLE oriented, instead of just being a book about preparing for emergencies. The book does talk about different levels of preparedness (survival vs. can maintain a semi-normal lifestyle no matter the circumstances), but most of the suggestions and information seem to be geared towards thorough (not basic) preparation. That was what I wanted, so I am happy with that.
There are chapters on emergency kits, a "family preparedness household notebook", in-home storage, having an "In-Home Convenience Store", storage problems and solutions, water, dairy products, sprouting, honey, wheat, sourdough, dehydrating fruits and vegetables, preparing meats, energy and fuels, supplementation, essential oils, reducing stress, essential oils, genetic engineering, creating a preparedness library, and acquiring gold and silver.
The explanations and recipes make everything seem pretty easy to do. Sometimes I felt like the worksheets did not have adequate instructions with them. There isn't always as much instruction as some books offer; for instance, the home inventory doesn't go by room or suggest common items--it is simply a list of blank spaces and you're supposed to fill them in.
Some good things about this book are:
lists of advantages and disadvantages for various options (types of food storage, types of water filtration, types of lighting, etc)
change of lifestyle approach (vs. emergency prep only)
good balance of overview vs. detail
useful charts and worksheets (eg, sprouting info charts)
many, many other references listed, including encouragement to begin a preparedness library
"begin where you are" approach
holistic approach (stress, essential oils, supplementation)
many simple recipes
What this book is NOT:
this book is not a first-aid book
this book is not a "survival" book (although one of the ways that you prepare is by making an emergency kit, this book does not discuss what to do in actual emergencies very much)
this book is not the only book you'll ever need (eg, even if you like the chapter on cheese or sprouting, you will likely want to buy a book that expands on that topic specifically)
In conclusion, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book. It is an excellent PREPAREDNESS handbook (but not the only book you'll ever want, nor does it claim to be). Making the Best of Basics teaches people to live mindfully, preparing for the future instead of wasting money on things that don't really do us much good. I think this is a good way to live. I think this book is an excellent value, too--you get a whole lot for what you pay, and it gets you started with a lot of good things.
(I have the 12th Edition (in print). Not of the difference between it and previous editions.)
Buy Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook Now
The book arrived on time and in the condition that I was told. It was a very good buy. Have already started using some of the items talked about in the book.
Read Best Reviews of Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook Here
If any of the mystical traditions appeal to you, please invest the small price to own this book. Clearly and concisely this small treasure reviews Patanjali's sutras. Alberto Villoldo makes them poetry to the soul and heart. Each sutra is given a few sentences so beautifully expressed that no more is necessary. To alleviate "disciple-quilt" he states so wonderfully to the advancing student on page xxvii "As Swami Venkatesananda said: "Renounce the self that does the renunciation". With so many New Age books leaving enthusiasts with an almost inability to speak a sentence without self-correction, "Yoga, Power, and Spirit" takes the true student to the heart of the ancient traditions and well beyond the superficial hype of the current, sometimes, very limiting explanation of the metaphysical and sacred. Simply Dr. Villoldo gives us an easily understood adjunct to other sound authors such as Paramahansa Yogananda, Wayne Dyer and Greg Braden. He is in that class!
