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Physical books are good, but finding the right ones is key. Having a huge library of physical books will be a problem if you have to bail on your place. I've had this for a couple of years and it is invaluable:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061992860?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00
If electricity isn't a problem, then having a good e-reader or tablet can save a lot of space. I have a 64gb stick with all of my survival books and videos on it. I have scanned version of all personal documents as well; still have plenty of space for a lot more information.
Having certain skills mastered and practiced frequently is better than having to rely on your library every time you need to. Having a library, means that there is less stress on having to remember everything. I've found that aquiring certain books with adequat information and keeping the library small is best.
If you have a secure location and don't plan on leaving then it's not an issue. I would have a digital version/backup just in case. I'd also scan all personal documents into folder as well.

Idaho. I shit you not. For reasoning and hilarious fundamentalist conservative propaganda, go read Patriots. pretty much, awesome access to spring driven H2O or groundwater, low population density, good distance from any major cities, a high level of community preparedness, excellent and fertile soil, and good places to let livestock roam. that's my two cents.

I think this would be too much for one book. Having different books written by experts in their respective fields makes the most sense.

I think the book (How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It)[http://www.amazon.com/How-Survive-End-World-Know/dp/0452295831) by James Rawles does great as an overview and from there he recommends many different other books that focus on specific things like growing crops and preserving food.

The point of my post is that its going to take a library to survive.

Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection
Don Roff, Chris Lane

Day by Day Armageddon
J. L. Bourne

Day by Day Armageddon: Beyond Exile
J. L. Bourne

Earth Abides
George R. Stewart

Swan Song
Robert McCammon

The Road
Cormac McCarthy

edit: This covers a good array of subjects on different ways the world might perish. All fiction also.

> https://www.amazon.com/Synthesis-Essential-Drugs-Ruben-Vardanyan/dp/0444521666

Thanks for this one, was already aware of Synthesis of Best Seller Drugs. It's on LibGen, of course.

Oh yeah, FerFAL is a good resource too. His book has lots of good no-nonsense urban advice even if the book lacks some polish.

Does "Patriots" get any love around here? The story is meh, but I appreciated a lot of the SHTF-planning ideas.

Link to book on Amazon

These are books which I have read twice or more and would read again and again on the topic of post-collapse:

Alas Babylon

On the Beach

The Postman - not like the movie with Kevin Costner (just based upon and quite different)

One Second After - currently the most realistic and scariest of the bunch I think.

Earth Abides

Lucifer's Hammer - this one I wouldn't read without many years between as the start is sooooo slow but the second half is good.

I have 3 of these and I think they rock. Seems like the same brand as the one you have posted but it has the solar panel that the review you posted said that it needs. It does not have the personal radio stuff though which I think could be nice.

Lights Out is even better if you like EMP fiction.

This book actually does feature characters using stun guns (and electric fences) on zombies! Also it's awesome. But that's just me.

Considering the clarifications made already, there has been something similar made already

https://www.wired.com/2009/04/ff-guidestones/

Though I imagine that would be incomplete.

Depending on the type of collapse, we could and would lose a lot of information, all cutting edge research (since that's mostly preserved digitally), though that would be less important, since we'd have to rebuild the machinery in order to use it.

As someone else mentioned, seed banks are a good start as well. As far as knowledge itself goes, there are two books I'd recommend, The Knowledge: How to rebuild civilization (linkhttps://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Rebuild-Civilization-Aftermath-Cataclysm/dp/0143127047) which I have read and is interesting in an entertaining way, and even somewhat useful; and How to Invent Everything (link https://www.amazon.com/How-Invent-Everything-Survival-Stranded-ebook/dp/B07B2LNVBY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543607051&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+invent+everything) which I haven't read yet, but is a similar idea. This one I have read, and it's kinda cool.

To get an idea for how difficult it will be to restart manufacturing at our current level, you may want to also check out The Toaster Project (link https://www.amazon.com/Toaster-Project-Attempt-Electric-Appliance-ebook/dp/B007N209P4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543607108&sr=1-1&keywords=toaster+project) where someone tries to build a cheap toaster from scratch, and how impossible it is.

Came here to post One Second After. Someone beat me so I'll say the same for Lights Out by David Crawford. Another good read about the power going out and how society breaks down.
http://www.amazon.com/Lights-Out-David-Crawford/dp/0615427359/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413008039&sr=8-1&keywords=lights+out

Brains a Zombie Memoir, it's from the perspective of the zombie. Humor

They make crank radios with flashlights and USB charging cables and solar panels on top. Might be slightly more pragmatic than just the USB crank.

"The Knowledge: How to Rebuild the Civilization in the Aftermath of the Cataclysm" explains most of that, and then some. You can buy it in Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Rebuild-Civilization-Aftermath-Cataclysm/dp/0143127047

Hand crank solar powered AM/FMNOAA radio, $27. Granted it isn't two way but you can listen to music while you eat your instant potatoes and mushroom gravy.

Picked one up yesterday: How To Survive The End Of The World As We Know It. So far so good.

The Foxfire Books

SAS survival guide.

https://www.amazon.ca/SAS-Survival-Guide-Collins-Gem/dp/0061992860

This one

Maybe a Life straw, would be an option for you.

I'm going to get one for personal use because I don't like the taste of water tabs. Since my actual water filter vanished from my gear.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/9870563457

He's not a great writer but it's very relevant and practical info.

I find it ironic that a book about how one might respond in a post-EMP world is only available (at least from Amazon) in electronic form.

David Crawford. Here's an Amazon link

It was originally an ongoing story on the survivalblog, where he uses the name HalfFast, and eventually got it published. I believe he has some other stories there that are still free but I haven't checked in a while.

EDIT: fixed bad grammar

I live in Los Angeles and I've learned/realized from reading this book that if a serious collapse happens, a big city is the worst place to live. I'm not going to quit my whole life here relocate thinking one day there will be a collapse, but I'm now aware that if I can get out early, I will.

I read a LOT and am always trying to find new collapse fiction. Whenever I see these kind of threads they always list the same 5 novels. To be fair that is because they are great books. Here is a list full of novels you might not know about. Anything you find here is worth reading. Even bad collapse fiction is useful because you can make mental notes of what the characters are doing wrong. I'll try to list them in rough order of best to worst.


Tunnel in the Sky By Robert Heinlein

Holding Their Own By Joe Nobody

Swan Song By Robert McCammon

A Distant Eden By Lloyd Tackitt

The Jakarta Pandemic By Steven Konkoly

77 Days in September By Ray Gorham

The Walk By Lee Goldberg

Folk of the Fringe By Orson Scott Card

World Made by Hand By James Kunstler

American Apocalypse: The Collapse Begins By Nova

Into the Forest By Jean Hegland

Year of the Flood By Margaret Atwood

Last Light By Terri Blackstock

TEOTWAKI: Beacon's Story By David Craig

The Pulse By Scott B. Williams

Grid Down Reality Bites By Bruce Buckshot Hemming

Desperate Times By Nicholas Antinozzi

Armageddon's Children By Terry Brooks






Desperate Times By Nicholas Antinozzi

Not a bad $20 to spend.

Plus, while it may sound gross, water from those same cans you mentioned will keep you alive in a pinch. Don't drain it; drink it.

This is exactly what happens in World War Z with people who worked with computers, film, television, or just media in general. All the skilled laborers were now their leaders because they could provide and teach the essential skills to grow food, build shelters, hunt, and make weapons and tools. Something catastrophic like that can really turn the whole system around.

I don't know how this subreddit feels about zombies, but I highly recommend picking up a copy of World War Z.

The knowledge from books like the Encyclopedia for Country Living would be more important for sustained post collapse living, especially if "survival" means and sort of reconstruction of communal living.

But if it is just to survive the initial chaos from societies collapse than the SAS Survival Handbook should be considered. It offers knowledge of immediate survival techniques needed until a new base of operations can be established.

https://www.amazon.com/SAS-Survival-Handbook-Third-Surviving/dp/0062378074

https://www.amazon.com/Synthesis-Essential-Drugs-Ruben-Vardanyan/dp/0444521666

and a follow on book

https://www.amazon.com/Synthesis-Best-Seller-Drugs-Ruben-Vardanyan/dp/012411492X

The synthesis is not particularly sophisticated. Most of the chemicals are available in even a smaller town drug stores, agricultural supply stores, and hardware stores. You can find patent art on various methods as well, some with more exotic approaches.

This is why synthroid costs pennies per dose to make, and dimes per day to use in many countries.

The folks that are claiming this is a shit-out-of-luck situation are simply wrong. This is practically a high school chem lab exercise to succeed at in a basic way, and the path is there to purify it if required (likely not so important as the mere gross preparation of the chemical).

Most of the critical WHO pharmacopoeia is readily synthesized. These formulations only really cover about 90% of pathologic presentation (aside from mental disorders). The remaining 10% are, to a large degree, a shit-out-of-luck situation for those without resources to pay to ave them made, because they require precursors and resources that are vulnerable to degradation.

Thyroid meds are not, thankfully, in the SOL category.

Lucifers Hammer - Pre and post asteroid impact.

One Second After - Post EMP, this is well written but the setup is a little to perfect. If you're a dad you will probably cry.

Patriots - Post financial collapse. This one has a decent premise but parts of it are really bad. There is also at least one sequel/prequel/companion.