Premature book review

I say "Premature" book review because I'm only about 3/4 of the way through it and still felt compelled to write a review. The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead is an older book (2003) and many of you may have already read it. I don't have lots of time to read however, so I've recently been buying audiobooks from Amazon and iTunes to listen in my car in my 45 minute commute to and from the office, and I'm glad I bought this one.

This book, written by Max Brooks (son of Mel Brooks... maybe you've heard of him?) is a toungue-in-cheek satire of nearly every other "survival guide" out there. I was expecting a silly parody and in the first chapter, you can tell that Brooks takes some creative liberties when describing the undead. Most notable is the introduction of "solanum," the virus which, when introduced into the bloodstream, turns ordinary humans into walking, flesh-craving ghouls.

But once Brooks begins describing the handheld weapons and firearms, the best measures for establishing a zombie defense compound, and rules of egress, it's evident that he exhausted many, many hours researching material for this book. From choosing the proper weapon to ensure a clean headshot without wasting ammunition to planning an exodus away from the decline of civilization as we know it, he describes in detail the necesseties of self-preservation during any type of zombie apocolypse.

I have listened to quite a few audiobooks over the past few months and never felt compelled to write a review until now. Why? While many other books, nonfiction, fiction, or even how-to are anywhere from entertaining to informative, in the case of The Zombie Survival Guide I actually found myself seriously contemplating the fulfillment of Brooks' instructions:

Where could I find a machete and M1 carbine rifle prior to the initial post-zombie-apocolpytic panic?

What is the most effective way of destroying the stairs to the third floor of my house, and where are the best sniper points from my defensive position?

What foods do I need from my pantry to best prepare myself for weeks on the run?

After the initial anarchic panic leads to the downfall of local municipalities, how far north into Canada would I travel, and how exactly would I get there?

I love watching zombie movies, anything from Romero's films to "infection" style films like 28 Days Later. But, as the poignant instructions are laid out in The Zombie Survival Guide, it is clear that lessons learned from those movies are misguided at best. At the least, this book will teach you a few things about survival in any disaster. However, the book is wildly entertaining and so incredibly authoritative that reading it (or listening to the audiobook) will make you truly believe that the outbreak of the flesh-craving undead could realistically be just around the corner.

Are you prepared?