Contents
First of all, the book answers often asked questions on what prepping is and how far would you go in your preparedness. Mr. Sheridan arranges the book by stages which would be recognizable to anyone who has started prepping, but also to those who are interested in becoming prepared. He mixes small smartly written and entertaining introductions and conclusions in the form of fiction in each chapter, this is in my view refreshing and adds a bit of levity to such a serious topic.
One day Mr. Sheridan has a wake-up call. which in no uncertain terms makes him prepare. That wake-up call is one we can not escape: the birth of a child.
Skills: It’s in the learning
After the introduction, Mr. Sheridan sets to learn and improve the skills needed to fulfill human needs. Fitness, a review of his house (Shelter), firearms training (Security), first-aid training (health), hot-wiring a car (mobility), and super-cool driving techniques (who doesn’t need this?!).
Mr. Sheridan also makes the necessary stop at wilderness survival with two masters in the field. John McPherson and Cody Lundin (author of great wilderness survival books and Dual Survival fame). He moves on to hand-to-hand combat and hunting (Food) with the son of an astronaut.
As if once was not enough he going in for some winter wilderness survival, and finally the psychology of survival.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”Sam Sheridan in The Disaster Diaries” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”14″]Here’s the bittersweet truth of having a child: it entails the loss of a kind of narcissism, the end of your own childhood. Maybe you’re not the sole reason for the existence of the universe. With the rapid growth of the changeling you care for, his explosive metamorphosis comes the knowledge that you are changing too, and finite—your perspective is fleeting. You’re no longer the one pure reason the sun rises and the heavens wheel above in the night, the moon pulls the oceans, and doves call at dawn. That is the true gift of youth, and some never relinquish it—not a literal feeling of ownership but a deep sense of their unique perspective, an unreasoning joy in the universe of their senses.[/perfectpullquote]
Furthermore, Mr. Sheridan meets some big names known to the prepping community. Their contributions to the book are excellent. They level out a small volume with expertise.
Throughout the book, you get a healthy dose of reminders that you are ultimately responsible for your choices. Including following any of the training that Mr. Sheridan undertook in his pursuit of preparedness.
Conclusion
Overall The Disaster Diaries by Sam Sheridan is a great introduction into the world of preparedness. This from someone that was doing it for a great reason. Don’t expect an encyclopedic tome or step-by-step instructions on preparing. Keep an open mind and enjoy the adventure that Mr. Sheridan has put together in this book.
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