Rating: 
Summary: Zombie Birthday Surprise
Review: I received a birthday package from a friend of 20 years that contained, 2 movies and a book. The movies didn't surprise me at all, but the book... lol. It truely made me laugh. I couldn't believe it. A long time fan of Zombie movies, I had never really thought to read up on them. This book had pretty much everything you need to know summed up so nicely. I think now, after reading the book,I just might survive a Class 1 or 2 zombie attack if it ever were to happen. If its a class 3, I think I might be in trouble. The book is very detailed on the pros and cons of weapons, best survival enviroments and supplies. It even lists what one needs for her own protection on her own or in a group setting. The book also answered some questions about zombies that always nagged me in movies. Case in point, in the movie Dawn of the dead: Why weren't these zombies rotting? They were in that mall for months! Well.. I got my answer! The book also eliminated the idea that a flame thrower would in fact take care of all your zombie problems. I know better now! Its a good read, surprisingly funny and really is what the book is what it claims to be. A survival guide. Even though my friend sent The Zombie Survival Guide to me as a joke, I feel more empowered. Lets put it this way, I have made plans on what kind of Zombie Fortess I want to build and made sure the certain people I need to help... they all know where to go when the sirens die down. Thank you Max Brooks!
Rating:
Summary: an entertaining guide/a frightening scenario
Review: This is a book that needed to be written.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for zombie fans
Review: I liked this book. It was a great spoof of those other "worst case" handbooks and a great read.
Rating: 
Summary: Humor? No, a necessity
Review: This book is essential for the zombie hunter. It is passed off as humor but I believe it is dead serious...when the dead rise there will be three categories of people: food, people who read this book as a parody and hence become food, or people like me who read this book and studied it as a vital survival tool who will turn the tide against the zombie horror. I already have a Katana sword and a machete ready for immediate usage should flight to an undisclosed location become necessary, and my group of anti-zombie fighters is just as prepared should a Class 4 outbreak ever occur. This book warrants multiple readings and absolutely should be counted as a vital survival guide...the stuff in here is just as useful as the Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbooks, and remember, people label them humor too (the first two are not, but they have gotten worse and worse as the series has progressed), and the attention to detail is outstanding. My only question is the belief on the author's part that zombies can walk on the ocean floor...even granting they do not need to breathe or eat the pressure would crush them completely. Thus, my flight location is an island; I won't reveal the location for fear of hordes of people descending and ruining it for my group. All I know is that if and when the dead rise those who took this book for what it is, a dead serious (no pun intended) survival guide, will be completely equipped for fighting for the sake of saving humanity.
Rating:
Summary: You never know... !!!
Review: The best aspect of this book is that it never winks at you and lets you in on the JOKE - keeping a serious and matter-of-fact tone throughout. (which makes it all the funnier) But dammit, the ironic part is that in the event that the dead ever start walking the earth in search of human prey, the info contained in this book is actually some pretty useful stuff!
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Summary: A book so many people will not understand
Review: I can already tell from some of the bad reviews that people are missing the whole point of this book. First this book is supposed to sound serious and that's the beauty of it. It's lack of suipposed humor is what makes it truly hilarious. I mean we all know that zombies aren't real...so why take the subject so seriously? The book details everything from a zombies' senses and how they react to how to survive in a world ruled by the shambling dead. Max Brooks even came up with an entirely FALSE historical accounts of various outbreaks, some with I found more amusing that a large number of zombie films. I have to commend how Brooks makes a subject so ridculious seem so real. I definitely have to recommend this book for any writer concidering writing a zombie story or zombie movie fan.
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Summary: Being safe means being prepared!
Review: Let's face it: at one time or another we've all faced a zombie scare we aren't prepared for. And yes, the local constabulary usually cleans things up with a minimum of fuss, but what happens when things go wrong and the cavalry doesn't arrive? That, my friends, is the day that Max Brooks' "The Zombie Survival Guide" saves your life. With several millennia worth of field experience distilled into a manageable 254 pages, everything you need to know to survive the coming war with the undead can be found in these pages. Your life and the lives of those you love are at stake, act now and be prepared! OK, so that paragraph was obviously tongue in cheek, but hopefully in conveys some sense of what Brooks' remarkable "The Zombie Survival Guide" is like. While obviously a parody of both the horror genre and civil defense/survivalist manuals, it maintains an "all-business" demeanor, never once cracking the façade to reveal the underlying humoristic intent. The result is a book that is, when taken as a whole, a funny, incredibly thorough work of satire. However, at the same time, page-by-page, it is a rather accomplished addition to zombie horror. Starting with zombie physiology and then moving on to weapons, tactics, long-term strategy and history Brooks has produced a manual which has a thoroughness that belies the absurdity of its subject. Point by point he discusses the pros and cons of rifles, machetes and flamethrowers, then considers the optimal defensive positions for various types of outbreaks. After an extensive discussion of survival in a zombie doomsday scenario, he lays out zombie outbreaks through history, and what their implications are. Throughout, entries are extensively cross-referenced and alternative courses of action are always weighed for potential risks and benefits. The remarkable thing about all this is that Brooks has managed to infuse a tension, and urgency into his manual that makes for great reading. Part post-apocalyptic fiction, part "Night of the Living Dead" and part "Saturday Night Live" sketch, this is a book that should hold appeal across a broad range of genres. Thorough without being dry, creepy without being clichéd, and funny without relying on cheap laughs, "The Zombie Survival Guide" is undoubtedly one of the most original books I have ever read, and one that I enjoyed reading immensely. If you appreciate any or all of these genres, or if you just enjoy a well executed, original idea, this is definitely a book you'll want to check out. And remember...Tomorrow may be too late, read this book today! Jake Mohlman
Rating:
Summary: fun and funny, too
Review: I highly recommend this book if you like Mel Brooks, are a horror fan, or just want an outstanding example of a parody. Brooks uses the format of the typical "survival guide" to explore an interesting premise: what would you need to know if "Night of The Living Dead" style zombies really walked the earth? The really funny aspect of this book is how serious the author seems. He starts off with a pseudo-scientific explanation of how zombies are created, then proceeds to cover wepaons, hiding places, rules for traveling through zombie-infested territory, etc. I loved this one so much I could hardly put it down, and bought a gift copy for my brother. Great stuff!
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Summary: Saved My Life Countless Times...
Review: I thought I knew everything there was about being a man from rereading Fight Club over and over. I was dead wrong. Brawling and Anarchistic Mischief are fun, but not very handy when several dozen flesh eating zombies storm into your quiet little suburb.
I pulled my copy of the book out of the bloody grasp of some unfortunate fool who apparantly hadn't finished it yet (or didn't take the advice to heart). Lucky for me we we able to fight off the undead army until we had time to establish a fort, train as a group, and make our escape into safer territory.
I write this now from a T-Mobile Hot Spot at a local Borders from my laptop. I thank God I found this book every day. Gotta go now. Zombies just burst through the glass and are devouring the women lingering in the Romance section...
Rating:
Summary: What NOT to do when the dead walk the earth
Review: I used to think that nobody could do deadpan comedy like Mel Brooks, but I was wrong. His son has written one of the funniest books in years - it almost makes me wish we were in a 28 days later situation, with hordes of ravenous zombies everywhere, just so I could put the knowledge to use that I've learned from the guide. Serious in tone, well thought out and above all else, demented, this should be required reading for fans of end-of-the-world horror.
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