Rating: 
Summary: Book is great fun at a party; some info is good, others ?
Review: I bought this book because I was intrigued with some of the titles of the "worst case scenarios". Some examples include:How to: land a plane, hotwire a car, wrestle an alligator, escape from a sinking car, leap from a motorcycle into a car etc. While some of these scenarios could address deep-seated fears in all of us (the sinking car gives me the willies), it was really fun to read some of these aloud at a recent gathering of friends because some of these situations are really absurd and funny. The author's intent was definitely not to be funny as he works to portray the survival procedures and information in a matter-of-fact way and gives his sources in the back of the book. But really, how often are we likely to have to know how to manuever on top of a train and get inside (sounds like a movie) or leap from a moving motorcyle to a moving car? Other areas are definitely more practical--how to survive an earthquake or avoid being struck by lightning. In some areas, I wonder whether the capsule information would give a false sense of security to the person in the situation. I have a private pilot's license but I don't see how a person can realistically expect to land an airplane with 6 pages of text and drawings. So here is my advice--enjoy the book for what it is--a conversation starter and a source of some practical information.
Rating: 
Summary: A great read, entertaining and informative.
Review: This book is a lot of fun . It gives you well thought out advice about things you hope NEVER happen to you. For example, how to land a plane, how to ram a car, how to fend off a shark, how to deliver a baby in a taxi, how to survive being lost in the mountains. Did you know that you should avoid valleys in the winter as cold air falls. I didn't know that, it actually might come in handy at some point ! I thought that the best quote in the book was in the forward "... you must stay calm and you must not panic. And remember that willpower is the most crucial survival skill of all - don't catch that terrible disease of "Give-up-itis". The author was discussing how there are opportunities to give yourself a chance to survive even in the most dire of circumstances. There is another book about how to handle the daily challenges that occur in our day-to-day lives. That book is called "Working On Yourself Doesn't Work" by Ariel and Shya Kane. In it they describe how their technology of being in the moment allows one to live a life that is more satisfying, easier, and relaxed regardless of the current circumstances in one's life. I've known the Kanes for quite some time now and I can vouch for their effectiveness. Get both books.
Rating:
Summary: Danger is my business, and business is good
Review: In my line of work, you have to know how to survive. From fending off sharks, escaping from killer bees, treating bullet wounds, to surviving poisonous snakes, danger is my business, and business is good. In The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht describe step-by-step instructions with pictures on dealing with the situations above, and many more. This 176 page book is broken up into five chapters, each dealing with situations of a particular vein. The first chapter, Great Escapes and Entrances, includes escaping from quicksand, breaking down doors, ramming cars, and escaping from sinking cars. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have to do that... Chapter two titled The Best Defense gives tips on dealing with bears, mountain lions, charging bulls, how best to take a punch and winning a sword fight. I once had to deal with a bear armed with a saber, so this chapter was especially handy, as I got to combine two skills into one. Chapter three discusses Leaps of Faith, or how to jump from things, onto things, and into things without hurting yourself. Ever see those movies where one person is chasing another on top of a speeding train? Now you can learn how to jump from train car to train car without completely destroying yourself because you fell between the cars and got caught under the ouchy wheels. I found chapter four, titled Emergencies, to be quite useful as I now know how to perform a tracheotomy. Forget that foolish Heimlich maneuver stuff..."Sir, are you choking?" Also learn how to use that cool hospital machine with the paddles that people always yell "Clear!" and then slap them on some unconscious person. The last chapter deals with Adventure Survival. What would you do if the pilot of the plane you were traveling in suddenly collapsed? Well, with the help of this book, you can land that baby in confidence. Parachute won't open? No problem...lost in the desert? Got you covered... Even though I make a lot of jokes, all the techniques listed within these pages are culled from expert sources in the various fields. There is even a forward written by "Mountain" Mel Deweese, a Survival Evasion Resistance Escape instructor. (I love to take a peek at his resume') All in all, a fun, quick, informative read that may give you the tools to save yourself from a dangerous situation someday.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely entertaining--and it might save your life, too
Review: This is one of the most entertaining books I've ever encountered by chance. I saw it on the counter standing in the checkout line at an Office Depot store, if you can believe that, as these are not really bookstores, and the title caught my eye, and I'm glad it did. This book would be a little discovery if only for the entertainment value. However, the book has useful advice on getting out of many situations, although it's unlikely that the average reader will ever have much use for the more James Bond-sounding scenarios, such as "How to maneuver on top of a moving train and get inside," "How to jump from a building into a dumpster," "How to survive if your parachute doesn't open, and so on. However, these are probably the most entertaining part of the book. Other tips such as "How to treat frostbite," How to get away from a mountain lion," How to wrestle free from an alligator," and "How to escape from killer bees," might be more useful. I also liked "How to deal with a downed power line," and "How to survive an avalanche." Anyway, there is some practical advice here for emergencies but I think the book was worth the money I paid just for the laugh factor.
Rating:
Summary: Not useless trivia
Review: This fascinating little book is a collection of How-To tips that could mean the difference between survival and a rather unpleasant demise. The authors rounded up the suggestions of a group of experts in their respective fields, and organized them by subject. Everything is covered here from How to Escape from a Sinking Car, through How to Escape from a Bear, How to Deliver a Baby in a Taxicab, to How to Survive When Lost in the Mountains. On the surface this book might seem like a book of useless trivia, but such is not the case. In fact, only this past summer, in the city of Joliet, a Chicago couple took a wrong corner and took a dead-end street into a river. If only they had seen the section on escaping from a sinking car. In all seriousness, this book does contain useful information that everyone should probably read at least once in his or her lifetime.
Rating:
Summary: SUPER FUN
Review: THIS IS A GREAT BOOK AND SERIES. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SIMILIAR ABOUT WAITING TABLES, CHECK OUT CLAMCHOWDER.BIZ. THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy only for the humor
Review: If you think this book can possibly save your life, you are kidding yourself. This book was written as a joke. For example, it gives advice on how to survive attacks by crocks and sharks. It says you should pounce on the nose of crocks and irritate the gills of sharks to free yourself. Now that is funny. It is funnier to see how some of the reviewers of this book think it will actually work! If anyone has been attacked by a crock and was able to free themselves by punching its snout, then please let me know. But I doubt it since they would not have survived.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I am, in one magic word disappointed. I read this "book" in a 1/2 hour; it is basicly a picture book. Its extremly basic in information and there are not enough scenarios too read about.
Rating:
Summary: the book you hope you never have to use...
Review: Ever wanted to learn how to use a defibrillator, leap from a motorcycle to a car or how to deliver a baby outside of hospital? Then this is the book for you! Even if you don't particularly want to learn how to successfully navigate the situtations listed above, the book is still a great read. Virtually any impossible situation that you can remember from the movies is disected an easy-to-follow process. You will have plenty of good laughs and stares of disbelief while paging through this book.
Rating:
Summary: A funny book that could save a life - maybe even your own
Review: While it's highly unlikely you'll ever be attacked by an alligator or find yourself sinking in quicksand - it's always gotta happen to somebody - why not you? A few practical tips such as "how to take a punch" and "how to escape from killer bees" may actually be something you'll use once in your lifetime... "delivering a baby in a taxicab" may not be anything you're ever going to be confronted with - but wouldn't it be better to be a hero instead of a panicky spectator? These tips are not some parody based on Clint Eastwood movies, but real, verified tips from doctors, stuntmen and others who have survived similar circumstances. Even if you never have to suck the poison out of a snake bite, it will definitely be one of the best readers in your guest bathroom or on your coffee table.
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