Rating: 
Summary: A Great Guy Gift...
Review: When I first saw this book listed, I thought "who on earth would buy that?" Well, turns out that would be me, buying it as the perfect gift for my ex, for Father's Day. [Let's just say, "average Joe with a touch of Dudley Do-Right."]Of course, before wrapping it I had to read the whole thing through, cover-to-cover, and later wrestle it away from our almost-9 year old, who said it was scary, funny and interesting. I think he only gave it up because he knew he could finish it later. True, many of the worst-case scenarios in this won't happen to me - I can't picture how I'd get into a situation where I'd have to leap from a motorcycle to a car, deal with a charging bull, or have to survive if my parachute doesn't open. Then again, if it happens, I'll be ready! And it just might be possible that I'll need know how to treat frostbite, survive at sea, use a defibrillator to start someone's heart, survive an earthquake, make a fire without matches or avoid being struck by lightening. Now I know - and maybe one of the important things I know is that you CAN survive from some pretty awful things! One of the most amusing parts of the book is in the intro, where the authors warn us - insist, actually -- that we consult a professionally trained expert before trying anything in this book. Good advise, if you happen to have one with you when that mountain lion attacks. But as they say in the preface, "You never know" and "be prepared". If you want to save your money for retirement, as one reviewer advises, I'd say that's fine. Buy it as a gift for the traveling student or co-worker or for that information-addict on your gift list. Better yet, put this little book on your own Wish List!
Rating: 
Summary: A fun yet interesting book
Review: This book was something new to my library. I was expecting a humorous collection of ideas on how to handle situations that may arise in life. What I found was detailed information from experts on each particular subject. Buy it- it is entertaining, and you may just use it, too.
Rating:
Summary: Great Idea
Review: This is a great idea for a book that's really caught the cultural zeitgeist. Even if you never encounter any of these situations, it's assuring to know what to do if confronted by them. BTW, if you're looking for a funny piece inspired by the handbook, check out the Modern Humorist's feature: The Real-Life Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: How to endure karaoke, blood pudding, Billy Bob Thornton
Rating: 
Summary: GOOD FOR ARMCHAIR-JAMES-BOND-WANNABEES - but that's it.
Review: I found a stack of these at the checkout counter of the Virgin Records flagship store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, IL. I had heard about this book, and I had noticed it's persistence on the Amazon.com Top 100 List for the last couple of months. Its position on this list is warranted only by the fact that so many individuals have been duped into buying it. Much of the advice is common sense, other bits of the book are needed only by those engaging in criminal enterprises (come on now, does the average Joe need detailed instructions on how to break down a door, or how to hot-wire a car? And a GM vs. a Ford, at that? Or how to evasively manuever a car while being pursued by the police?). Some advice is actually part of required training for those taking lessons in skydiving or scuba diving or CPR. As for some of the advice, for example, I don't think that I'd be able to (or even want to try to) defend against an enraged bear or bull, fight a shark or even take control of a small Cessna plane and land it without any training. (Anybody wanna know how to perform a tracheotomy? Eh? ) The book seeks to support its claim of authority/legitimacy by listing all of the "experts" that the authors spoke with while they spackled together this trype. UNFORTUNATELY, the only people who will buy into this garbage are those young men who still believe that what James Bond does can be done by anyone with just the right "tricks" up their sleeves. If this information, or any of it, is something that you will have to know, then whatever training regimen your profession will put you through will give you the techniques you'll need do your job. Else, let the professionals do what they're best at, and STAY SAFE! FINAL RECOMMENDATION: IF YOU MUST GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS BOOK, BORROW A COPY FROM ONE OF YOUR MORE NAIVE FRIENDS. SAVE YOU MONEY FOR YOUR RETIREMENT.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertainment or tool?
Review: Brutally funny, and often insightful advice for the worst of situations. It managed to both feed my paranoid fears ("I just knew those bees would someday attack me!") and give me some small comfort in knowing how to survive. Buy two copies of this -- one for the nightstand in your guest room and one for your daypack. In either case it will prove useful and fun reading.
Rating:
Summary: hey, you never know
Review: Okay, do you think you'll ever have to wonder how to get an alligator to release whatever is in its mouth (i.e., your limb)? Then, this book is for you. (Tap it on on the snout so it will automatically open its jaws). My only complaint is that I wish the book were longer. I read it in 30 minutes and wished the authors had included even more interesting information about how to escape from extreme situations. I couldn't help feeling it was somewhat of a gimmicky book because of it short length -- many readers would naturally be intrigued, but the book could have been much more inclusive in its selection of death-defying situations. Definitely entertaining, but left me wanting more.
Rating: 
Summary: bad advice
Review: Very incomplete data... If you are not lucky enough to have a pole while walking in quick sand country, then...........WHAT? Are you just supposed to die! How helpful is THAT!
Rating:
Summary: Survivalist centerpiece
Review: I've had this book for two days (finished it a half hour after it was delivered) and though I've not yet had to rely on these instructions to preserve my existence, I have found it useful. By just leaving it exposed on my desk I ensured that curious co-workers would notice it and congregate, affording the office a good half hour of non-productive activity. If you and your significant other are tired of fornicating and have no other mutual interests, let one person read the survival instructions while the other attempts to divine the appropriate survival scenario. The point is that this is a great common-denominator book that will intrigue anyone who has an interest in surviving (though your goth friends could care less).
Rating:
Summary: be prepared...
Review: ...like the boy scouts told me. i wasn't even a good scout-i just got my bobcat badge and basically just went to the meetings for the field trips and what not. anyway, this book is great. true indeed, most of us will never have to jump from a motorcycle to a car, but who says it isn't good reading? i especially thought that the section on how to take a punch was informative; you never never know when the next bar brawl will be. the book even gives advice on more practical first aid issues such as frostbite, leg fractures, child birth and knife and bullet wounds. i had to laugh at the section on how to avoid gunfire because i've been in that situation before (and no, i am not a 'gangsta rapper' for all those oblivious to hip hop and my generation) and instinctively i did the right thing. that made me proud of myself. i have often pondered many of the situations that are in this book and wondered, "what would i do if this happened to me?"; well, this book gives wonderful direction for the layman interested in this sort of thing along with some great illustrations. heck, i read a few reviews that mentioned how anamalous it would be for one to ever get into any of these situations, but to those remarks i say these two things: first, these sort of things happen to thousands (if not more) of people per day-what makes any of us feel as if we are exempt? and lastly, it's like learning first aid-i never used the heimlich on any one, but i think that it's good to know nonetheless. like clarence said in true romance: "experience has taught me that it is better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it." this was onasuss-primate foundation-cleveland, definitely in the house...peace...
Rating:
Summary: Warning! Warning! : Keep away from Children
Review: This is a very interesting book. In cases where there are 100% chance that you are dead it, it will reduce it to 95% percent... However, my next door neighbour kid got hold of the book and he was about to practice the technique listed how to jump from the top floor.. If he had.... I would have sued the publisher... I STRONGLY RECOMMNED to put a warning.. Keep away from children..
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