The Guide is my latest book, pulling together all my knowledge and experience on preparation and survival. I wrote it because my survey of what’s out there in terms of survival manuals is that they tend to go from zero to sixty with nothing in between. ie from normal living to trying to start a fire with a bow and board. Hey, why not stow some lighters? Makes it easier.

It’s loaded on all platforms and in print. Check my nonfiction page for links.

I put in checklists so people can prepare in a logical step-by-step manner.

I learned a few things researching it and also found a few areas where my own preparation was lacking.

Preparation and survival is such a wide and complicated topic. One key is that the first step is to do an Area Study, something I didn’t find in other manuals. It’s the first thing we do in Special Forces when we are assigned a mission. Examine who you are, who is your ‘team’, where you live, what are the potential threats, etc. This allows you to narrow your preparation down to the priorities

I’ve also included links to free apps and slideshows. I truly believe this is an important book for everyone. Let me know what you think.

And, more importantly, we brought a new member of the household home from the pound yesterday– Nova. We don’t know what breed she is but at only an estimated 12 weeks, she’s not exactly tiny. Already she and Gus have had some discussions about whose of the many dogs bed is whose, but it all will work out. We welcome Nova to the family.

She’s named Nova because, well, my wife likes it, and also because one of the best things we ever wrote together was a short story (The Pacing Place) as part of a Planet of the Apes Anthology featuring Nova and Taylor from the time they ride away from the Statue of Liberty. It was nominated for a Media Short Story Tie-In award in 2018.