One Second After by William R. Forstchen
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Book Reviews of One Second After
Book Review: Your Kindle Will be Kindling
Summary: 5 Stars
Good news for Mad Max, bad news for Gameboy: The end of electricity is upon us. Or at least, it's upon all of America in One Second After.
The author wastes little time is tallying the losses when an EMP bomb fries all the electronics in America. And guess what? We can't live without them. TVs, phones, the electric grid, your iPod playlists, and if you're reading this on a Kindle --all toast in post-EMP America. These clever devices have insinuated themselves into every facet of our lives, and now suddenly, unexpectedly, we are thrown into a pre-electric America with none of the survival skills known by our hardy ancestors.
The result? Darwin comes a-callin', and by the time he's done with us America has trimmed 90% of the its population. Within days the hospitalized die, then the elderly and children. Starvation and disease do a slow burn through the remaining survivors. Prozac Nation, long subdued by its virtuous psychotropic drug regimen, now comes horrifically unwound.
The author manages to the deft trick of humanizing this intensely bleak scenario, and he doesn't shy from the worst aspects of humanity that will be revealed. Kudos to him for not drowning the story in too much cheap emotional syrup. The scenes feel real and not overdone, the characters are textured, and the pace sweeps you along without losing the illuminating details.
I've intentionally avoided giving you details in the hope that you can enjoy them as the author intended, unfolding at just the right moment in his harrowing tale.
Buy the book now and not one second after.
Book Review: Excellent material for thought should it happen
Summary: 5 Stars
The previous two reviews are reasonable, if a bit laboriously long. No quibbling about grammar here. I've read any number of books on survival in a national catastrophe, whether political, military,economic or from without. This book is an excellent primer, that describes what happens when our computer-based econony and society is destroyed and only those elecric things without computers, chips, etc., in them are useable. This can readily happen with an EMP burst high over our country, and as pointed out, is well in the grasp of many countries, enemies of the US. We revert to the 19th Century. Most Americans are totally unable to cope in that environment.
What I didn't much enjoy was the schmaltzy and melancoly writing in the last third of the book, where the hero agonizes and agonizes over the impending death of his daughter who has Type I Diabetes, and has run out of insulin, and no more is available, as if no one else has ever lost a loved one. The author recounts thousands of people dying due to lack of food, potable water, disease, and you name it--it just isn't available anymore in the supermarket down the street or road. Then there is dealing with thousands of refugees, looter-killer gangs, and organizing a viable town government with local elected officials without a clue, to deal with the myriad of problems popping up, such what to do with a known killer. The key word is preparing for the worst, especially with a supply of food that will last for several years in storage. How long you think you need to survive until our society is again functional, is up to you.
Book Review: The potential break down of all utilities is what one hast to prepare for.
Summary: 5 Stars
The essential lesson from the book is to be prepared for any potential collapse of all of our essential utilities, regardless of the cause. Rather than from an EMP event, my great fear is the threat from a Mass Coronal Ejection (CME) from the sun, one similar to the event in the 1850s, that is so intense that the entire electrical grid in North America would be incinerated if that side of the globe was facing toward the sun when the coronal mass arrived. The 1850s event was intense enough that papers next to telegraph keys in the new cross country telegraph service caught fire. With the current, most unusual behavior of the sun and astronomer's projections for intense solar events in the next three years, the probability of a large coronal event cannot and should not be discounted. Consider the loss of the entire electrical grid for, let's be optimistic, six months (this is most likely very short in time span). All of our normal life supporting infrastructure would be paralyzed. The would be no groceries, water, sewage, fuels of any kind and no communications to be informed on the state of our local region, country or world. This is no trivial issue dear friends. There would be no way to survive or recover from such an event. All that are unprepared, and it would be in the tens or hundreds of millions, would not have any hope of surviving. Are you going to roll the dice or prepare. Load up on non-perishable food, water and other essentials that you would use anyway and have a family plan on how to react in the event of a major loss of our utilities for whatever the reason.Book Review: A book that makes you think (and hopefully prepare)!
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a must read! While it is entertaining, it is also thought provoking. What would happen if a disaster like this were to happen? Where will you be when it does? How will you get home if you are miles from home and your car, along with most other cars on the road, dies and will never start again? How will you get food? How long will it take to get the infrastructure going again? How will you control your blood pressure or quell the infection caused by the simplest cut once all of the stores have been raided and supplies gone? How do we protect ourselves and our home against those trying to survive by any means? These are but a few of the questions that came to me as I read this book.
I have few answers. We have started stocking foods that have a long shelf life without refrigeration, but we need to stock more. Prescriptions are different, the most you can get is a 3 month supply, IF your insurance company allows it. We also need to stock things like toilet paper and tissues.
I am thrilled that this book has raised some eyebrows in Washington and I hope it continues to attract attention. My hope is that we never have to deal with an EMP, but our government needs to prepare for this. September 11, 2001 happened with just a few people planning and executing. What happens if an entire country decides to plan an attack and execute it?
I recommend reading this book, giving a copy to your neighbors and friends, and then begin preparing as a community. Contact your representatives and encourage them to address this issue.
Book Review: Required reading for Americans
Summary: 5 Stars
This is with out a doubt, the single most important book I have read in the last couple of years.
I'll not bore you with spoilers, but rather, tell you why this book was important to me.
As a military vet with a strong electronics/nuclear background the topic of the book was not news to me.
However. I had never really took the realizeation of what would happen in an EMP attack to a logical conclusion.....
I feel the author did an excellent job in bringing us through the 1st year after such an event. I think his death rates were dead on in rural areas, except I think he was very optomistic when it comes to metro areas.
I also feel his portrayal of the plight of folks who choose to live in metropolitan areas was precise. If you live in a metro area, read this book and do nothing....well, I'll never understand your reasoning, or lack therof, and I certinally wouldn't wish this fate upon you either!
For years I've always sort of wondered what my neighbors are thinking about... "if there is ever a disaster I'll just go hunt some deer". This book will help those folks get a grip on reality as well.
Folks, the carrying capacity of this great land of ours will be but a very small fraction of the folks currently here if the lights go out.
I've bought a bunch of these to pass out to people I care about. It's that important.
Buy this book and choose for yourself how you wish to live. At least make an informed choice.
joe