David Borgenicht

A rather creepy book. The advice for surviving a tiger attack(!) ends with telling the young reader to, while being attacked, stick his or her hand down the throat of the feline. It’s accompanied by a drawing of a fierce girl putting on a blue latex glove while glaring at the cowering cat. “Give it a gag order. If a tiger takes you down, quickly shove your hand into its mouth and down its throat. Tigers have a strong gag reflex that prevent [sic] them from chomping down... at least for a show more while.” Yes, the same species that regularly takes down two-ton water buffaloes with massive horns is going to be deterred by your little Kayden’s fingers. The piranha chapter gives the dubious advice of waiting until night to cross that dangerous river. It of course doesn’t mention that most other predators of the Amazon are most active at night. Do I even have to tell you what the shark chapter says? Why even include animal attacks in a book like this unless you (the authors & publisher) have a sadistic streak towards kids? Fortunately, most of the chapters deal with things like lightning, volcanoes, mobs, and quicksand. show less

I bought this as a stocking gift for my kid's Christmas, as they are learning how to drive. This is really an ideal book for that purpose. The title says it is a pocket guide, and that's the truth: it is a very small hardcover, something that could even fit in the annoyingly small pocket of women's jeans. There are under a hundred pages. While the content sure doesn't cover everything that could go wrong, it is still pretty diverse. You learn how to drive up and down stairs, bail out of a show more semi-truck cab on a collapsing ice road, and pee while driving. The advice is both ludicrous and fascinating. show less

Survivalist and adventure fans hit information for hardcore situations, and that with tons of humor tossed in.

From ice landscapes to jungles...from Africa to South America and more, this read visits dangerous and sticky situations, which readers may or may not ever face, from all ends of the globe. Surviving a shipwreck on an island, facing down a mountain lion, or even understanding the first hints of a tsunami no longer count to secret skills after hitting these pages. The chapters divide show more up the possible predicaments by settings (jungle, ice, etc.), give a one paragraph introduction, and then dive into several scenarios and how to deal with them with short tips and hints.

Some skills are useful and good-to-know. Others are interesting but probably will never arise...which doesn't mean the information is useless, though. Each situation is delivered with a sense of adventure and humor, which never underplays the true danger but keeps it light-hearted and fun. The information holds general, easy tips (nothing overly technical) and will have readers proud that they know some things others probably don't. The information is also correct, which does add to the all-around-knowledge aspect and really can help out if the need arises. It's an extremely varied mix, which adds to the fun.

The writing is very fitting for the middle grade audience. The reader is directly addressed, and while the authors 'play' with each scenario and add jokes, they never talk down to the readers, either. It guarantees smiles and also helps the information sit better in the memory. There are added questions toward the end of each chapter, which hold a bit of real information checking but also offer ridiculous answer possibilities to bring snorts and giggles. The illustrations also add humor but do help readers understand the information given in the text (like how to construct emergency shelters).

It's a fun read with tons of information, too, and I do see readers enjoying this one quite a bit. I received a DRC and not only learned quite a bit but found myself smiling the entire way through. show less

My parents gave this to me as a birthday gift many years ago, because I'm a worrywart and they know it. I decided it was time for a reread.

It's highly unlikely that I will ever need to know how to control a runaway camel, stop a runaway passenger train, foil a UFO abduction, or cross a piranha-infested river. However, some chapters could potentially be useful (I really, really hope not, but you never know). For example, this book gives you tips on what to do if you're being followed, or if show more your car's brakes go out. There are also chapters on how to survive a mugging, treat a scorpion sting or severed limb, or remove a leech, and there are some useful sounding travel and packing strategies. Since this book was published back in 2001, some of the advice may not be 100% accurate anymore. For example, I'm pretty sure that most cars now have easier-to-find trunk release catches, making a lot of the stuff in the chapter on escaping the trunk of a car unnecessary.

For the most part, the advice feels solid and serious. The sections on foreign emergency phrases and gestures to avoid are a bit sillier, however. I doubt I would ever have the presence of mind to politely say “Hello—I have been seriously wounded” in Spanish, French, German, or Japanese. And I suspect that “You will never make me talk” would be a bad thing to say in any situation where it might apply.

Unsurprisingly, the book begins with a disclaimer: “To deal with the worst-case scenarios presented in this book, we highly recommend—insist, actually—that the best course of action is to consult a professionally trained expert. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO UNDERTAKE ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED IN THIS BOOK YOURSELF” (5). Aside from the legal issues, this disclaimer makes sense because many of the situations covered in this book are very high stress, with instructions and tips that are sometimes complicated.

Let's say I was suddenly in need of the advice contained in this book. Would I remember any of it? Probably not. If I, by some miracle, had the book on hand, would I have time to read and follow the necessary instructions? Who knows. If I really did need to use this book, I have a feeling that one of my criticisms would be that it needs more and better illustrations. Take the chapter on crash-landing a small passenger propeller plane on water, for instance. There were pictures of the controls and instruments, but they were on a separate page from most of the details about what everything did. Would I have time to page back and forth, matching instruments up to descriptions? Of course, I'm so afraid of heights that I probably wouldn't be in the plane in the first place.

All in all, this was a quick read that simultaneously amused me and made me feel slightly anxious.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.) show less