Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Chronicle Books (1999), Paperback, 176 pages
Description
Reference. Nonfiction. HTML: Danger! It lurks at every corner. Volcanoes. Sharks. Quicksand. Terrorists. The pilot of the plane blacks out and it's up to you to land the jet. What do you do? The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook is here to help: jam-packed with how-to, hands-on, step-by-step, illustrated instructions on everything you need to know FAST-from defusing a bomb to delivering a baby in the back of a cab. Providing frightening and funny real information in the best-selling tradition of the Paranoid's Pocket Guide and Hypochondriac's Handbook, this indispensable, indestructible pocket-sized guide is the definitive handbook for those times when life takes a sudden turn for the worse. The essential companion for a perilous age. Because you never know....… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Reacherfan
First off, before I get to the review, I have to say that this is a great read! It does inform a lot, but it's also funny. Sure, some of the things may seem far fetched and you'll never have to use them. That being said, some of them could come in useful. The one that jumps out at most useful is if
How to break into a car. The best and funniest part was at the end when the authors said, "This is to break into your own car." *LOL*
How to hot-wire a car. I had to laugh at the first sentence: Lift that hood. Dang! That's what I was doing wrong all of these years, I never opened the hood. D'OH!!
How to fend off a shark. They forgot to mention one thing that I'd do.....wet my bathing suit! I'm sure that would deter a shark. If I wet my suit, the shark would be like, "Yo! That's nasty, what's the matter with you!? Freak!"
How to wrestle free from an alligator. Now *this* could come in handy. How many times does an alligator come up to you and start pushing you around just because he's all big and tough? In the past, I'd run off because it's an alligator. HA! Now the joke is on him. I'll know how to deal with him. When a gator rolls up on me actin' all tough, I'll be like, "Yo, back up b*tch! Best you get steppin' or I'll turn you into boots, belt and a wallet chump! That's right, keep walkin'." Then, I'll do some rude hand gesture, just show him who's boss. What can I say, that's how I roll.
How to take a punch. Okay, as useful as this was, it didn't cover everything. It mentioned, the gut and jaw, ect...but...what about a punch to the privates?? Hey, that's happens to me more than you think. I'll be walking minding my own business, then KA-POW!! Right in the package! I mean, we have to protect the family jewels, right??
How to Perform a Tracheotomy:It said, I'll need a knife. What, all of a sudden I'm MacGYVER now?? I have to carry a pocket knife with me at all times?? I'm sure the police will love that. I can see it now, "But officer, you don't understand. I need my knife incase if I have to perform a Tracheotomy. Boy won't you feel stupid if I have to perform one, and because of you, I don't have my handy-dandy knife."
How to maneuver on top of a moving train and get inside: Come on, doesn't that happen to all of us?
How to deliver a baby in a taxi cab: I know all about making them....now I know how to deliver them.
How to treat a bullet or a knife wound: Now I'm all set. I know how to do this. I can see it now. I'm walking down the street (after kicking an alligators butt) then KA-PRANG someone is shot and on the ground. I can jump into action. Someone might say, "But there's a hospital next door, look, there it is, right there." I'll say, "Damn it man, I'm not a GPS system, but I can get that bullet out! Where's my knife??"
How to land a plane: Okay, this was interesting! If I'm on a plane, and one of the flying waitresses comes running out in a panic with her hair all mussed up from being all extra panicy, yelling, "Both pilots are dead, can someone land this plane?? Heeeeeeeelpppp!!! I can jump up and say, "Fear now you flying waitress, I'll save the day! Get me a head set and a diet coke!" Okay, I don't need the diet coke, but heck, I do likes that beverage.
How to survive if your parachute doesn't open: If that happens and your back up parachute doesn't open....well...yer pretty much screwed.
How to get to the surface if your scuba tank runs out of air: Um..... I'll take a guess..... you could....let's see....maybe swim to the surface? Just a thought.
In all honesty, it was an entertaining read! Get it and you won't be sorry.
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your car is sinking. That was a very interesting read. Some others are could be useful, but a lot of them is something that I'd never need, but it was an entertaining read. I'll go over a few of them. How to break into a car. The best and funniest part was at the end when the authors said, "This is to break into your own car." *LOL*
How to hot-wire a car. I had to laugh at the first sentence: Lift that hood. Dang! That's what I was doing wrong all of these years, I never opened the hood. D'OH!!
How to fend off a shark. They forgot to mention one thing that I'd do.....wet my bathing suit! I'm sure that would deter a shark. If I wet my suit, the shark would be like, "Yo! That's nasty, what's the matter with you!? Freak!"
How to wrestle free from an alligator. Now *this* could come in handy. How many times does an alligator come up to you and start pushing you around just because he's all big and tough? In the past, I'd run off because it's an alligator. HA! Now the joke is on him. I'll know how to deal with him. When a gator rolls up on me actin' all tough, I'll be like, "Yo, back up b*tch! Best you get steppin' or I'll turn you into boots, belt and a wallet chump! That's right, keep walkin'." Then, I'll do some rude hand gesture, just show him who's boss. What can I say, that's how I roll.
How to take a punch. Okay, as useful as this was, it didn't cover everything. It mentioned, the gut and jaw, ect...but...what about a punch to the privates?? Hey, that's happens to me more than you think. I'll be walking minding my own business, then KA-POW!! Right in the package! I mean, we have to protect the family jewels, right??
How to Perform a Tracheotomy:It said, I'll need a knife. What, all of a sudden I'm MacGYVER now?? I have to carry a pocket knife with me at all times?? I'm sure the police will love that. I can see it now, "But officer, you don't understand. I need my knife incase if I have to perform a Tracheotomy. Boy won't you feel stupid if I have to perform one, and because of you, I don't have my handy-dandy knife."
How to maneuver on top of a moving train and get inside: Come on, doesn't that happen to all of us?
How to deliver a baby in a taxi cab: I know all about making them....now I know how to deliver them.
How to treat a bullet or a knife wound: Now I'm all set. I know how to do this. I can see it now. I'm walking down the street (after kicking an alligators butt) then KA-PRANG someone is shot and on the ground. I can jump into action. Someone might say, "But there's a hospital next door, look, there it is, right there." I'll say, "Damn it man, I'm not a GPS system, but I can get that bullet out! Where's my knife??"
How to land a plane: Okay, this was interesting! If I'm on a plane, and one of the flying waitresses comes running out in a panic with her hair all mussed up from being all extra panicy, yelling, "Both pilots are dead, can someone land this plane?? Heeeeeeeelpppp!!! I can jump up and say, "Fear now you flying waitress, I'll save the day! Get me a head set and a diet coke!" Okay, I don't need the diet coke, but heck, I do likes that beverage.
How to survive if your parachute doesn't open: If that happens and your back up parachute doesn't open....well...yer pretty much screwed.
How to get to the surface if your scuba tank runs out of air: Um..... I'll take a guess..... you could....let's see....maybe swim to the surface? Just a thought.
In all honesty, it was an entertaining read! Get it and you won't be sorry.
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LibraryThing member HoraceSPatoot
I agree with bkleinwort -- the spin-offs degrade the original.
I think this is a very entertaining little book. It's fun to read, and unlike other books of the type it cites credible references for the advice given. It is certainly not complete enough to be a "survival handbook" -- I'm sure that's
I think this is a very entertaining little book. It's fun to read, and unlike other books of the type it cites credible references for the advice given. It is certainly not complete enough to be a "survival handbook" -- I'm sure that's
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intended as a joke -- but apart from the select pieces of practical advice it offers, I like the fact that it encourages a person to think about what could go wrong in a given situation. This book will be more likely to save your life if it causes you to remember where the fire exits are when you enter a room than by telling you how to kick a shark in the nose. (Unless you're like my nephew!) Show Less
LibraryThing member bkleinwort
Entertaining, but I'm sad it became so popular and spawned a ton of spin-offs.
LibraryThing member kaiserestates
In this book there are several stories at can be related to technical writing. This book has some very school appropriate examples but on the other hand there are some that you would not want to use. We are going to use this as examples for the technical manual.
LibraryThing member Sandydog1
I'm feeling pretty smug that I already have a pretty good idea of how to escape from a sinking car, quicksand, treat a snake bite, survive a shipwreck, deal with a bear or cougar, avoid getting shot at (run away as quickly as possible - it actually says that).
I chose not to study the section on
A very short, somewhat amusing (without trying to be) book.
I chose not to study the section on
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landing an airplane. It sounded easier-said-than-done. A very short, somewhat amusing (without trying to be) book.
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LibraryThing member the1butterfly
This book gives very practical, simple, easy-to-follow advice for very impractical, complicated, and hard-to-deal-with situations. Though I hope to never end up in any of these situations, I definitely feel more prepared now. Important memories from the book: triangles are a sign of distress. If
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you need rescue make one that's visible. Fight a mountain lion, shark, or alligator, but not a bear. Get out of your sinking car ASAP! You can float on quicksand. Babies usually deliver themselves, but have clean things ready to wrap them in. Run in zigzags to escape being shot. Show Less
LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
This book was all the rage as a graduation gift during my last few years of high school, so predictably I received a copy when I graduated high school. I was never sure whether it was supposed to be serious or a spoof until I finally read it. Indeed, the book is meant to be serious (well, mostly
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serious), although I think the giving of it to me in particular was meant to be a spoof. The book is chock full of information that I would never need (or never remember if by some bizarre chance I would need it), like how to fend off a mountain lion attack. Still, I found it oddly entertaining and couldn't put it down once I finally started reading it. It's probably of greatest benefit to hikers, campers, and other outdoors-y people, but I still reserve a space for it on my shelves, too. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
Weirdly fun little book. I think meant as a joke book, even if the information within it is actually serious. I mean, open the cover and facing you is an illustration of a fist punching the snout of an alligator. It's divided into five sections: Great Escapes and Entrances, The Best Defense, Leaps
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of Faith, Emergencies and Adventure Survival. It involves such scenarios as "How to Escape from Quicksand," "How to Escape from Killer Bees," "How to Jump from a Bridge or Cliff into a River," "How to Identify a Bomb," and "How to Land a Plane." In other words, the kind of situations you're much more likely to find in a Hollywood script than real life. Which is amusing for arch chair adventurers and useful for fiction writers. Although there are some scenarios you might more likely encounter--such as how to avoid being struck by lightning--avoid high places, open fields, trees, bodies of water, etc. It's all supposedly written by experts--so enjoy the read, and who knows, this might save your life. You never know when that bear or shark might threaten! Show Less
LibraryThing member diovival
The title says it all. The authors consulted experts in a variety of fields and compiled a list of unlikely "worst-case scenarios" and how to survive them. The survival tips are clear and concise. The book also contains illustrations of the recommended survival techniques.
LibraryThing member MerryMary
I don't anticipate running into an alligator in Nebraska (although you never know!), but there are a number of things in here that are surprisingly useful.
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
Narrated on audio by Burt Reynolds. Booktalk: Want to know how to escape from quicksand? How to break down a door? What about landing a plane when the pilot is passed out? Or how to birth a baby in a taxi? If ever you find yourself in these and many other situations all you'll have to do is whip
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out your WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK. (Play section on shark advice.) Show Less
LibraryThing member CryBel
Everyone needs to read this book. This book is full of useful information that you might need if you find yourself in a unusual situation. It gives you an illustrated step by step guide on how to deal with extreme situations like how to an wrestle an alligator or how to deliver a baby in a back of
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car. Again everyone needs to read this book, the information in this book might come in handy one of these day. Show Less
LibraryThing member drj
Written in the style of a Boy Scout field manual, this well illustrated little book has practical suggestions for those caught in a tight spot. The only use for this book is to familiarize yourself with it in the event any of these things ever happen around you. Needless to say, it is imperative
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for those who like camping and other outdoor sports, and may be useful to those traveling to a different environment. Show Less
LibraryThing member MarkHufstetler
I was a little surprised to see this book listed in a recent LibraryThing "Early Reviewers" list, since the Worst-Case Scenario series has been a staple of chain-bookstore inventories for years. But I was happy to receive this volume, an enlarged and updated twentieth anniversary version of the
The concept behind the series should be familiar to most bookshop browsers by now: it's a compilation of simple, matter-of-fact instructions for dealing with situations which are both extremely unlikely and frighteningly life-threatening. The target audience is clearly readers with a dark and slightly warped sense of the absurd, and fortunately I fit that category. Anyone who purchases or attempts to use the book as an actual field guide is likely to be thoroughly disappointed, and perhaps fatally so. Much of the advice seems fundamentally sound, albeit very superficial, but some of it is dangerously flawed. (As a former park ranger, for example, I can confirm that the "How to Escape from a Bear" chapter may be effective against a black bear, but could kill you if you met a grizzly.)
The best scenarios in this book are the classic ones that have endured since the book's early printings: "How to Perform a Tracheotomy," "How to Jump from a Moving Car," and so on. For this edition, the author apparently decided that he could milk a few extra bucks from the franchise by adding some specific 21st-century scenarios, like "How to Tell if a Clown is Murderous," and "How to Survive if your Smart Home Outsmarts You." Nearly all of these are disappointments, in terms of both advice and humor, and are not at all in the spirit of the original concept. They made me wish I'd been given a copy of the original printing, instead.
The book is still fun, though, even though the series and concept are getting long in the tooth.
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original, nicely hardbound. The concept behind the series should be familiar to most bookshop browsers by now: it's a compilation of simple, matter-of-fact instructions for dealing with situations which are both extremely unlikely and frighteningly life-threatening. The target audience is clearly readers with a dark and slightly warped sense of the absurd, and fortunately I fit that category. Anyone who purchases or attempts to use the book as an actual field guide is likely to be thoroughly disappointed, and perhaps fatally so. Much of the advice seems fundamentally sound, albeit very superficial, but some of it is dangerously flawed. (As a former park ranger, for example, I can confirm that the "How to Escape from a Bear" chapter may be effective against a black bear, but could kill you if you met a grizzly.)
The best scenarios in this book are the classic ones that have endured since the book's early printings: "How to Perform a Tracheotomy," "How to Jump from a Moving Car," and so on. For this edition, the author apparently decided that he could milk a few extra bucks from the franchise by adding some specific 21st-century scenarios, like "How to Tell if a Clown is Murderous," and "How to Survive if your Smart Home Outsmarts You." Nearly all of these are disappointments, in terms of both advice and humor, and are not at all in the spirit of the original concept. They made me wish I'd been given a copy of the original printing, instead.
The book is still fun, though, even though the series and concept are getting long in the tooth.
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LibraryThing member coachtim30
This is a handy little guide to get you out of a bunch of life’s difficult situations like, dealing with a snake bite, surviving a plane crash, and even how to tell if someone is lying to you. There are plenty of other serious scenarios that are covered, so there’s something for everybody.
This
I’m sure that there’s an audience for this kind of book -preppers maybe-, but this reader found most of the descriptions of the ways to deal with these situations pretty standard and repetitive.
This
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is pretty light reading that is informative and sometimes a little humorous. I’m sure that there’s an audience for this kind of book -preppers maybe-, but this reader found most of the descriptions of the ways to deal with these situations pretty standard and repetitive.
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LibraryThing member Micah
Ever want to know how to escape from quicksand, survive nuclear fallout, or tell if a clown is murderous? This book is for you. Funny and informative.
LibraryThing member sullijo
"The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook" is a grab bag of useful, humorous, and interesting information about a variety of potentially disastrous situations you might find yourself in. Covering everything from quicksand to plane crashes, rampaging bulls to tsunamis, there is a wealth of survival
I don't normally comment on the physical book itself, but it this case it bears mention. The hardback is nicely constructed, compact in size (about 5.5" x 7.25"), and feels like it would go naturally in a bugout bag or hiking pack.
That having been said, the book wouldn't be particularly useful in the moment of disaster; by the time you were able to get to the book and look up the right chapter it may be too late. This information is best if studied ahead of time.
"The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook" would make a great gift for the adventurer in your life.
NB: I received a free copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.
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information packed into this book.I don't normally comment on the physical book itself, but it this case it bears mention. The hardback is nicely constructed, compact in size (about 5.5" x 7.25"), and feels like it would go naturally in a bugout bag or hiking pack.
That having been said, the book wouldn't be particularly useful in the moment of disaster; by the time you were able to get to the book and look up the right chapter it may be too late. This information is best if studied ahead of time.
"The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook" would make a great gift for the adventurer in your life.
NB: I received a free copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.
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LibraryThing member varielle
This is a guidebook on how to survive should the worst happen. It covers all sorts of deadly situations from truly catastrophic to minor injuries. It's full of grim humor, but useful for the survivalist or accident prone. A little depressing though.
LibraryThing member bookworm12
A blend of humorous and practical advice, the worst-case scenario handbook is a fun gift. The hand cover edition is sturdy and well-made. Previous editions of this one have included almost all of the same content, so I wouldn't buy if you already own a different version. For those looking to
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purchase for the first time it's a good one. Show Less
LibraryThing member fiberdzns
I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
This book gives advice for surviving a multitude of different scenarios. The information could be useful in one of these situations though I question if you would have it near or have the time to look up the advice. A few sections
The book is a bright yellow hardcover. It is small enough that it could go in your camping gear. I personally would not waste the space in my backpack. I have seriously mixed feelings about this book.
This book gives advice for surviving a multitude of different scenarios. The information could be useful in one of these situations though I question if you would have it near or have the time to look up the advice. A few sections
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were tongue-in-cheek but the great majority is serious. I found it a bit hard to finish as it became repetitive and dull. I also don't plan on maneuvering on top of a train and trying to get inside.The book is a bright yellow hardcover. It is small enough that it could go in your camping gear. I personally would not waste the space in my backpack. I have seriously mixed feelings about this book.
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LibraryThing member Grandville
I aspire to be prepared in various situations and I like learning new facts, so I enjoyed this book very much. As I understand it this edition includes most / all of the previous topics (but I'm not positive about that), with some apparently new additions (e.g. How to Survive an Out-of-Control
I'd seen other reviews of this book that mentioned it was simplistic. I would agree that some of the advice is obvious (e.g. How to Survive a Tornado / On Foot in the Open: Get to a Structure). Such obvious advice can't be omitted though. They are giving a game plan for what to do. The game plan needs to be thorough and complete which tends to begin with obvious known actions. In addition for liability reasons you need to make the instructions idiot proof. So the advice sometimes starts out obvious but becomes more informative and revelatory (e.g. If in a car and a tornado is coming in a line directly toward you and you can't get to a structure it is best to drive South and you should not drive North). Furthermore sometimes what I thought was obvious turns out to be wrong. (e.g. Snakes on a Plane: Do not grab the tail). So I'm happy to get confirmation on the obvious actions I already knew and even happier to be corrected about "obvious" actions I was wrong about.
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Autonomous Car). Averaging about 4 pages per topic it's easy to hop around in the book reading and rereading. At 326 pages it's not really a pocket-sized book. (So why not make it 400+ pages?) If I had to quibble about anything I'd say an index would be nice. Regardless I loved this book and know I will continue returning to it.I'd seen other reviews of this book that mentioned it was simplistic. I would agree that some of the advice is obvious (e.g. How to Survive a Tornado / On Foot in the Open: Get to a Structure). Such obvious advice can't be omitted though. They are giving a game plan for what to do. The game plan needs to be thorough and complete which tends to begin with obvious known actions. In addition for liability reasons you need to make the instructions idiot proof. So the advice sometimes starts out obvious but becomes more informative and revelatory (e.g. If in a car and a tornado is coming in a line directly toward you and you can't get to a structure it is best to drive South and you should not drive North). Furthermore sometimes what I thought was obvious turns out to be wrong. (e.g. Snakes on a Plane: Do not grab the tail). So I'm happy to get confirmation on the obvious actions I already knew and even happier to be corrected about "obvious" actions I was wrong about.
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LibraryThing member tripleblessings
This one does contain some useful information, but is mostly written for entertainment. More silly than helpful.
LibraryThing member murderbydeath
I'm a sucker for practical knowledge and I've been wanting to read this book; its trendiness put me off buying it originally, but about a fortnight ago, my neighbour was getting rid of several boxes of books and offered to let me riffle through them first. This was one of the books I took. It's
Unless you live a very different, very active lifestyle, a good number of these are not going to be scenarios you're likely to confront, short of end-of-life-as-we-know it. I'm having a hard time coming up with at-all-likely situations where I'd need to know how to meneuver atop a train, or jump from a motorcycle to a moving car. Ditto hot-wiring (although that's fun to know) and how to win a sword fight. But most of the entries are for things that for most people are at least possible scenarios, if not probably ones and the information is easy to understand and not so difficult you'd forget how to do it in a crunch (except possibly starting a fire - there's a lot of bits involved in that one).
It's a very quick read, and a useful book to keep around on the off chance I need to know how to prepare myself for a trip to the desert, or I need to pick a lock. But I'm glad I waited until fate dropped a free copy in my lap.
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good, it's practical, but I'm glad I didn't buy it when it came out.Unless you live a very different, very active lifestyle, a good number of these are not going to be scenarios you're likely to confront, short of end-of-life-as-we-know it. I'm having a hard time coming up with at-all-likely situations where I'd need to know how to meneuver atop a train, or jump from a motorcycle to a moving car. Ditto hot-wiring (although that's fun to know) and how to win a sword fight. But most of the entries are for things that for most people are at least possible scenarios, if not probably ones and the information is easy to understand and not so difficult you'd forget how to do it in a crunch (except possibly starting a fire - there's a lot of bits involved in that one).
It's a very quick read, and a useful book to keep around on the off chance I need to know how to prepare myself for a trip to the desert, or I need to pick a lock. But I'm glad I waited until fate dropped a free copy in my lap.
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Awards
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (Top Ten — 2001)
Language
Original publication date
2001
1999
Physical description
176 p.; 6.75 inches
ISBN
0756757614 / 9780756757618
Local notes
also GF 86 .P58