I am a CERT instructor and I always keep my eye out for practical information to help people prepare for whatever situations may arise. Recently I bought an e-book called Family Survival Guide by Jason Richards. I was leery about buying off the internet because many of those type of marketing ads just want to up sell you other programs after they get you in. So if you want more information about this just let me know. I am even thinking about printing it out but they are also sending me a CD.

I clicked to leave the site and the price went from $49 to 27.50 for an eight section book that is full of great information so I bought it. I am going through it now and finding a wealth of information on many subjects that are not taught in CERT. Granted some of his ideas may seem a bit far fetched when it comes to Marshal Law being put in place and scary things happening but it could happen. CERT is a great program and I recommend it to everyone and after you finish CERT I would recommend that you get additional training in first aid and other areas. This book will open your mind a bit to some of the other items you may want to concentrate on. Stephen King says in one of his books "Perfect Paranoia is Perfect Awareness". So "if you are prepared ye shall not fear" also applies.

There is even a section of using specific herbs as medicine and quite a bit of information on different methods to purify water. Jason goes over short term, medium term and long term planning for food storage, rotation and medical. There is even a section on keeping your stress level down. I tried to find a good review on the book but they have done extensive SEO so most everything you look up takes you back to his main page.

I can tell you that there have been a few things I have ran into that I did not fully agree with but they were minor and the bulk of the information is great. You can read it and apply what may work for you. Many of us don't have the money to buy everything and he even points this out but says that much of your preparation should be your knowledge. So even if this book was put together for him to make money, that's ok because the practical information is worth the $34 dollars it cost me. I have it on the icloud so I can access it from work, home or the IPAD.

Jason has a bit of cynical view when things happen that the government may not be our best friend. He says that we should be very careful about what information is shared with people and says we should not advertise that we have items in our home such as food storage. Since I have been involved in CERT many people obviously know that I have some items although in Utah many people are more prepared than the average person in other states because the Mormon Church as stressed preparation for years now. Jason does not say we should not share and even at one points says that we should have extra if possible in order to share with those in need. So whether or not you agree with all his ideas makes no difference because the bulk of the information is very good.

Some of the suggestions such as rotating your water every so often are not bad ideas but water that is stored properly does not need to be emptied and refilled every 6 months or even every year. Granted it may improve the taste so your water does not taste like plastic. Jason has a section that discusses prescription medications and that is also interesting. Other practical advice about not showing off your fancy backpacks but making your gear look more plain so you don't attract attention is also prudent. So I give a thumbs up to this 8 section book that is worth the investment.