im sitting down right now with two new books to read... one is pretty scary, as it fits our present conditions exactly. its called " patriots". i bought it online when i ordered " one second after". looks like a good read.

patriots. by James Wesley Rawles

A tale by the creator of SurvivalBlog.com imagines a world in which a cataclysmic financial crisis prompts a total collapse of American society and forces people to fend for themselves, in a story that follows a group of protagonists who make their way to a shared secure ranch in northern Idaho, where they struggle to survive against violent looting and natural hazards.

"Lights Out" is OK, but not much in the way of real info.  It's good for scaring someone that isn't into prepping though.  "Patriots - Surviving the Coming Collapse" is another story.  This book should be required reading in schools, like "Alas Babylon" was back when I was in school.  Patriots is almost like a manual on how and what to do barely concealed as a novel.  If you have only two post-apocalyptic books in your library, "Patriots..." and "Alas Babylon" should be the ones to have.

I haven't read "Alas, Babylon" yet (just checked it out of the library) but I agree 110% about "Patriots". I ordered the newest edition and gave it to my local public library. If you're local public library doesn't have it, it should. Either suggest that they buy it or make a donation of it to them. I looked upon it as prepping outreach. Maybe if we can convince more people to be prepared, there will be less problems when the SHTF. Or as they would say in Patriots - when the Schumer Hits the Fan.

Sorry bro., but

Most of Rawles "barely concealed" survival guide is outdated or just plain dangerously wrong info.  The book was enjoyable, but seemed to be written by a 9th grader.  On a conspiratorial level, it went far beyond what most people are willing to swallow as well.  "Light's Out" is a much better read in my opinion, though heavy on the deus ex machina moments.  

I agree that "Alas Babylon" is a classic.

anyone know where i can read Alas Babylon online???

Well, I got "Alas, Babylon" from the public library and just finished it this afternoon. I can see why it is a classic. For a 50 year old book, it reads like it was written today (excepting the tension between the Soviet Union and the US). I wish I had read it earlier.

I've said it before and I'll continue saying it:  Patriots is the biggest piece of crap ever written.  There is so much bad and dangerous information in that rag it should be taken off the shelves.

What too many people forget is that Patriots is a FICTIONAL NOVEL that also contains prepping info.  The prepping info is what I refer to as being pretty solid stuff.  How and why to standardize equipment, how to harden a home and vehicle, how to store fuel for long term, skill sets you may need, communication, many other things that are useful.  I completely agree that many actions by the characters in the story are insanely stupid, but I also recognize that the book is a FICTIONAL NOVEL, and as such it has to have good guys and bad guys, good vs. evil, and plenty of action.  No one is going to read a novel about how a group of people put together a bunch of supplies and managed to lay low and draw no attention to themselves in times of trouble.  Well, OK.....I would read it, but most people wouldn't.  Look at what gains the most attention on this forum.....stories about fighting off hordes of zombies or teenage mutant ninja bikers.  Patriots is a story!  You have to learn to use some common sense and separate the info that is tucked in between the action and not confuse the two.  

On another note, I just finished re-reading "Wolf and Iron", and I had forgotten how good it was.  This book focuses on the human side of survival, much like "Alas Babylon", and highlights the daily struggle to stay alive without any zombies and only a few bikers.  It is also about a wolf, and that sometimes gets in the way for me personally, but it also teaches some of the advantages of paying attention to the animals we cohabitate with, and there are some good lessons there too.  If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it, especially if bugging out is your plan.

A couple points, again.
1)  For those defending it as just a novel with good prep info:  One the edition I read made a big deal of it being a survival guide disguised as fiction.  It was great for sales but that means it should be rated not only as a novel (0 on a scale of 1-10) but as a survival guide (somewhere between breakfast at tiffanys and evil dead).

2) Specifics?  
Tactics.  If you endorse the tactics in the book you obviously consider a permanent solution to a temporary problem(suicide) plan A.  

Prepping? mediocre at best.  Just a few flaws from memory(its been over a year since I read it cussing repeatedly at the idiocy)––standardization (good to a point but when taken to an extreme as in Patriots not  so good).  Huge rural retreat, one couple living there and other couples comign out to give them a break train etc and no livestock=fail.  Junk silver?  OK PM's have uses but the way he used it in the book I had trouble swallowing.  I also do not see junk silver as the end all be all like it was shown in the book.  Vehicle selection.  Ya not convinced the late 70's early 80's models are the best choice.  WHen I did pipeline construction in the 80's the company I worked for had gone to the little toyotas as being more economical long term(better durability less replacement of parts).

Converting people to prepping?  Only if they are inclined, just needing a nudge and can tolerate far right 90's style militia fail.  Otherwise the whole communist pedophile cannibal looter thing is gonna make a lot of people go "Holy shit Nepolitano was right them religious gunowners are fucking insane!"

Finally, if you are going to release the same book three or four times in under 20 years 1)update your info at least once and 2)Pay an unemployed 8th grader to proof read your drivel.