Those that recommended 'One Second After'

[Jeepaxle]

AMERICAN APOCALYPSE BY NOVA is well worth reading...I've read the first 4 (ebooks) and they are entertaining as hell and make you think about what it might be like in a financially broken country.
"This is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller set in America at the beginning of a socioeconomic collapse. Although an innocent casualty of the chaos, one young man must discover his inner strength and defiant courage as he comes of age learning how to survive in the wasteland of failing services, unemployment, and violence. With the economy in free fall, the government crippled by indecision, the streets taken over by new political party's, and the fragile institutions of civilization crumbling, a young man finds himself homeless and alone on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., facing certain death unless he can master survival skills he never imagined needing. Fending off violent citizens in an urban landscape that is gradually sliding into looting and mayhem, the protagonist emerges as an ultimate force of justice in a lawless land. This compelling, fast-paced novel pulls readers in and lets them experience firsthand what life in the United States will be like as its teetering society begins to fall."

[aheiser]

I read One Second After a while ago, perhaps a year even. I'll agree that it's a fairly good book to introduce someone to the importance of prepping. And it does so in a semi-likely and somewhat plausible manner. I did however find it to be a book that in my opinion helps a person build a large list of "things that don't work well when the SHTF". Maybe more so than a list of things that are likely to actually work or be possible in a SHTF scenario. While it displays some of the positive aspects of being part of a small community (though in a very ideal manner) I think it inadvertently showed all the downsides to it as well. I think for me it reinforced the idea that while there are benefits to being in a large neighborhood or small community, the downsides involving human behavior and a sense of "the committee decides" can quickly ruin survival or make things much more difficult.

Also, I find it ironic that a lot of people criticize books like Patriots for being overly idealistic when I thought OSA was *at least* as idealistic in nature. Either way a decent book to read and pretty good one to use to indoctrinate folks into the fold.

[Singlestack]

I'm 95% done with OSA, and it is pretty dark in parts. I have no doubt that nursing homes and care facilities could become hellholes in no time. What I liked about it was the likely effects on average non-prepper people (i.e. the strong majority of the population). I liked Patriots, but that is from the POV of a well-equipped prepper group. Best part to me was the prepping details that Rawles went into.

If you like EMP survival books, one that I can recommend is the Pulse - told from the POV of boaters.

[rbeau30]

I just finished a series of books, geared towards a forced "peak oil" situation and how things would possibly go down in Europe due to "terrorist" attacks against the global oil industry.

Last Light by Alex Scarrow, and
Afterlight by Alex Scarrow.

Once you get past the British English, there is a bit of info in there that is worth reading about. If anything it makes you glad we can have fireams in the U.S..

[jonny450r]

Read osa in two days cause I couldn't put it down (I don't like to read ever). Great read but I was all good until I read the afterword and then it was an eye opener that it could happen and what will follow. I'm thinking about getting lights out and maybe the patriot.

sent from my fancy dancy phone that'll soon be outdated or broken

[netsecsys]

Just got done reading book 1 of 299 Days. Good reading so far...

[blacklabel]

Just got done reading book 1 of 299 Days. Good reading so far...

I want to read those but I'm not going to pay what they want per book when there are 10 books (if I remember right) in the series.

[netsecsys]

I want to read those but I'm not going to pay what they want per book when there are 10 books (if I remember right) in the series.

I felt I got $13 worth of entertainment from the first book. Well worth the price of a movie ticket. Wife is starting to read it now

[buckshotbarlow]

I tell ya all, THE ROAD is fking depressing...man trying to make it through and it's harder then hell. One second after at least had a glimmer of hope...

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

If you had all the signs and symptoms of cancer, you'd try and justify it to yourself by any other diagnosis you can think of before accepting it. Human nature.

I didn't.

I'm afraid to think that a lot of people will have the same recognition when they realize there's no "end in sight", and things won't be back to the way they used to be... A lot of them will lose their sense of community and morality and will take it out on strangers violently. Others might just collapse internally and take it out on themselves via suicide, murder-suicide, etc.. Regardless of possibilities and "what ifs", TEOTWAWKI will be a devastating turn of events we can only pray doesn't happen in our lifetimes, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared for a few months of self sufficiency if necessary.

I agree on all points. It would be seriously scary. I do like to think much as in "OSA" - good folks would pull together.

I tell ya all, THE ROAD is fking depressing...man trying to make it through and it's harder then hell. One second after at least had a glimmer of hope...

Read this one too - here's a world I don't want to live in. It wouldn't be suicide, but when things look bleak, I'm looking for a hell of a party or a hell of a battle. $0.02
But - see my first point. I feel I'm already living on borrowed time.