The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead
Written by Max Brooks
Narrated by Marc Cashman
4/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
From the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, World War Z, The Zombie Survival Guide is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now.
Exhaustively comprehensive, this book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie physiology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, ways to outfit your home for a long siege, and how to survive and adapt in any territory or terrain.
Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack
- Organize before they rise!
- They feel no fear, why should you?
- Use your head: cut off theirs.
- Blades don't need reloading.
- Ideal protection = tight clothes, short hair.
- Get up the staircase, then destroy it.
- Get out of the car, get onto the bike.
- Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!
- No place is safe, only safer.
- The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on.
Don't be carefree and foolish with your most precious asset-life. This book is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now without your even knowing it. The Zombie Survival Guide offers complete protection through trusted, proven tips for safeguarding yourself and your loved ones against the living dead. It is a book that can save your life.
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Reviews for The Zombie Survival Guide
1,727 ratings83 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Although found in the humor section at the bookstore, this book will probably not leave you rolling in the aisle with laughter. It may in fact just save your life.Subtitled Complete Protection from the Living Dead many of the techniques covered in The Zombie Survival Guide could just as easily be applied to surviving living opponents as well. Brooks covers quite a bit of ground in this book, from the myths and realities of zombies to the historical accounts of zombie attacks. In between he addresses (in depth) weaponry and combat techniques, defense, movement, offense, and basic survival strategies.He emphasizes self-reliance--who can you really depend on except yourself?--and constant awareness of surroundings and events. The book is laid out very clearly and in great detail so that there is no confusion when your life is on the line (although, there are a few potential discrepancies). It is perhaps not the most readable book; it is easy to understand, but the text is not the most engaging. The illustrations sprinkled throughout, while useful, are not particularly detailed and seemed more supplementary than integral. But certainly, these minor quibbles can be ignored in the face of a massive undead attack--an inevitable attack that this book prepares you for.Experiments in Reading
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Informative book..It's not the Zombies I am worried about it's the humans. Glad I grew up in an area and time that enabled me to learn survival skills in the wild. The book is fun but all joking aside it is better to be prepared than to be dinner.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Finally, the zombie apocalypse guide that you never knew you needed is available! I noticed that this book is often classified as humor, and yet there's really nothing funny here. This book is deadly serious, to the point where I am now convinced that Max Brooks surely has a safe room in his house especially fortified against the zombie hordes. I mean, seriously, there's an outline of weaponry effectiveness, fortification techniques, survival advice, and an entire semi-comprehensive history of global zombie outbreaks and known details of zombie physiology. I now know exactly what kind of structure to take shelter in, how to make it secure, what weapons to outfit myself with, and how to go about it if I need to venture out for additional supplies or to scout for the status of the outbreak. I even know what size groupings are most efficient for these scenarios, and how long I should wait in the wilderness in case of a global zombie takeover prior to venturing out to seek signs of life. All of which is, in all honesty, a bit disturbing.I was honestly expecting some humorous "real-world" zombie talk, such as comparisons of various zombie creations in pop culture and how they were fought. But, no, the book assumes zombies to be a very real and present threat that it is tasked with helping you safeguard yourself against, and it takes that responsibility very seriously. In this way, you actually could consider it to be a very strong companion to World War Z, though, in all seriousness, this book lacks the creativity that made that one work. You have to REALLY be into zombies to not have your eyes glaze over slightly in reading about how one vehicle compares to another in its zombie-dodging or crushing abilities without there being any engaging first-person zombie fighting narrative included like we got in the novel. It is well worth the skimming, though probably not a keeper for any but the most hard-core zombie fanatics.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5As a fan of reading zombie books, this one was okay and not on my favorite list. At first I was enjoying it, learning about what type of guns are good to use and different terrains. However once you get past the first part, it's a repeat of everything but different scenarios. It was kind of boring because of it so I skimmed through the third part. I got to the end of Recorded Events and thought this might be interesting. Yea like the first few and then I realized oh all of the events are going to be the same... zombie sighting after zombie sighting. Great concept for a book but it dragged on for me.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Every time I went to our local bookstore, this book always catches my eye. I succumbed to curiosity and finally bought a copy. I didn't know what to expect, but the book was written in such a way that you'll actually think zombies are real and out to get you. It's very detailed and matter-of-factly and maybe that's what makes it so entertaining. Although it was very fun at first, when you finally convince yourself that the undead's not after you, it starts to be a little bit of a drag to read.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5If this is humor, it's the driest humor I've ever seen. The book is exactly what the title describes: a handbook to surviving a zombie apocalypse - weapons, strategies, equipment, etc. Certainly worth the read for anyone interested in zombies - and required reading for anyone looking to write their own zombie book/screenplay/etc.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The joke wears thin pretty quick. The idea of a zombie apocalypse may be laughable, but if such a thing could be possible, this book would appear as nothing more than a practical survival guide. Because it's just about as funny as a practical survival guide.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Forget nuclear bombs. Forget terrorists. What the world should be really worrying about are zombies. And if you want to know how to survive the clutches of the living dead, this is the book for you. Never live in fear of zombies again!For its sheer entertainment value alone, I love this book, which is surprisingly detailed and completely serious about its subject. The first half is the survival guide, telling you about the origins of zombies, how to kill them, how to defend yourself from them, and how to survive in a zombie-infested world. There is a lot of advice on terrain, combat, and basic survival skills. So even if this book is tailored for zombie survival, you can use it for other threats as well. Very handy, that.The second half of the book is a record of historical zombie attacks. This is where Brooks sags a little. Not that his accounts aren't interesting, but are they really necessary? There is a pattern of repetition in The Zombie Survival Guide, but otherwise, it's a fun read. I mean, with zombies, how can you go wrong?Mmm. I've got a sudden hankering for brains.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I started out reading a copy of this book. Life often got in the way, as did other books, so reading the text was in bits and pieces. I stumbled on the audiobook version on Scribd and listened to the whole while working. It refreshed my memory on parts that I had forgotten and helped me finally stitch everything together. I have to say that it was well written as it kept drawing me back even years after the first time of reading it.
I really enjoyed the humor that is written into the (very serious) text. Listening to the narration Marc Cashman was a perfect choice for the voice. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sent chills down my spine as if it's really happening. Even though it's highly unlikely to happen (although anything can happen) this is a good read.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Informative book..It's not the Zombies I am worried about it's the humans. Glad I grew up in an area and time that enabled me to learn survival skills in the wild. The book is fun but all joking aside it is better to be prepared than to be dinner.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book is actually written in the form of a survival guide in the event of a zombie apocalypse, so if you want to argue with your friends about speculative zombie world survival strategy, this is the book for you.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Two rotten thumbs up. I've heard some people bash the book but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was particular amusing to read this while thinking about possible Humans vs. Zombies scenarios. If you like zombies and want a tongue in cheek field guide to them, than this is it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a great read. It's funny and very informative. It's a must have for when the zombie apocalypse hits!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Pale fair when compared to the superb World War Z.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a great read. It's funny and very informative. It's a must have for when the zombie apocalypse hits!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Zombie Survival Guide is just what you need to help you plan out how to survive everything from a small Level One zombie outbreak up to a Level Four, full-out zombie apocalypse. That’s right, not every outbreak leads to the end of the world. There have been smaller ones that have been contained. It’s just that the governments of the world have done a good job of covering them up.I have to say that I was disappointed with this book. I was expecting it to be humorous because come on, how could it not be? But in trying to make it sound like a real survival guide, the author has made it boring – just like a real survival guide. It is very detailed. There are sections on weapons, vehicles, clothing, etc. He also discusses the best areas to live in, what type of structures are best to live in and so on. And of course, he goes into how zombies are made, how they function and how they can be killed. Did you know they can walk on the ocean floor? That was a surprise to me. The survival portion is about three-fourths of the book. The second part of the book is a log of all of the reported outbreaks that the author could find information on, starting with an attack in Africa in 60,000 B.C. I found this part to be dry as well – very factual and emotionless - and the incidents felt a little repetitive.I would recommend this book to only the most die-hard zombie fans.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The "Zombie Survival Guide" is the key to being prepared for the upcoming Zombie Apocalypse. Ignore its words of wisdom at your own peril! If you want to learn how to spot the signs of an upcoming zombie infestation (because you know the governments of the worlds are only going to cover it up until it is too late!), what to prepare a head of time, how to survive in the Zombie Ruled World and how to thrive long enough to out live the undead menace in order to repopulate the world with humans, then READ THIS BOOK! Max Brooks will be revered as a prophet in the future World of the Zombie.
Don't say your weren't warned.......or given adequate preparation.....
(In all seriousness, this book is a great deal of serious fun! Also, if you replace the word "zombie" with any other type of biological contagion, it could easily function as a survival guide for surviving, thriving and eventually rebuilding after a pandemic. Something which we all know is coming eventually and which the governments will be totally unprepared for, so get on the stick you all!) - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fun read. A great companion piece to anyone who enjoys zombie-related literature.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jederzeit besteht die Gefahr einer Zombie-Apokalypse. Ob sie nun der Stufe 1 oder der Stufe 3 entspricht, DU solltest vorbereitet sein. Doch wie erkennt man die ersten Anzeichen und wie überlebt man eine lange Belagerung? Wie bekämpft man aktiv die Untoten? Und was muss die perfekte Survival-Ausrüstung enthalten? All diese Fragen werden in diesem „Sachbuch“ beantwortet. Und beachtet: sei vorbereitet: Immer und zu jeder Zeit.Max Brooks hat hier den Anspruch ein fiktives Sachbuch über das Überleben unter Untoten zu konzipieren. Natürlich wird die Ausgangssituation als eine realistische dargestellt und verschiedene Erlebnisberichte aus unterschiedlichsten Epochen angefügt, um die Glaubwürdigkeit des Autors zu unterstützen. Die Kapitel widmen sich verschiedenen Themenbereichen, wie zum Beispiel das Verbarrikadieren in Häusern und das Überleben auf verschiedenen Geländearten und Bedingungen. Jeder Situation wurde überdacht und aufgeschrieben, so dass der Ottonormalverbraucher ein gutes Handbuch zur Seite gestellt bekommt.Und da wären wir auch beim eigentlichen Problem:Wer ist hier der Ottonormalverbraucher? Geschrieben wurde dieses Buch für all jene, die wie du und ich ganz normale Bürger sind und keine spezielle Ausrüstung zur Verfügung haben. Allerdings ist es dann doch sehr auf den amerikanischen Markt ausgerichtet, da dort Waffen jeglichen Kalibers frei zugänglich sind. In Deutschland wären wir verloren, denn die gesamte vorgeschriebene Ausrüstung würden wir niemals zusammen bekommen.Ansonsten bleibt der Stil sachlich und ausführlich. Etwas zu ausführlich für meinen Geschmack, denn vieles wiederholt sich einfach nur oder es wurde das Offensichtliche erklärt. Schade, denn ich hatte mich sehr auf das Buch gefreut und nachdem sich diese Vorfreude noch steigerte durch die Informationen, dass Max der Sohn von Mel Brooks ist und der Übersetzer des Buches Joachim Körber ist (der Mann, der die Bücher des Horrors zusammenstellte), machte sich doch große Enttäuschung breit. Einzelne Passagen sind einfach zu langatmig. Positiv hervorzuheben sind die kurzen Abschnitte, in die das Buch untergliedert ist. Man findet sich zu jeder Zeit zurecht, auch wenn das Thema ermüdend ausgeschöpft wurde.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Read after 'World War Z', this was a bit of a letdown. More of an excessive list, the stories were funny at times, but at others forgettable.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Very thorough and well-written, however horribly dull to read through as it really is written as a survival guide. If the zombie apocalypse ever did occur, I feel more prepared, but I am not that much of a fanatic to have actually enjoyed this book very much. Brooks put a lot of effort into this guide and it shows, but it just wasn't the right book for me personally.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A+ survival guide. I feel prepared for the inevitable zombie apocalypse now.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I read World War Z first and really didn't care for that book (although I thought that I would love it), so I was a little leery picking up this book. And - surprise - I loved this book! I enjoyed the whole "survival manual" set up to the book, which really gave it a more authentic feel. I did disagree with some of the "advice" given: one example was the author recommending that one climb a tree to sleep at night (a great plan...until a zombie wanders underneath, smells you, and you're trapped up there as its moans attract other zombies to stand under your now deathtrap tree). And some of the "facts" were wrong, too: one example is that the author states that Allakariallak, an Inuit featured in the "documentary" (I'd call it more of a "docudrama," because some of it was made up for dramatic effect) died of starvation the year after the "documentary" was completed (he actually died of what is believed to be tuberculosis). Still, though, if you're into survival manuals, or zombies in general, I would really recommend this book. It was much more enjoyable than World War Z, at least in my opinion. And the "documented attacks" in the back of the book are like a precursor to World War Z, except not as dragging. And if you are one of those people who enjoy thinking about what you would do in a post-apocalyptic and/or zombie apocalypse situation, this is sure to make the gears in your head grind.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Not really a big fan of this book. Much preferred World War Z. Maybe I'm not one for "list" style books - more of a narrative kinda guy. Ah well. I'll give it props for being original.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5This is the companion piece to "World War Z". Well, it was written first, but you know what I mean. This is the standard handbook guide to surviving a zombie apocalypse -- a subject near and dear to my heart, and other organs. It's good instructions, with a lot of stuff that's useful for any apocalypse scenario. I really need to pick this up and keep it in storage, just in case I end up being the omega man.But as far as entertainment, it's a bit dry and there's more information than you need. The bookstores categorize this in the humor section. I don't see what's humorous about a zombie invasion. It's a serious book. It's a handbook, meant for reference.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5this was sent to me by an online friend for my birthday a few years ago, i loved this book but it made me slightly paranoid that i would never survive a zombie apocolypse lol. great tips though, and it really makes you wish that those guys in the movies had read it. its a great book for anyone who is a fan of zombies.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wondering how to prepare for a zombie apocalypse? If so, this is the book for you. Step by step, detailed instructions on what works, what doesn't and what you need to take into account when facing a horde of the undead. I very much enjoyed my sojourn into the land of the ghouls and am wondering if this is the book that spurred the recent fixation on zombies in the movies and television. A delightful moment occurred when a late teen-early 20 something started dialoguing with me over The Zombie Survival Guide while I was hanging by the waterfall.
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I checked it out of the library. It looked funny. I ended up not reading it. I tried to, really. I read almost a chapter, but it was kind of boring, and then I flipped further along, and I ended up just kind of putting it down in irritation, thinking I'd get in the mood for it later. But somehow there was always something else more interesting to do, and then the due date came up, so I returned it.
No loss. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This book is hugely overrated. It's not bad at all, but I don't think it holds a candle to World War Z, a much better book by Brooks.
There are two main problems with this book:
1. The science. If you don't know your science, don't try to write about it. I can forgive ignorance if you aren't making a point of the science, but if you are, at least try to get it right. This is, of course, so much worse with biology for me since I'm a biologist, but it was so bad I kept coming back to being annoyed by it.
2. Too much flashy, console-gaming violence and not enough with the practicalities.
All in all, it is a fun little book, and I'll be quite happy to pull out a couple of the arguments in the book with the people that I generally have zombie-survival-strategies arguments with.