In The New Science of Getting Ready for a Crisis, Matthew Stein offers a practical guide to preparing for unexpected disasters. Surviving an attack on your home or an apartment in which you and your family have no security is going to be difficult. As civilization falls apart around them, those with the means to protect themselves and their families from harm are few and far between. When technology fails, it is human error or a lack of planning that causes the greatest suffering. It is through this series of clear-cut tips and examples that Stein offers readers a realistic blueprint for surviving the next terrorist attack, natural disaster, or power outage without endangering your family.
The primary focus of The New Science of Getting Ready for a Crisis is on providing strategies for securing one’s home and family in the event of a disaster or major incident such as a large-scale earthquake, hurricanes or a blackout caused by a solar flare. The methods outlined in Stein’s book can be applied to a variety of situations, ranging from a natural disaster to the widespread utility failure that occurs after a storm. Some of the strategies suggested in The New Science of Getting Ready for a Crisis involve developing a long-term renewable energy system and a long-term storage plan to protect critical infrastructure. Other strategies, such as using radiation blankets and other preventative measures to sterilize water sources before a crisis, are also worth considering.
As with most texts on preparing for disaster preparation, The New Science of Getting Ready for a Crisis covers the issues of water sterilization and purification. While it is not specifically addressed to those living in the affected areas, this is a crucial element of security in any situation. When power and water sources are out basic life survival skills will need to be developed. With Stein’s advice and the guidance of others who have been through similar situations, one can develop a plan that will survive even the worst disaster. It is important, however, that individuals make plans and research the best solutions available.
The second chapter in the book, “The Path toward Sustainability,” addresses how humans should evaluate their current lifestyle and assess the “carbon footprint” of their lives. While it may seem counterintuitive to help humans become less reliant on fossil fuels in an age of global warming and pollution, Stein argues that it is a necessary component of long-term sustainable living skills development. Those living in technologically progressive cultures should look to these same advanced societies as a model for dealing with the crisis, Stein writes. Humans have become so reliant on modern technology that their reliance on fossil fuels is no longer sustainable.
After surveying some of the more practical solutions suggested by Stein’s text, “The New Science of Getting Ready for a Crisis,” and noting that a large number of experts have raised concerns about the sustainability of some technologies, the final chapter in the book, “The Path toward Sustainability,” addresses the need for realistic perspectives on what can be done in response to both crises. Stein notes that while scientists have warned of the looming danger of global warming, the need to act quickly to avoid disaster still remains. In this final chapter, Stein advocates “comprehensive pelotonics,” a reference to those technologies that allow people to ride bikes, go mountain biking, or participate in other types of exercises while remaining in reasonably safe, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly environments.
Stein offers several recommendations in this book, but the most valuable part of this comprehensive primer is the message that people need to be aware of the crisis and look to science and technology for solutions rather than simply relying on the old solutions offered in the past. “The New Science of Getting Ready for a Crisis” offers an optimistic outlook on what future conditions may hold and encourages readers to look to the future and think about what kinds of changes might be possible. While it does not offer a magic recipe for dealing with any given situation, it does offer a number of suggestions for readers who are facing a seemingly stable timeshare crisis. This text will prove especially useful to those people facing issues related to their Timeshare purchase.
