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Getting started
- The Prepper's Blueprint by Tess Pennington (2014). A step-by-step household plan that starts with short-term events such as storms and outages, then builds toward longer disruptions.
- Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family, 3rd Edition by Arthur T. Bradley (2012). A family-focused handbook covering the usual household needs — water, food, shelter, power, medical care, and communications — with planning worksheets.
- The Unthinkable (Revised and Updated) by Amanda Ripley (2024). A look at how people actually behave in disasters, and what helps families make better decisions under stress.
Medical
- Where There Is No Doctor by David Werner, Carol Thuman, and Jane Maxwell (Hesperian revised edition, 2025 printing). A widely used plain-language village health handbook for prevention, common illnesses, and care when a clinic is far away.
- The Survival Medicine Handbook by Joseph Alton, MD, and Amy Alton, APRN (4th edition, 2021). A comprehensive reference for first aid and medical care when professional help is delayed or unavailable.
- Herbal Medic: A Green Beret's Guide to Emergency Medical Preparedness and Natural First Aid by Sam Coffman (2021). A handbook on first-aid essentials and herbal medicine for when professional medical care is unavailable; it is information only, not medical advice.
Food and water
- Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton (2002). Practical advice for storing food and water, rotating what you eat, and building affordable household reserves.
- Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving by Judi Kingry, Lauren Devine, and Sarah Page (2024 updated edition). The standard home-canning reference, with safety methods and recipes for putting up food at home.
Skills
- SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition by John 'Lofty' Wiseman (2014). A classic, illustrated field guide to wilderness and urban survival, including shelter, water, food, first aid, and navigation.
- Bushcraft 101 by Dave Canterbury (2014). A practical introduction to wilderness skills such as choosing a kit, fire, shelter, tools, and using what is around you.