Practical Doomsday: A User's Guide to the End of the World

Brief Contents
Contents in Detail
Preface
Part I: Thinking About Risk
	Chapter 1: A Method to the Madness
		A Method for Reducing Complexity
		A Model for Quantifying Risk
		The Challenge of Crony Beliefs
	Chapter 2: The Specter of Humdrum Calamities
		Unemployment and Insolvency
		Loss of Shelter
		Loss of Basic Utilities or Transportation
		Unintentional Injury
		Theft, Harassment, and Intentional Harm
		Illness and Death
		But Wait, There’s More!
	Chapter 3: Exploring Large-Scale Risks
		Natural Disasters
		Industrial Accidents
		Social Unrest and War
		Economic Crises
		Pandemics
		Terrorism
	Chapter 4: Oh No, Zombies!
		Uniquely Virulent and Deadly Diseases
		Runaway Climate Change
		Other Planetary-Scale Natural Disasters
		Exotic Physics and Miscellaneous Space Phenomena
		Unimpeded Rise of Totalitarian Regimes
		Global Thermonuclear War
		Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse
		Ghosts, Bigfoot, and the Coming Robot Apocalypse
		The Scourge of Extraterrestrials
		Looking Beyond Doomsday
Part II: The Prepared Lifestyle
	Chapter 5: Mind Over Matter
	Chapter 6: Building a Rainy-Day Fund
		Finding Ways to Save
		Compartmentalizing the Funds
		Dealing with Debt
		Knowing Where to Stop
	Chapter 7: Safeguarding Your Savings
		The History of Currencies
			Debt as a Currency
			The Age of Coin
			Fractional Reserve Banking and Fiat Money
			Cryptocurrencies
		Revisiting Dangers to Liquidity and Capital
			Loss of Access to Bank Accounts
			Adverse Judgments
			Gradual Inflation
			Hyperinflation
			Confiscation of Wealth
			The (Monetary) Zombie Apocalypse
		Methods for Mitigating Risk
			Physical Cash
			Diversified Bank Deposits
			Bonds
			Simple Currency Hedges
			Equities
			Stock Options and Commodity Futures Options
			Precious Metals
			Real Estate
			Physical Collectibles
			Cryptocurrencies and NFTs
			Insurance Policies and Separation of Assets
		Portfolio Design Strategies
	Chapter 8: Engineering a Doomsday-Proof Career
	Chapter 9: Staying Alive
		Defensive Driving
		Working at Heights
		The Enemy in the Medicine Cabinet
		Alcohol and Recreational Drugs
		Workshop and Power Tool Safety
		Fireproofing the Homestead
		Other Dangers in and Around the Home
	Chapter 10: Protecting Oneself in the Digital and Physical Realm
		Dealing with Online Fraud
		Maintaining Privacy on the Internet
		Minimizing the Impact of Burglaries
		Responding to Muggings and Home Invasions
		Fending Off Pickpockets
		A Word on Kindness
	Chapter 11: Getting in Shape
		The Folly of Miracle Cures
		Establishing a “No Diet” Diet
		Calorie Restriction vs. Exercise
		The Importance of the Long Haul
	Chapter 12: Building a Community
	Chapter 13: Hatching a Plan
		Jotting Down Scenarios of Concern
		Modeling Sequences of Events
		Defining Basic Strategies
		Identifying Indicators and Decision Points
		Planning to Fail
		Facing the Final Contingency
		From Plans to Supplies
Part III: The Essentials
	Chapter 14: The Discreet Charm of the Bulletproof Vest
	Chapter 15: Water
		Estimating Water Needs
		Household Storage Options
		Hydration on the Road
		Long-Term Storage Tips
	Chapter 16: Nourishment
		Estimating Bulk Calorie Needs
		Nutrition in the Long Haul
		Picking a Storage Strategy
		Keeping Stockpiled Foods Fresh
		Stocking the Doomsday Pantry
		Specialty Survival Foods
		Backyard Gardens as a Source of Food
	Chapter 17: Sanitation, Hygiene, and Health
		Waste Disposal
		Containment of Flooding and Leaks
		Dishwashing, Laundry, and Other Chores
		Personal Hygiene
		Medication and Medical Supplies
		Medical Skills
	Chapter 18: Fuel and Electricity
		Keeping the Lights On
		Powering Small Electronics
		Staying Warm
		Staying Cool
		Cooking
		Getting Around
		Looking Beyond Short-Term Outages
	Chapter 19: Household and Vehicle Tools
		Storm Cleanup Equipment
		Dealing with Car Malfunctions
		Other Household Gear
	Chapter 20: Evacuation Gear
		General Preparations
		Setting Up a Camp
		Bad Weather Preps
		Food and Water in the Wild
		Knives and Other Camping Tools
		Wildlife Management and Physical Security
	Chapter 21: Protection Against Pollutants and Disease
		Human-to-Human Transmission of Diseases
		Zoonotic Disease Vector Control
		Smoke and Industrial Accidents
		Nuclear Disaster Preps
	Chapter 22: Emergency Communications
		The Lost Art of Pen and Paper
		Satellite Communications
		Two-Way Radios
			Understanding the Range of Handhelds
			Radio Bands and Types of Service
			Digital Radios and Data Transmission
			Licensing Requirements
			Looking Beyond Handhelds
	Chapter 23: Entertainment and More
Part IV: Active Self-Defense
	Chapter 24: The Politics of Putting Up a Fight
	Chapter 25: Standing Up for Your Belongings
		What You Aren’t Allowed to Do
		Buying Some Peace of Mind
		Buying Time
	Chapter 26: Fighting for Your Life
		The Legalities of Self-Defense
		The Right to Arm Yourself
		The Merits of Unarmed Combat
		Less-Lethal Defense Tools
		Weapons That Kill
	Chapter 27: Understanding Firearms
		Handguns
			Semiautomatic Pistols
			Revolvers
			Other Concealable Firearms
			Deciding on Handgun Caliber and Size
		Long Guns
			Rifles
			Shotguns
		Ammunition
		Firearm Safety Rules
		Firearm Storage
		Getting Good
	Epilogue
	Notes
	Index