3.82

3

Dec 29, 2014

I requested this book from Netgalley out of curiosity. Rawles is a former U.S. Army Intelligence officer who is now a survivalist blogger and lecturer. He and his family live on a large, self-sustaining ranch somewhere in the Northwest United States.

This book is a listing of the tools Rawles feels are necessary for one to own and know how to use should survival on one's own become necessary. The list includes Rawles recommendations for types and specific brands of equipment. This is not an I requested this book from Netgalley out of curiosity. Rawles is a former U.S. Army Intelligence officer who is now a survivalist blogger and lecturer. He and his family live on a large, self-sustaining ranch somewhere in the Northwest United States.

This book is a listing of the tools Rawles feels are necessary for one to own and know how to use should survival on one's own become necessary. The list includes Rawles recommendations for types and specific brands of equipment. This is not an instruction manual - although a library of resources is recommended - but a considered listing of what to accumulate in order to have the raw materials needed to survive should a natural or man-made disaster occur.

On the whole, I found Rawles a fairly reasonable person - aside from his frequent swipes at "liberal nanny states" that don't want you walking around the local supermarket with automatic weapons. His list seemed comprehensive and well-reasoned to my own amateur eyes. I might not agree with all his views, but I wouldn't mind being his friendly next door neighbor when the Crash comes. ...more

1

Jan 30, 2016

This book is about 6 hours long (audiobook) and I listened to two of them.

It is a long shopping list. That's it.

It's an unusual shopping list to be sure. At the time that I quote, we were going through a very, very long blog comment the author had received from someone who had owned / repaired / maintained 20 different commercial sewing machines and was giving recommendations on the exact brands and features you should be interested in when buying the sewing machine that would help take you This book is about 6 hours long (audiobook) and I listened to two of them.

It is a long shopping list. That's it.

It's an unusual shopping list to be sure. At the time that I quote, we were going through a very, very long blog comment the author had received from someone who had owned / repaired / maintained 20 different commercial sewing machines and was giving recommendations on the exact brands and features you should be interested in when buying the sewing machine that would help take you through bad times after the SHTF, also known as the EOTWAWKI.

SHTF, if it's not obvious, is "s--- hits the fan" and the other one is "end of the world as we know it." Silly acronyms and a fetish for buying only American were two of the minor irritants that made it an unpleasant read, but mostly it was just totally useless in terms of interesting, practical information for surviving an emergency situation. The recommendations ranged from the utterly banal (don't set up your welding station next to your woodworking station because sawdust + flames = boom) to the uselessly obscure (such as asking for one particular feature of WW2 era industrial sewing machines that was too complicated to explain in the book and that even some dealers may not have heard of.)

I could see this book having a potential audience out there somewhere, but it's not me and it's probably not you, either. ...more

5

Feb 04, 2016

Rawles is an interesting author. It would be wonderful to just sit down with him and discuss his religious philosophies. He seems to be a Christian who believes bad economic times are coming, but unlike many of the Christian movement does not take it as the "End of Days," etc. He has a very realistic view on what could happen if America went through another "Great Depression."

This book is more than just a list of tools to have on hand. He outlines why each tool would be useful. He gives the Pros Rawles is an interesting author. It would be wonderful to just sit down with him and discuss his religious philosophies. He seems to be a Christian who believes bad economic times are coming, but unlike many of the Christian movement does not take it as the "End of Days," etc. He has a very realistic view on what could happen if America went through another "Great Depression."

This book is more than just a list of tools to have on hand. He outlines why each tool would be useful. He gives the Pros and Cons. He advocates the usage of the old powerless tools, the use of which is an all but lost art. This book is useful to the beginning prepper or just the poor man who can't afford that nice new cordless drill at Home Depot. ...more

3

Dec 26, 2018

I had previously read Rawles fiction writing and this was my first foray into his non-fiction work. While this is basically an encyclopedia of tools and their uses, it was not as boring as that might sound at first. It was a slow go, but very educational and I will keep this book on my shelf for use as future reference material. There were a number of tools I had never encountered before and that were fun to learn about. It also left me feeling very proud of the collection I do have! Overall, I I had previously read Rawles fiction writing and this was my first foray into his non-fiction work. While this is basically an encyclopedia of tools and their uses, it was not as boring as that might sound at first. It was a slow go, but very educational and I will keep this book on my shelf for use as future reference material. There were a number of tools I had never encountered before and that were fun to learn about. It also left me feeling very proud of the collection I do have! Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone who is prepping, whether for TEOTWAWKI or just for a fully equipped workshop. ...more

1

Mar 03, 2015

Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via First to Read, in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts: Initially I wasn’t sure about Tools for Survival when I was selected for a copy by First to Read. I thought it would end up reading like a How To for Dummies book, which is not something I enjoy reading. In the end, I decided to give Tools for Survival a chance without pre-judging it.

At first, I thought I was brilliant and would end up telling everyone I’d found a Full Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via First to Read, in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts: Initially I wasn’t sure about Tools for Survival when I was selected for a copy by First to Read. I thought it would end up reading like a How To for Dummies book, which is not something I enjoy reading. In the end, I decided to give Tools for Survival a chance without pre-judging it.

At first, I thought I was brilliant and would end up telling everyone I’d found a hidden gem of a book. Alas, that wasn’t the case for me.

Tools for Survival ended up being a DNF (did not finish). It started out talking about all of these crazy things that could happen (i.e. nuclear attacks, electric pulses, etc.). It was extremely interesting and I was eating it up. Then it switched into detailing tools you may need and sounding more like a How To for Dummies.

I’ll be completely honest. It got to the point where every time I picked it up to continue where I left off, I’d fall asleep. That never bodes well with a book.

I personally would not recommend Tools for Survival, unless I knew someone who was a hardcore survivalist or wanted to begin preparing for possibilities that I actually find kind of ridiculous (like the show Doomsday Preppers).

For more reviews, check out Reviews In A Pinch today! ...more

5

Sep 10, 2014

I'll start by saying that Rawles is definitely one of my favorite survival guide writers. In this book he chronicles the necessary, and best, tools to use for survival, self reliance, and homesteading. He covers everything from farming tools, machinist and welding tools and equipment, firearm recommendations, safety tools, first aid/trauma care and medical kit tools, and all types of tools that should be included in any complete tool box or workshop. He even goes into the specifics of which I'll start by saying that Rawles is definitely one of my favorite survival guide writers. In this book he chronicles the necessary, and best, tools to use for survival, self reliance, and homesteading. He covers everything from farming tools, machinist and welding tools and equipment, firearm recommendations, safety tools, first aid/trauma care and medical kit tools, and all types of tools that should be included in any complete tool box or workshop. He even goes into the specifics of which brands are good, what tools are best for certain jobs, the best way to find good tools for cheap, what to look for in good tooling (and bad), and even how to use many of them. Add to this, he even explains his personal experience with most of them and his first hand knowledge on tips on their usage.

This book is great for anyone putting together a workshop, survival kit, retreat, or even just interested in learning about tools in general. I highly suggest this for any man who considers himself a handy guy or a wannabe Tim the Toolman Taylor. Also great for anyone who wishes to become more self-reliant. ...more

3

Jul 27, 2015

Every halfway decent disaster preparedness resource begins with (or at least includes) a list of lists; due to the multi-faceted nature of the subject. Tools For Survival is just such a resource. It is a fairly comprehensive listing based on the author's actual experience.

Do not make the mistake of picking up this book for an entertaining read. It is an informational resource and, as such, is highly educational for the majority of people reading it.

I strongly believe that it belongs in the Every halfway decent disaster preparedness resource begins with (or at least includes) a list of lists; due to the multi-faceted nature of the subject. Tools For Survival is just such a resource. It is a fairly comprehensive listing based on the author's actual experience.

Do not make the mistake of picking up this book for an entertaining read. It is an informational resource and, as such, is highly educational for the majority of people reading it.

I strongly believe that it belongs in the library of anyone with even a remote interest in living a self sufficient lifestyle. This style of living requires of anyone attempting it to have a well-rounded set of skills and abilities; to be a Jack-of-all-Trades, as it were.

It stands to reason, then, that a person with a well-rounded set of skills be supported by a well-rounded set of tools. If, however, you don't already have everything you need or don't know what you will need, then begin with this this excellent resource. ...more

1

Dec 02, 2014

This is not a survivalist guide; this is a long and expensive shopping list. Basic survivalist guides talk about tools and how to use them. Good guides add in projects, while the best ones show you how to hone your abilities in everyday life so that important skills will be ingrained when the apocalypse comes. This book does no such thing; the reader is simply given a list of tools that he will surely need in the future.

You'll need steel ratchet tensioners! They're listed in the livestock This is not a survivalist guide; this is a long and expensive shopping list. Basic survivalist guides talk about tools and how to use them. Good guides add in projects, while the best ones show you how to hone your abilities in everyday life so that important skills will be ingrained when the apocalypse comes. This book does no such thing; the reader is simply given a list of tools that he will surely need in the future.

You'll need steel ratchet tensioners! They're listed in the livestock fencing section of the book, so they probably have something to do with building fences. Don't know exactly what they do or how to use them? Too bad, because there's no explanation. But make sure you avoid Chinese knockoffs; instead, get some mail-order ones from a specific American-New Zealand company.

I received a free copy of this book as part of Penguin’s First to Read program. ...more

2

May 26, 2015

Rawles's philosophy is that over a lifetime, one should acquire things that may be needed should some unforeseen apocalypse occur and US civilization is punched back a century or so. So, this book is a comprehensive guide on tools and supplies that the reader may need. It's well-organized, mostly practical, and includes a bibliography for specific sections. Very little time is spent on how one should use these tools. An inordinate amount of space is dedicated to guns, relative to other tools. I Rawles's philosophy is that over a lifetime, one should acquire things that may be needed should some unforeseen apocalypse occur and US civilization is punched back a century or so. So, this book is a comprehensive guide on tools and supplies that the reader may need. It's well-organized, mostly practical, and includes a bibliography for specific sections. Very little time is spent on how one should use these tools. An inordinate amount of space is dedicated to guns, relative to other tools. I would not recommend "Tools for Survival" unless the reader is a hardcore survivalist or a farmer/rancher. ...more

4

Nov 19, 2014

A comprehensive guide on tools and supplies to have for surviving most catastrophes. This nonfiction book is both informative and even a little humorous at times. It's well-organized, mostly practical, and includes a nice bibliography for specific sections. This book would make a great gift for any outdoorsman.

Penguin First to Read Galley

1

May 18, 2016

Sounds like another money grubbing banker cloaked in civilians clithing

2

Rawles's philosophy is that over a lifetime, one should acquire things that may be needed should some unforeseen apocalypse occur and US civilization is punched back a century or so. So, this book is ...Full Review

4

A comprehensive guide on tools and supplies to have for surviving most catastrophes. This nonfiction book is both informative and even a little humorous at times. It's well-organized, mostly practical ...Full Review