Well folks, I did it! My second non-fiction book in as many months is finally out the door! Preparing to Prepare: A General Guide to Self-Sufficiency and Preparedness is now available on Amazon!
The Preparing to Prepare non-fiction work began taking shape in written form around the same time as the non-fiction Home Remedies piece. The information contained within this work, though, has been rumbling around in my head for ages. What makes this work unique, I think, is that it allows readers to determine just what they want to prepare for (from weather to societal collapse) and estimate how long that disruption to their lives might last (< 1 week, > 1 week but < 1 month, or > 1 month). It is not an anthology for all things preparedness related. It is, however, a good read and a good place to start for anyone looking to outlast a disruption to their normal daily lives.
I think now I might take a little break and do some projects I’ve been wanting to try and/or fix some things around the house.
Plus, it’s winter, so it’s time to do some reflection on what worked, what didn’t, how can some things be improved, planning the garden, pricing out project costs, and of course there’s inventory to perform! Sometimes winter can be busier than the good weather months, depending on how you approach it.
Here’s the back cover text for those that are interested:
When people hear the words ‘self-sufficiency’ and ‘preparedness’ together in the same sentence, they typically conjure up images of tinfoil hats and reclusive preppers. However, just about everyone is, in a general sense, preparing for something. The difference is that we don’t ascribe those terms to say:
Grandma Betsy who grew and canned produce from her Victory Garden.
Suzy Homemaker who purchased some extra cases of water for her family for the heat of summer.
Bob Bizowner who purchased plywood to board up his business to protect it from anarchists, rioters, and looters.
Neighbor Jenny who purchased two months’ worth of everything before state lockdowns were initiated.
When we see examples like these, we say they were smart to be prepared or had good timing, in a positive way, not derogatorily.
Preparing to Prepare: A General Guide to Self-Sufficiency & Preparedness takes a duration-based approach to the potential disruptions that might befall an individual, family, community, or region. These disruptions to daily life could be minor (week or less), moderate (week to a month), or major (more than a month) and originate from the weather, society, health problems, employment loss, or something else. Preparing to Prepare walks the reader through personal assessments by asking the reader to answer very specific, thought-provoking questions geared toward understanding their environment and the potential pitfalls that life may throw at them. With those answers in hand, only then can the reader truly begin preparing for their chosen duration.