Book Review
Becoming Self-Reliant:
How to Become Less Dependent on Society and the GovernmentBy Ken Larson
Published by Rhema Publishing Inc.
P.O. Box 789, Suwanee, GA 30174
Phone: 770-932-6991
Cover price: 11.95
ISBN 0-9642497-1-5
Becoming Self-Reliant covers the basics of storing food and water to more advanced survival topics, such as drying food, raising rabbits and pigeons, and how to build and deploy fish traps. It's a good guide for the beginning to intermediate survivalist with something of interest for everyone. Captain Dave found himself taking notes at a few spots, so everyone can learn something from this easy-to-read 200 page soft-back book.
Larson, who has always been fascinated with survival techniques, is currently a disaster analyst with the government, so he's seen the results of hurricanes, floods and other disasters first-hand. This experience allows him to add examples and anecdotes, which serves to make the book more interesting. When he says he's seen fights break out over a gallon of water being sold at $10, it makes you think.
Although titled Becoming Self-Reliant, this could easily have been called Preparing For the Worst or something similar. Yes, you could use the book to reduce your expenses today, but I think most of the people who visit this site will use it to prepare for a disaster down the road. Will it help you be less dependent on society and the government? Maybe not today, but definitely at the time immediately following a disaster.
Highlights of the book include:
- Two different food inventory lists
- Detailed explanation of different ways to dry food at home
- How to raise, breed and butcher rabbits
- The same for pigeons
- How to build and place fish traps
- An introduction to a few easily-found natural foods
- Finally, the book closes with tips on how to survive a flood, tornado or storm/hurricane. Good information, much of it from Ken's first-hand experience seeing what does and doesn't work.
Becoming Self Reliant has earned a place our bookshelf and is well worth the $11.95 cover price.
Larson has also published God's Free Harvest, Nature's Free Pharmacy and Nuclear Emergency. Sections of all three books are available on-line at http://members.aol.com/keninga/index.htm.