Category: Book, Movie, and Web Reviews

Rhubarb: Four Book Reviews, by S.A.

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When I was a child in elementary school, I always felt cheated when the cafeteria served rhubarb pie masquerading as cherry pie for dessert. Long time gardeners know all about rhubarb, but I’ve encountered a fair number of young people who tell me that they’ve never tasted rhubarb. However, from a survival perspective, rhubarb is a perennial worth considering. You could grow it in a a front yard flowerbed and it’s doubtful the homeowner’s association (HOA) would recognize it. It’s easy to grow, nutritious, stealthy, forgiving (last year I transplanted plants from one bed to another in early Texas summer, …


The Unraveling: A Book Review, by S.A.

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Spoilers Alert: I don’t believe this review gives the story away, but if you don’t like any details in advance, then you might not want to read this. The Unraveling, Book 1 of the Bound to Survive Series by Charley Hogwood 324 pages Kindle $5.99 First, who names their baby Tempest? Even in this day and age of last names being used as first names (for example, Smith, Parker, Jackson, Davis for little girls or little boys) and the revival of old-timey girl names (Donna, Ruth, Hazel, Myrtle), “Tempest” seems over the top, unless maybe you are a Shakespeare scholar. …


S.A.’s Book Review: The Bunker

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A Review of The Bunker: Surviving an Economic Collapse by Wayne Bosak MORE REALISTIC THAN MOST Finally, an apocalyptic book that shows a truer picture of human nature than any other that I’ve read. My belief is that the world is full of good people, and not everyone with a can of Mountain House is a bloodthirsty gunslinger. In the novel The Bunker: Surviving an Economic Collapse, by Wayne Bosak, the main characters are, of course, trying to get home. They encounter many normal people who give them shelter and aid. Sure, there are the usual gangs, looters, and murderers …


Book Review: Alas, Babylon, by G.P.

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In 1957, the Soviets orbited the first Sputnik, bringing a new dimension to the Cold War; and a British engineer and author living in Australia published a popular novel that brought up a new fascination and dread about the nuclear threat. The author was Nevil Shute Norway, writing under his first two names, and the novel was On The Beach. The book was absolutely grim, describing the destruction of the world by nuclear war. Shute’s Novel – Nuclear Exchange and Extinction of Human Race A conflict between Albania and Italy (nothing ages faster than world politics) leads to a general …


Letter: Updated Survival & Austere Medicine Book

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Hugh, As many of your readers already know, the newly revised, highly recommended book, Survival & Austere Medicine: an Introduction, has been published free online in .pdf format (click the picture!). There are several editions online. Make sure you download the 2017 3rd edition edited by the group collectively known as RAWTWMDBM. Available in Hardcover And now this 2017 edition (589 pages) has been published in hardcopy by Lulu. It’s available in hardcover with black & white illustrations for $29.25; paperback black & white for $19.28; paperback with full color illustrations for $111.91; and hardcover full color for $126.35. This …


Letter: Which Printed Encyclopedia Set to Acquire?

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Dear Editor, I am interested in acquiring a complete encyclopedia set for various reasons, one being the removal of history as some sort of social justice. I’m sure everyone has heard the stories, but textbooks and written history have been under attack for many years as well. An acquaintance of mine fights tooth and nail every year to keep subjects within textbooks without a political spin. The Internet is a vast resource, however it is ever changing and it would be great to have a vast amount of information that can’t be changed or turned off at the flip of …


Book Release Announcement: My Thailand Calling

I’m pleased to announce the release of the latest book from Liberty Paradigm Publishing.  It is the autobiography of Rynier Kruger, a Christian man who has devoted his life to missionary service in Thailand.  He has spent more than 20 years there, and now speaks Thai fluently.  The book, titled My Thailand Calling, was just released as a Kindle e-book, and as a Print On Demand trade paperback.  Here is a description: My Thailand Calling is the autobiography of Christian missionary Rynier Kruger. Born in Southern Rhodesia in 1952, Rynier Kruger had an idyllic boyhood growing up on his family’s …


Typeay’s Book Review: The Red Cliffs of Zerhoun, by Matt Bracken

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So, how does one categorize The Red Cliffs of Zerhoun? In my opinion, you simply can’t. Anyone taking a cursory glance at Amazon’s current fiction novel listings will confirm what many folks may have already surmised. The past few years have seen an explosion of what is commonly now referred to as “dystopian fiction”. In the typical dystopian tome, a lone protagonist or group sets out on a quest for survival in what was once the world as he, or she, knew it. I will cut right to the chase.  Matt Bracken’s latest novel is not a work of dystopian …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

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Books: Act of War, by Brad Thor Lost Rights, by James Bovard Movies: O Brother, Where Art Thou? Lone Survivor Instructional Videos: How to roll start your manual transmission car or truck How to Hang a Gate Online Sermon Videos: “His Own Received Him Not” – Message by Chuck Baldwin on Apr. 9, 2017 An Introduction to Reformed Theology (James White) Podcasts: Daily Audio Bible The Hardcore History Series Blogs: The Independent (Archer Garrett) Gear: 3M Performance Plus Duct Tape, Olive Drab, 48 mm x 54.8 meter roll. This is the real deal mil-spec stuff, and one of these big …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

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Note: Since today is Patriot Day, most of today’s recommendations follow that that theme. Books: Warsaw 1944: An Insurgent’s Journal of the Uprising Tactics of Christian Resistance by Dr. Gary North Lexington to Concord Movies: April Morning The Patriot (Note: When I last checked it was also available free for Amazon Prime members,) Television: Resistance: Untold Stories of Jewish Partisans Battle for Warsaw Instructional Videos: How to Make Thermite How to shoot an AR handgun (ala SIG brace, Shockwave Blade, etc) Online Sermon Videos: When Resistance Is Obligatory – by Chuck Baldwin on Jul. 31, 2016 Defying Tyrants is Obedience …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: A well-written book was just recently released aimed at prepping newbies: Self-Sufficient Home, by Nancy Hoffman. (It’s not recommended for advanced preppers, but it’s a great one to hand to your newbie neighbors and friends.) The Edgemaster’s Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing, Using, and Maintaining Fixed-Blade and Folding Knives (I haven’t yet read this book, but it was written by Len McDougall, who authored the highly-rated book The Self-Suffcient Manifesto, so I can safely assume that this new one is well-written.) Movies: London Has Fallen (This movie has a high quotient for “suspension of disbelief”, but it is …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis Movies: The First World War: The Complete Series. (Now that 100 years has gone by, it is time to reflect on how The Great War changed our world, and set the stage for later conflicts.) Doomsday Preppers: Season 1 Note: While still not quite rivaling Netflix, many movies and television shows are now available through Amazon Prime) Instructional Videos: Secret Room in My House Very Cheap and Easy Secret Room/Safe 10 Secret Hiding Places Already …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: The Backyard Homestead Book of Building Projects: 76 Useful Things You Can Build to Create Customized Working Spaces and Storage Facilities, Equip the … Animals, and Make Practical Outdoor Furniture The Complete Guide to Sharpening @WAR: The Rise of the Military-Internet Complex, by Shane Harris Movies: The Road (starring Viggo Mortensen. It is a favorite with both preppers and survivalists.) Captain Fantastic (also starring Viggo Mortensen). This movie is marred by copious foul language, brief nudity, and absurd politics. But it makes a compelling case for home schooling and self-sufficiency. It is rated R, and is definitely NOT for …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: The Homeowner’s Advocate: Tips From A Contractor for Dealing With Contractors (The Advocate Series Book 1) How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease Movies: Army of Crime (a slightly fictionalized account of Armenians and other minorities in the French Resistance during World War II.) Dazzle: The Hidden Story of Camouflage (Documentary) (available through Amazon Prime) Television: Shogun The War – A Documentary Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick Music: Tom Petty: Full Moon Fever Mark Isham: Vapor Drawings Instructional Videos: A great video: 900 Watt Van Conversion full walkthrough (full time …


JWR’s Recommendations of the Week:

Books: Winter in the Wilderness: A Field Guide to Primitive Survival Skills The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom Movies: Anthropoid (2016) the true story of a Czech resistance cell during World War II, and their assassination of General Reinhard Heydrich, the main architect behind the “Final Solution”. Now available on Amazon Prime. The Cowboys (John Wayne) Music: The Essential Paul Simon Complete Pop Instrumental Hits Of The Sixties Instructional Videos: All of the following have some applicability to equipping G.O.O.D. vehicles… DIY Stealth Campervan: Full Tour Stealth Camper Van 2.0 Tour – Carries Motorcycle Inside! …