Just In Case
Guest blog by Mark Smith
Book Review: Just In Case: How to be self-sufficient when the unexpected happens by Kathy Harrison
Released in 2008 this book opens with a very plausible scenario told from the perspective of two different families. One family had little preparedness planning while the other lives a prepping lifestyle—by that we mean they increased the quantity and quality of their options. The differences in their reactions and outcomes are telling. I found it to be a very interesting and realistic assessment of the fictional families.
Kathy Harrison uses a simple but very effective method of handling preparedness. She calls it the O.A.R. system which stands for Organize, Arrange and Rotate. It is described in detail and I found it to be a very user friendly method that I personally recommend to my clients. She goes on through the book’s 230 pages talking about what to do in case of disasters as well as how to go about setting up your home and family to deal with disasters before they happen just in case of . . . well, almost anything. It is done in a matter of fact, been-there-done-that fashion.
The book contains a wide assortment of personal anecdotes that were both helpful and revealing. She does not talk down to the reader which I found refreshing in comparison other books on the market. Also, within its pages were a number of useful recipes using both stored foods as well as cooking from scratch. She discusses how to home can your food and she does it in such a way that a novice canner would feel comfortable.
The book is well populated with clean illustrations. This helps any reader through the process that she has detailed. Another helpful feature in the book is the number of short checklists that can help focus the effort of those preparing for any disaster: tornado, snow storm, power outage, etc.
Given that the book came out four years ago, it really put Kathy ahead of many in those who have written on preparedness. In short, I highly recommend that you add Just In Case to your preparedness library.
Mark Smith
Quick note from Wilson: One of our favorite publishers is Storey Publishing and we have done book reviews on other titles before. However, today we get to hear from our friend Mark Smith, who is a real live preparedness consultant for hire (you may remember him from Podcast Episode 002). I met Mark Smith at the Dallas Self Reliance Expo this past winter. This book comes with both Mark Smith’s and James Wesley, Rawles’ endorsement—good enough for me. We sell this book because it fits into the primer category (you may not know where to start and do not presently nor ever intend to live in a bunker). If you want to hear more from Mark Smith, check out his website or his own new ebook (only $4.99).