Emergency - Neil Strauss

After reading reviews of this book on Amazon (after having finished it) I've noticed that many people seem to have thought this book was a survival manual. However, nowhere does it claim to be such a thing. It is quite simply the story of a man's journey of learning how to survive economic meltdown. Now that that's cleared up, lets get to the main bit.

"Emergency" (2009) is the newest book from Neil Strauss, best-selling author of The Game (which I have previously read twice) and "How to Make Love Like A Pornstar" with Jenna Jameson. It is a story of a man who seems to be worried that America is coming to an end, and in a way he is close to being right, what with the recession and many banks going bankrupt etc. This worry inspires him first to try and get a citizenship in another country so he has somewhere to escape to WTSHTF (When the shit hits the fan). Whilst waiting for his citizenship, Strauss spends three years learning how to look after himself in a rural or natural environment as well as shooting guns, wielding knives and slaughtering deers (the latter story isn't really for the faint-of-heart).

Having already read The Game, I already believed that Strauss wasn't exactly with it but then when I finished Emergency, my thoughts were proven to be true. Reading through the book I was thinking he must be a bit crazy to spend thousands of dollars on learning how to shoot a gun in 1.5 seconds or how to slaughter, skin and cook a goat as well as how to build a tent/cover out of twigs and leaves, but he did it and his experience makes a very interesting read.

Emergency definately wasn't as good as The Game but, had I the time, I probably still would have shot through it (damn studying and essay writing). It was interesting, deep, funny and slightly inspiring (although I wouldn't spend 2000 dollars on learning to throw a knife). If you've read The Game in the past I'd recommend this to you. If not then I'd say The Game is the book which should be read first, then move onto Emergency.

Overall: 3.5/5. Not the best book I've read and slightly slow to begin with but when the story got going I spent 5 hours sat on my bed until 2am when I finished the book.