Prepping For Life: The balanced approach to personal security and family safety

For those of you who don't know the name, Grant Cunningham is a well known and respected gun writer, trainer and gunsmith, He is known for his very methodical, common sense approach to guns and self-defense. What I had not previously known about him is that he has a degree in Emergency Management and is involved in disaster preparedness for his local Sheriff's office. That's what inspired him to write his latest book.In "Prepping for Life" he takes a departure from writing just about guns and looks at the larger picture of disaster prepping. He takes a different approach from nearly every author I have read on this topic. He presents the methodology used by disaster preparation professionals, and the military, which is the use of a threat matrix. It's a simple idea that can get as complicated as you want/need it to: You analyze and prioritize all the threats you face, the way you see it in your particular situation. He encourages readers to consider medical and natural threats as well as man-made threats.Then you look at how you might deal with those threats at the levels of Anticipate, Deter, Detect and Respond (with "Recovery" being part of "Respond"). Possible choices can be buying survival "stuff" but it can also be taking training, repositioning stuff you already have, changing behaviors, etc. His credo is to work toward getting to an 80% preparedness level for all likely threats and then re-assessing what you want to do beyond that. One mistake people make is getting 100% prepared for one kind of threat, such as violent crime, but then ignoring other risks, like fire, cancer, job loss, etc. He takes the position that risks are risks, period. Any deadly threat can leave you just as dead as any other.He includes links to downloadable worksheets that help you do all this analysis. I highly recommend the book. It is a quick read, but full of great stuff.

Brought up issues I hadn't thought of such as the legal use of weapons in self defense and what the costs could be financially and emotionally.

There is little to add to the reviews below, which are extensive and revelatory. Mr. Cunningham is obviously smart and articulate. He has taken the considerable time and trouble needed to research his plan to the professional level of competence. He seems not to be constitutionally a contrarian, but he looks at whatever problem set he examines, be it bullpup rifles or general emergency preparation or anything else, with open mind and no preconceptions, and he takes no one's word for anything. He dissects the topic to its essential subunits, then analyzes back up to a whole opinion. He certainly may not always be right--who is, after all--but his ideas and recommendations are based not only on his experience but his logical analysis. He's a trained disaster manager and a clear thinker.Bottom line: anyone concerned with disaster/emergency preparation owes both him-/herself and significant others a careful reading of this book. IT EMPHATICALLY IS NOT A DOOMSDAY END-OF-THE-WORLD-AS-WE-KNOW-IT BOOK, A SURVIVALIST-HEAD-FOR-THE-HILLS BOOK, OR A GUN BOOK. Mr. Cunningham simply shows you how to identify what YOU think are possibilities of concern, and then he gives you a way to address them that works for YOU and your situation.

Prepping has been all one-sided for far too long. People talk of carrying a firearm as if it solves all the problems in their world. It doesn't. People preach freeze-dried food or bomb shelters the same way, as if this one thing is all you need to survive when the crisis occurs. Different crisis happen to different people in different places with different lifestyles. There is no One-Size-Fits-All method to prepare. Grant Cunningham walks you through the process of determining what is most likely to happen to you and your family and what you need to do to be prepared for that eventuality. If there's no earthquake coming -- why am I preparing for one? Then again, it appears I may need a few more fire extinguishers in and around my home because fire is a very real possibility for me and mine. Prepping is a lifestyle decision. You cannot simply buy a gun and be prepared. This is a terrific book which is NEW in that it examines ALL the aspects of what could happen to you and how you may prepare intelligently for that possibility. Buy it now.

I love this book! I'm an experienced "prepper", but this book takes a fresh perspective. The author teaches you how to analyze your own life and situation and how to decide what to prepare for and where to best spend your effort and dollars. His approach is unique from anything else I've seen in the prepper literature and I found it very helpful! He helps you take the birds eye view and prioritize what you need to do for your individual situation. His "threat assessment" method is fantastic - really makes it clear what the priorities should be.The book is well written and easy to read. I liked the author's writing style. He's clear and very helpful. This book was definitely worth the money.

I'm not a pepper but I really like the authors common sense approach to life. I didn't use any of the forms but I really liked the common sense approach to life and problems. No big secrets here, just some common sense reality.This author also writes realist self defense firearms books. I have had several people ask me about guns for self defense. I take them to the range for some practice, teach them basic safety and get them a copy of one of Cunninghams's books.

Presents a rational set of concepts and ideas that make sense. Highly recommended.

Even if you've been prepping for years, reading this book will be very helpful. It makes you question your previously unconsidered assumptions, focus on the most likely threats you face, and refocus your efforts where they will do the most good. You won't learn how to start a fire by merely looking at a bunch of kindling. But you might just reorient everything you're doing, and think about yourself and your future in a different way. A very useful book.

A little background for context: I grew up in an area where inclement weather and power outages were very real and very common. As such, preparation for such events was simply standard practice, and a way of life. There was always a tremendous comfort in being prepared for emergencies and disruption of services. I was also a very serious Boy Scout (Queen’s Venturer at that). So, preparedness, and general self-reliance were always a part of my life, and became what you might call a “serious hobby”.I have read many books with respect to survival and preparedness which, while entertaining, and informative, often overlooked the basic fundamentals of a realistic, every persons guide to preparing for and overcoming inconvenient events which, if left to panic, could turn very serious. Additionally, some books, while focused on methods and techniques, failed to address the psychology of preparedness and sense of peace in knowing what to do. More importantly, many books fail to cover how to develop a safe and sensible attitude toward what may seem a daunting, and somewhat unnerving undertaking.I can honestly say that Grant Cunningham has presented the task in a practical, concise manner which I would not hesitate to recommend as required reading for anyone of any skill level from beginner, to the advanced.Mike