The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook FROM OUR EDITORS
If you've never had to escape from a sinking car, fend off a shark, or deal with a charging bull, you should thank your lucky stars. And then you should pick up The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook. The book provides tongue-in-cheek instructions on how to free oneself from the grip of an alligator, jump from a building into a dumpster, and survive a host of other dangerous, albeit unlikely, situations. For some, The Worst-Case Scenario Handbook will simply be outrageous, humorous entertainment. But for those who are accident-prone or who constantly find themselves in the wrong place (like the mouth of an alligator) at the wrong time (dinnertime), it may actually be a lifesaver. Whether you're looking for laughs or advice, The Worst-Case Scenario Handbook should be required reading.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Danger! It lurks at every corner. Volcanoes. Sharks. Mountain lions.
Quicksand. Terrorists. The pilot of the plane blacks out and it's up to
you to land the jet. What do you do? The Worst-Case Scenario Survival
Handbook is here to help survive the most harrowing predicaments:
jam-packed with how-to, hands-on, step-by-step, instructions on
everything you need to know fast--from detecting a bomb to delivering a
baby in the back of a cab.
Providing frightening and funny real information, this indispensable
guide is the definitive handbook for those times when life takes a
sudden turn for the worse. The essential companion for a perilous age.
Because you never know...
About the Authors:
Joshua Piven, a resident of Philadelphia, is a computer journalist and
freelance writer, and is a former editor at Ziff-Davis Publishing. He
has been chased by knife-weilding motorcycle bandits, stuck in subway
tunnels, been robbed and mugged, has had to break down doors and pick
locks, and his computer crashes regularly.
David Borgenicht, a resident
of Philadelphia, is a writer and editor who has written several
nonfiction books. He has ridden in heavily-armored vehicles in
Pakistan, stowed away on Amtrak, been conned by a grifter, broken into
several houses (each for good reason), and has "borrowed" mini-bottles
from the drink cart on Delta.
FROM THE CRITICS
USA Today
Those with deep-seated fears about killer bees, quicksand, mountain lions and sharks
will enjoy The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook by Joshua Piven and David
Borgenicht , a handy little book for the extremely prepared that is
climbing the best-seller list.
Just so you know right away, the first rule of survival is Do Not Panic. The last rule is
Learn to Return. There are a lot of rules in between. This handbook tells how to get out
of 40 bad situations, "pretty much a scary scenario for everyone," Piven says.
Experts were consulted. The longest scenario (six pages) tells how to land a small
passenger plane in case the pilot can't.
Everything signals seriousness. The cover (yellow-orange like traffic signs, school buses,
No. 2 pencils) conveys caution, safety. The language is plain (scant adjectives) and
formal (no contractions). The black-and-white drawings were inspired by that survival
bible, The Boy Scout Handbook. This book is serious right down to the warning in
the beginning: "DO NOT ATTEMPT TO UNDERTAKE ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES DESCRIBED IN THIS
BOOK YOURSELF."
This is a no-nonsense, no-fooling-around guide with straightforward information. But fear
not: The authors have enough perspective to acknowledge the campy appeal of an armchair
guide for the anxious. "We thought it would be funny to people," Borgenicht
says.
They were, he says, "inspired by pop culture as much as by paranoia - most of the
scenarios we talk about were a TV or a movie scene."
Sharks, the authors say, scared both of them to pieces in childhood.
Blame it on Jaws.
Forbes
How many book jackets have you seen bearing the words, "This book can
save your life!"? Finally a book that really, no kidding, could.
USA Today
This is a no-nonsense, no-fooling-around guide with straightforward
information. But fear not. The authors have enough perspective to
acknowledge the campy appeal of an armchair guide for the anxious.
Publishers Weekly
In The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook (1999), Piven, Borgenicht and Worick taught readers how to escape from quicksand and jump from bridges. It's relatively simple to calculate a shark's actions, they say, but human nature is much less predictable. Here, they tell single listeners how to get away from "Mr. or Ms. Wrong." Punctuated with cheesy synthesizer music akin to a demo on a Casio keyboard, Hamilton first gives a disclaimer "breaking a heart is one thing; breaking the law is another" then, in a matter-of-fact style, she tells how to deal with the hazards of romance from bars and bedrooms to airplane lavatories. As if reading from a driving manual, she tells listeners how to remove difficult articles of clothing, fake an orgasm, deal with a drunken date, handle a bad kisser and deliver a pick-up line. Wondering if your date is an axe murderer? Find out if he was sexually abused as a child and has an obsession with matches. Not sure of the gender of your date? Look at his or her hand and be suspicious of baggy clothing. Need to sober up fast? Avoid aspirin and drink lots of water. Although much of this advice sounds silly, the authors' suggestions are completely serious, and Hamilton delivers them that way, e.g., straightforwardly explaining how to spot breast implants by checking out www.implantinfo.com. Based on the Chronicle paperback. (Jan.)n Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Library Journal
Expertly read by Laura Hamilton, this amusing and, at times, scary book follows the general outline of the other "worst-case" titles. Experts offer insights on many common and uncommon disasters that can occur when people date and enter into, or fall out of, relationships. This tape is definitely geared toward consenting adults (how to have sex in small spaces), yet it also offers practical information for someone just entering or reentering the dating scene (how to deal with a bad kisser; what to do if your credit card is declined). Ethics sometimes takes a back seat to practical considerations: for instance, searching your lover's belongings to determine if he/she is married. While certainly the tone of the book makes for humorous listening, a lot of the advice is very sensible and covers issues not easily found in other resources. One won't be able to create a healthy relationship using this audio; one will gain insight on how to slide out of a bad one. Recommended for public libraries where the series is popular. - Kathleen A. Sullivan, Phoenix P.L. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Read all 7 "From The Critics" >
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
The book is somewhat tongue-in-cheek but includes some helpful advice you hope you'll never need. — Jean Heine
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