Thursday, May 18, 2017

When The Grid Goes Down: A Book Review

When the Grid Goes Down by Tony Nester, reviewed by Susan Deppner, ReviewThisReviews.com
If you consider yourself a "prepper" and have both a plan and supplies to support the plan over the course of a major or long-term disaster, then you don't need to read this book or my review. You're good to go and I thank you for stopping by.

However, if you're among the two-thirds of us who don't have an emergency plan in place and have nothing more than a few extra cans of food, a bag of rice, and a case of bottled water in the pantry, then it's very important that you stop what you're doing, read the book, and start working on a survival plan for your family.

The book to which I refer is called When the Grid Goes Down: Disaster Preparations and Survival Gear for Making Your Home Self-Reliant. Its emphasis is more on developing both a plan and a mindset as you implement your plan than it is on where to buy a good bug-out bag. The latter information you can find anywhere; the former is not discussed in emergency prep books nearly as much as it should be. That's one of the reasons I liked this book so much and recommend it highly to those who tend to get overwhelmed when the subject of emergency preparedness is discussed. (What, you haven't started building your passive solar straw bale house yet??)

Author Tony Nester is a survival expert and teacher with an impressive resume, well-respected in the survival training community. He also has a good writing style and presents this important information in a way that makes sense rather than trying to scare us into buying the latest gadget, gizmo, or fad on the prepper market.

In his book the author discusses in depth six key survival priorities then encourages us to tackle those basics in a "layering" method (for example, start with your case of bottled water, then add water jugs, later add a rain barrel, and eventually learn how to purify water from surrounding ponds or springs). This method will enable our families to survive short-term first, then long-term as our plans and prep levels progress. He convincingly encourages readers to take action, step by step, to bring their plan into a workable reality. No reason to get overwhelmed if you follow this advice.

Who will take care of your family when a disaster strikes? Photo: Evacuating Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, from FEMA/Jacinta Quesada, In the public domain.
Who will take care of your family
after a disaster?
Photo: FEMA/Jacinta Quesada
In the Public Domain
Being prepared means something different for everyone, depending on where they live, size and makeup of their family, geographic and weather considerations where they live and work, and even income, but there are important overlaps. No matter whether you're more likely to deal with the aftermath of a hurricane than a tornado, the six priorities you'll learn from Tony apply to everyone. That's why I believe every beginning to intermediate "prepper" can benefit from the information in this book. And if you're in the very beginning states of planning and prepping, that especially means you.

Whether the cause is a cyber-attack, a natural disaster, a nuclear attack, or something somewhere in between, chances become greater every day that you will be called upon by circumstances to take care of yourself and your family during a major service and power outage. Such an episode could be lengthy and certainly could alter your life in a major way, starting within hours of the event, when you least expect it. This excellent book will help you prepare.

When The Grid Goes Down by Tony Nester is available in both paperback and e-book format for your Kindle or other reading device. The book has received 4.3 stars from over 225 reviewers and is a bestseller in multiple categories on Amazon.com.





Books From Author Tony Nester


~ Susan
Read more of my reviews.




Posted by Susan Deppner

Susan Deppner

About the Author

Susan Deppner is a baby boomer, a cancer survivor, and a Southerner who believes in the Golden Rule. She enjoys writing about food, faith, and fitness; health, home, and holidays; people, places, pets, and patriotism, and more. Follow Susan on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


20 comments:

  1. Susan, I have a basic preparedness kit due to living in a coastal community prone to hurricanes (and having used it during evacuations twice), but I would not be prepared for a long-term major power or service interruption when there is no where inland to go to 'wait out' a natural disaster. Your book review certainly gives me 'pause for thought'. Rather scary thoughts for sure. Obviously it doesn't hurt to begin to be prepared for ANY emergency in today's uncertain world.

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    1. I think it doesn't hurt to be just a little bit scared about what could happen, if that's what motivates us to do some slightly more serious preparation. You're definitely right on the money when you say that it doesn't hurt to BEGIN to be prepared for ANY emergency. Starting with covering the basics then layering on more prep as you learn what will work best for your situation is an excellent strategy. As for me, I'd prefer to bury my head in the sand and hope for the best. :) Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment.

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  2. We have a bug out bag for basic problems, but if the grid goes down, we will all have a massive problem! At that point, I would be glad I'm an herbalist and can identify food sources. Let's hope it doesn't happen!

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    1. Heather, your skill as an herbalist is a great thing in terms of neighbors helping neighbors. In a worst case scenario (which could develop in a very short period of time), you may be able to barter that skill for something that someone else has and you need. But I agree, let's hope it doesn't happen.

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  3. This sounds like a book we all need! If for no other reason, we need the reminders to refresh, replace, and restore those needed supplies. We certainly can't be prepared for every eventuality, but being basically prepared for lose of electricity & water is a good place to start. I feel certain the author of "When the Grid Goes Down" gives us lots of easy suggestions. Thank you for the excellent review and book recommendation.

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    1. You're quite welcome, Cynthia, and thanks for sharing your thoughts. Great point about refreshing our supplies - it's amazing how quickly expiration dates sneak up on us!

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  4. What a great review Susan. We have some of the basics but I can tell we fall way short of being prepared. Sounds like a perfect book to help. Fran is always the one trying to be prepared. She always talks about the grid going down and having to survive without it. Thanks!!

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    1. Fran's a wise woman, Sam! I find it so easy to get overwhelmed with all the things we should have but don't have. If over the last year I had been spending even $10 a week on food or other basic items to store, rather than worrying about all the things we didn't have, I could have filled a storage closet by now and never missed the money. I'd suggest starting with the author's basics, developing a written plan based on what your family needs, and designating payday each week or month to just go ahead and make those purchases, a few at a time. When the grid goes down and grocery shelves are bare, your shelves should be in really good shape!

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  5. Having lived through a major power outage, I can tell you for certain that being prepared is essential. I like the sound of this book and will add it to my Kindle library. Great review and thank you Susan Deppner.

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    1. My pleasure, Grammie O. I hope you learn something helpful from the book. While personal experience is a great way to learn, it can be tough, too. Be safe!

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  6. This is probably a book I should buy and apply. I've got lots of food stored, but that's certainly more we need to do. Thank you for a great review.

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the review, Barbara. Good for you for having food stored! Next step is to check the priorities for things you might not have thought of. Thanks for contributing to the conversation!

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  7. I'll never forget in the early 2000's when the power went down for the entire eastern seaboard (usa and Canada) - was driving home from hockey with the boys and every street light in the city was out! that was an exercise in knowing the rules of the road - actually I was surprised how gracious everyone was considering - even the car radio went out for a moment or two - that was freaky! I have to admit, we're not prepared for an outage and really need to think about getting prepared!

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    1. Thanks for mentioning that, Barbara! I remember that blackout event. It was 2003 and some were without power for a few days, I think. As I recall the weather was hot and people in high-rise apartment buildings had many struggles. I remember reports of people having to walk up many flights of stairs to provide emergency medical care for some whose equipment failed or who suffered from being in a closed-in building with no air circulation. Yep, there's a lot to consider when it comes to planning for long-term power outages and interruption of basic services.

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    2. Susan, yep that's right. I remember that myself. It was hot here as well. And I remember the date it happened in August, because it was on my birthday!

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  8. I know when Emily was a toddler we were without power for just over 3 days (totally unexpectedly as well, no warnings at all) and we managed surprisingly well. Unfortunately we have become rather nonchalant in recent years so this might be a good idea for us to read as I know there's a lot we should be doing.

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    1. Families with young children certainly have needs to consider that many of us without kids probably wouldn't think about. Certainly diapers and possibly special foods come to mind. That's a really good reminder, Louanne. Thanks! Glad to know that your family did well during that 3+ days without power.

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  9. This certainly sounds like a book we all need to read. I know I'm not as prepared as I should be. Thanks for the food for thought.

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    1. Glad I could help spur you on towards readiness, Mary Beth!

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  10. This sounds like a really handy book to have, Susan. I'll have to see if I can lay my hands on a copy :)

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