Prepared: A Manual for Surviving Worst-Case Scenarios

Prepared: A Manual for Surviving Worst-Case Scenarios by Mike Glover is a contemporary survival manual that introduces the reader to the world of disaster and crisis preparation. Prepared expands the narrow purview of traditional survivalist literature to include strategies for community resilience and support. Glover, a Green Beret Special Forces veteran, applies his expertise to the world of community preparation in the face of natural and human-caused disasters. This approach creates a more holistic view of survival as part of the health and well-being of society, departing from the established survivalist focus on individualism and isolationism.

This guide refers to the 2023 Portfolio edition.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide include references to injury, violence, and the physical and social ramifications of disaster scenarios. These catastrophes include natural disasters and health emergencies, mass shootings, police and state violence, and terror attacks. This guide also discusses the radical right movement in the US.

Summary

In contrast to other survival manuals, Prepared emphasizes the importance of community support. This refutes the isolation and paranoia often espoused by other survivalist philosophies. Glover points out the crucial flaws of those philosophies when it comes to more “normal” crises like car accidents, natural disasters, large-scale power outages, and pandemics. More traditional survival strategies involve stocking up on resources and treating other people with suspicion, whereas the most successful disaster management techniques involve communities helping one another. Glover points out that in emergencies, other community members are much more likely to help one another than cause harm. A group of skilled specialists like nurses, farmers, and mechanics create much better chances of survival than one person alone, no matter how skilled.

However, Glover also emphasizes the importance of a “resilient mindset” in individual responses to crises. He provides the reader with tools to optimize psychological responses to disasters. He points out the crucial role of the nervous system in reacting effectively to stressful scenarios and lists concrete strategies for engaging with stress in more positive ways. Among these strategies, he endorses positive (but honest) thinking about one’s own abilities, planning for the worst-case scenario, maintaining situational awareness, and preparing for the eventuality of split-second decision-making. Glover provides vivid examples of situations in which these skills would come into play and points out the advantages of acquiring and maintaining said skills.

Additionally, Glover explains the necessity of short- and long-term practical preparation for crisis scenarios. He discusses the items that individuals should always carry, the considerations they should make for optimizing their mobility in a crisis scenario, and the fortifications and resources necessary for protecting their home and family during a disaster. Prepared provides concrete, actionable advice on survival staples, like first aid kits, communication tools, security alarms, firearms, food, and water. Glover adds his advice on these essentials based on his formal Green Beret training as well as his years of expertise in running Fieldcraft Survival and American Contingency, two organizations that promote survival training for individuals and communities.

By encouraging community resilience and strong individual mindsets in tandem, Glover creates a compelling, actionable philosophy for surviving and even thriving in the face of disaster. Prepared moves past the idea of the survivalist as an isolated “doomsday prepper” to present the alternative idea of a community-centered, prepared, and psychologically resilient citizen as the ultimate survivalist.