The Worst-Case Scenario Book of Survival Questions

Do you have a bad habit of playing the “What if?” game? Does your mind race with all sorts of possibilities that are as unpleasant as they are unlikely? Chances are good that you will find value in “The Worst-Case Scenario Book of Survival Questions” by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht.

A part of Piven’s immensely popular series of “worst-case scenario” books, the particular volume delves into about 200 very specific questions, most of which are far out of the range of probability. Still, there’s the slightest chance that they could happen, so reading up on the solutions to some of these dangerous situations may ease your mind. While there is a large degree of humor to this book, the answers are more than just witty. In “The Worst-Case Scenario Book of Survival Questions,” Piven and Borgenicht truly do provide practical solutions to problems that only the most neurotic minds could think up.

The entries are presented in a variety of different ways, including a fun quiz format that makes the book a lot of fun for passing time on car rides. Some of the advice is practical enough that it would make a decent guide to bring along on a camping trip or similar outdoor adventure, though most of the scenarios are so implausible and over-the-top that nobody is likely to encounter them. Do you need to know how to survive a ride on a rampaging camel or beat an expert swordsman in a duel? Probably not. But once you start reading “The Worst-Case Scenario Book of Survival Questions,” you may find it hard to put the book down.

One advantage to this book over other volumes in the series is that it’s one of the longest. It’s certainly not necessary to read it from cover to cover; opening the book at random and reading the page you find will provide entertainment for quite a while. The 288-page book costs about $17, though it can be found cheaper online, and in any case, it’s worth the money for such a comprehensive guide to some of the stickiest situations imaginable. Funny and informative all at once, “The Worst-Case Scenario Book of Survival Questions” is a must-read for anyone with burning inquiries about obscure life-threatening situations.