Disastrous
Have you guys seen the new show Surviving Disaster on the Discovery Channel? A former Navy Seal takes you through reenactments of disaster scenarios and tells you what to do to increase your chances of survival. I love this show. It’s too bad my workplace is located in a one-story building because I totally know how to use ethernet cables to rappel down the side of a flame-engulfed multi-story structure.
To continue my post-apocalyptic reading kick, I am now reading Blindness by Jose Saramago, which is about people suddenly going blind and being quarantined by the government in a heavily guarded mental institution. Naturally, within a few days, people start turning on each other. It’s so fascinating; I often wonder how society would react if a large-scale disaster (natural or man-made) happened to the entire U.S. If society had to start from square one, who would survive: those who become self-sufficient or those with weapons?
I also downloaded a 1988 publication titled Nuclear War Survival Skills. Great summertime reading! I found myself actually taking notes, which is both 1) kind of dumb, in a paranoid way and 2) OR IS IT? I totally need to create an emergency kit and practice my radiation fallout shelter trench digging.
Also? I need to read lighter fare. Recommendations?
Have you read The Hunger Games? Because it’s great, and the sequel, Catching Fire, just came out.
Comment by Jess — September 14, 2009 @ 11:56 am
Ooh–I bet Scott and I would like that show.
I just finished reading Testimony by Anita Shreve. It is Not Light.
Comment by Nowheymama — September 14, 2009 @ 11:56 am
I haven’t seen it, but man, I would LOVE IT.
Ha ha – I love that you are taking notes. I, uh, might do that, too.
I am reading witch/vampire books by Kathleen Harris. The Rachel Morgan series. Fun and so far, no nuclear holocausts.
Comment by Artemisia — September 14, 2009 @ 12:09 pm
Darsie loves this show, too. I know, an almost five year old probably shouldn’t be watching it, but heck, she’ll know what to do in a disaster, right?
Comment by Shannon — September 14, 2009 @ 12:43 pm
You must tell me how you like Blindness! I wasn’t crazy about it, but you may like it. Y’know, given that you liked The Road and clearly, your taste is suspect. ; )
Comment by Shelly — September 14, 2009 @ 1:01 pm
I recently read The Historian, which is about these people researching Vlad the Impaler (the basis for Dracula). It’s fictional, but there’s a lot of information about Eastern European history, and it was really good, although kind of long.
I’m now reading The Church of Dead Girls, which I picked up from the library because Stephen King had a review saying it was good on the back cover, and I *heart* Stephen King. It’s really good so far. It’s a murder mystery, but not in the normal vein of those stories. Very interesting look into small towns and how people behave when bad things happen.
Comment by Becky — September 14, 2009 @ 1:09 pm
I haven’t seen that show, but I think I would like it. There was a show on last year about life-threatening situations people survived (e.g. countless days on the side of a snowy mountain with a broken leg, lost at sea with sharks) – I wish I could remember the name because it was really good (I Shouldn’t be Alive, or something like that).
Comment by LoriD — September 14, 2009 @ 1:28 pm
I almost always go with something by Alexander McCall Smith for light / enjoyable reading. He’s gently funny, consistent and prolific, not a bad combination when you’re looking to take occasional breaks from the heavier reads.
Comment by Kate — September 14, 2009 @ 1:39 pm
I haven’t read the book, but I can tell you the movie (Blindness) was horrible. Horrible. & Ebert agrees with me.
Comment by amber — September 15, 2009 @ 5:59 am
Hey Shauna,
Surviving Disaster actually airs on Spike TV. A new episode will premiere tonight 10PM9C http://www.spike.com/show/33200
Comment by walter — September 15, 2009 @ 10:39 am