Practical Doomsday

Finished reading Practical Doomsday by Michal Zalewski (lcamtuf).

Having previously enjoyed his Disaster planning for regular folks, this was a good reading.

Michal does a great job in setting the scene that everyone should have a least a minimum plan on what to do. Disasters can happen at any time, from a multiple day power outage, to record-shattering floods.

Some of the suggestions around planning reminded me of Christopher Burgess’s Red Folder, the idea being you have a red folder at home with all relevant data about yourself and members of close family, and practical information about the house, car, insurance, etc, should the need arise.

Keeping a pantry at home equipped to survive a few days without going to the shops, something I’ve always done as a memory of being raised during Hyperinflation in Brazil, now refreshed to me by the UK’s government latest recommendation, it perhaps the book’s most useful recommendation.

Knowing how to get out of your place and having an idea where to go to was also a key message.

I didn’t really connect with the financial advise given. It’s sensible stuff, I just don’t know whether it deserved that much air-time on explaining currencies and how markets work.

I’ve recommended this book to other friends before, and continue to do so: better safe than sorry.