A definite must have for the die hard zombie enthusiast. I received this gift for Christmas a few years back and couldn't put it down! The Zombie Survival Guide is written in the fashion of a classic wilderness survival manual yet from a humorous perspective. I would recommend this book to all zombie fans who enjoyed movies like the classic 1978 version of George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead or for those preparing for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

I don't have to tell you how great this book is. If you are a fan of the genre this is a MUST HAVE! period

This book is great. It's consumable over a short business trip when you want to purge your mind of work, but not get taxed. You will create a list and you will review the in flight catalog for what will and won't work in case of an attack.

I read Z Wars right after and loved it too.

This was honestly one of the scariest, funny survival I have ever read.When I read or watch something I truly imagine myself in that persons situation. This book made me imagine a zombie world Where my family apart of the undead and I was truly horrified. For the past week all I could think about was zombies.You could imagine how I felt when I played left 4 dead. Its a scary read and I do not recommend it for the faint of heart

This book was highly entertaining. Fictional works that are written seriously can make for some great dark comedy. Where this book drops the ball is its format, though. When buying this book, I was hoping to humorously find new ways to battle the undead if and when the time arises. But as much as I enjoyed some of the scenarios, I never felt like I recieved a concrete answer as to what would be the best options for ultimate survival.

The book often times lists the pros and cons of various types of weapons. But what is never answered is "But what's the best combination?" The book ends up being pretty pointless for survival if every page lists pros of items but then contridicts the reasons, without ever giving a solution.

Overall and interesting read, but not what I was looking for.

I picked this book up on a friends recommendation and it wasn't what I was expecting at all. It actually reads more like a Boy Scout Manual which is a very unique approach to telling a story. After I got into it I found that I just wanted to see where Max was taking us. I will definately read World War Z next.

Hallarious!! Wounderful comment for those of us that Zombies are real! It may be that this is a statment of our society,..of us as we stumble around in this disjointed world we live in, where Any Thing goes!...Maybe WE, are the Zombies and havent realized it yet!!

Book was in excellent condition, just as described. Shipping was super fast. Thanks again!!!

I have a boat load of survival manual/guides. cause y'know i like being crazy prepared no matter how absurd the threat, or situation. so people would laugh when they see this and other similar books in my collection. the book is definitely a straight forward text. so it probably isn't very accurate to call this a humorous book. i will admit that the book's strongest suit is the historical accounts of past zombie outbreaks (or presumed outbreaks). which is brooks strong point being that he was a history major. and it's also the reason why there's a whole book coming out based on past accounts.

the book is very short but very straight forward. there's no spectacle, no style,just matter of fact tone on how to survive different levels of zombie out breaks. if your a zombie buff like me, then its made specifically for you. everyone else probably won't dig it as much.

A very amusing how to guide with easy to do tips on surviving your first zombie encounter. There is enough realism and detail to add in a little fright along with the dry humor.

Yes, I know the subject area is zombies, and that that's crazy and "fictional," but this guide gives good advice for any scenario. This guide could be applied to any even marginally apocolyptic case, and the information would be just as valid. Also, if you're not worried about a zombie apocolypse, this book is just a darn good read.

I'm a hopeless geek when it comes to anything zombie-related. My review is biased accordingly. OK, that's out of the way.

As a movie maker or writer, there are two basic approaches to zombie "fiction": horror or comedy. It's not really fiction, by the way, as the zombie apocalypse is "reality yet to occur." Mark my words, my pulse-possessing brothers and sisters, mans' arrogance ensures that the spiritually weak, the haughty, the foolish unbelievers will all perish in unimaginable agony, torn and devoured by festering hands and rotted teeth...Dang it! Sorry for the digression. Where was I? Oh yeah...

I disliked the book for a few reasons. First, there's no fear factor. Yeah, yeah, yeah I know. It's not supposed to be scary. It's written in a serious survival guide format. Unfortunately, serious more often than not translates to dull. It's dull. Zombie material should NEVER be dull! Second, it's not zombie funny (see Revenge of the Living Dead or Stubbs the Zombie video game for very good examples of zombie funny). The humor in this book really reads like it was written by a junior high school kid. There are many instances where Brooks will suggest something like, "People who do XYZ will just become a walking buffet for the zombies." Maybe that's funny. I just found it to be a mood breaker.

I would have preferred a survival guide along the lines of
1. Very serious and "factual" (mock research, photographs, schematics, statistics, etc.)
2. Very scary narrative. Perhaps a survival guide in a personal diary written by a survivor
3. Something truly comic. Who doesn't laugh at the zany antics of zombies shambling about?

In short, I was quite disappointed. I give Brooks two stars for the great idea, but nothing more due to lousy execution. If he writes a follow up, sadly, I'll buy it anyway.

Im confident that I could protect myself from the innevitable undead plague now!!!!11!Thanks Max Brooks! d(^__^)

As someone who loves zombie movies I thought this book was really entertaining.

However, I do wish I had borrowed it from the library instead of buying it. It's not the type of book that I think anyone but the hardcore zombie fan would really enjoy reading more than once. Your millage may vary.

The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks is amazing. It has humor, but is totally serious the entire length of the book. I feel that if a Zombie Outbreak happens anytime soon I will be better prepared having read mentioned book. A must for Zombie, Horror, and Survival fanatics!!!

If you are looking for humor you will not find any jokes in this book, it reads EXACTLY like a survival guide for zombie attacks. The concept alone is where you draw humor.

Just be careful if you take this on a flight, it has pictures of guns and such and I was getting weird looks.

A great book;written in a instructional manual style. Everyone I know who has seen or read the book loves it. The recored attacks throughout history at the end of the book is also entertaining. I also have WW Z and I am waiting for his new book to come out.World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie WarThe Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks

Ok. even though you might not be able to practically put the skills learned in this book on a resume (unless you are applying at capcom) it is a very well written book. From a tactical stand point, many of the described survival and evasion techniques make sense and are very well thought out. Even if the zombies do not attack, learning the skills listed in the manual will acctually be good for you. Though the more 'practical' skills are not described all the way through, it is still a great read for any zombie fan out there.

The reviews look scary enough to scare anyone from going to cemeteries for a while, for fear of coming back w/a boo-beau. Seems as though it could even have a movie featuring the Barenaked Ladies song, One Week. And, I'm not ready to make another Raisen pie all by myself, any time soon.

I am glad I read 'World War Z' (Max Brooks' 2nd zombie book) before this one. While WWZ was an entertaining read; The Zombie Survival Guide was mind-numbingly dull.

PURE GENIUS...IF YOU ARE A FAN OF ZOMBIE FILMS OR ANTICIPATING AN OUTBREAK OF LIVING DEAD IN YOUR AREA: YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK. IT IS VERY FUNNY AND YOU WILL FIND MANY CLEVER INSIGHTS TO ZOMBIE SURVIVAL.

Now I feel a little safer. At least I know what to do in case of an all out outbreak. Don't believe the movies, you will never survive, get this book.

I'll admit I'm a sucker for zombies, as a topic they're just great on so many levels. Some people like to use them as a metaphor for real stereotypes or as a veiled way of talking about disasters and the human panic/herd mentality.

This book is written in a great style - deadpan serious. You'll be surprised how you'll catch yourself taking it seriously every now and then. Survival Horror, as a genre, is popular because it involves the audience in a "what would you do" way. People can't help but speculate on what-if and "I would have" scenarios and the absurd topic is no barrier.

There are great illustrations and a wide range of topics covered which really makes it hard to put down. The looks you'll get from reading it in a public place are priceless and you will undoubtedly get at least one person approach you wanting to know what your reading.

I rarely suggest getting a book for someone as a gift, because it is really hard to tell what people like to read but this one is a winner on so many levels. Some people will look at it as a gag gift which is fine, they'll probably crack it open and get sucked in, heh. It helps to adopt the deadpan serious attitude towards the book when describing it to others or when giving it as a gift. Even people who say they'd never open such a book are going to probably look at it like a shiny, red button that is begging to be pushed.

I'm glad to see Max has further works in the genre, he has a great style and sense of humor that obviously runs in the family.

Should zombies ever rise, I know I will now be prepared! Anyone with any question of that would do good to purchase this book. It really has everything you could think of in case of a zombie uprising; shelter, food, weapons, transportation. Even though this is fictional, it reads like an actual how-to, making it that much more interesting. I'd highly recommend World War Z, too.

Listen...

I'm not a huge horror fiction fan, but this was very well done...Just like a proper survival manual, FUNNY! And, the short accounts of attacks at the end were chilling and well written. Were zombies medically possible, Max Brooks would have sold me on this completely. Well done.

i have had this book for a few years now and i have read it six times- its that good. it is a great read. the book is funny and has very slight social comments that poke at the modern world. i cannot recommend this book highly enough.
just buy it

Max Brooks has created a survival guide that can answer nearly any question you may have about how to survive a zombie apocalypse. Thing I never would have considered were covered in detail, and were surprisingly funny. A great weekend read.

The book is a one-stop guide for any zombie-movie lover, or anyone who thinks that "Z-Day" might ever happen.

A should-read for any zombie fan. Any horror fan. Any fiction fan in general!

I taught I was going to be entertained by this book. It felt like I was reading a textbook instead of a novel. I know I should have expected it due to the title, but still.

husband says its not as tongue & cheek as he'd like, but its somewhat amusing, NOT laugh out loud funny or anything

I'm writing this review as a parent, in case there are any other parents who have heard of the book or seen it and are considering buying it for a kid. My son is middle-school aged and found the book in the bookstore and immediately started reading it. When he showed it to me I read the back cover (and laughed at a few of the Top 10 lessons) and spent a few minutes flipping through it. Info on terrain types, home defense, and equipment seemed exactly like the sort of thing my son would like, being a typical boy interested in the outdoors, survival issues, equipment, etc.

Once home he proceeded to absorb the book, but later told me that it kind of "freaked" him out. So I spent some more time flipping through it. The detailed, somewhat gruesome accounts of the physiology of zombies is probably what he meant. I then found the weapons chapter and pondered my wisdom in buying this book for my son. It's probably his favorite chapter, but be informed that it contains discussions of such things as which blunt instrument is best ("Can it crush a skull in one blow? If not, can it decapitate in said blow?") and the relative merits of weapons like Molotov cocktails.

Just be aware that its packaging is a bit different than its content and use caution when buying for a child or teenager.

I've read many survival books and this one is a must. We've all seen them everywhere you look. Now you have the tools to know for sure and what to do about it. Max Brooks brings it all together so you have a chance of surviving the time when the undead walk the earth and your friend will go from being called Chuck to chuck roast for a zombie. Get a bite of it before a zombie gets a bite of you!

The Zombie survival guide: Complete protection from the Living Dead is a must for any person who is worried about zombie survival. Giving chapters and break downs of outbreaks, how to fortify your environment, and how to better protect yourself from the invading horde, this very essential book is a must for your bug out bag. Don't find yourself in an invasion without it!

The actual review:

I really enjoyed this book. Zombies had always fascinated me, so to find a book that treated them like a real and true voice in the world just made me giggle. I read the book on a long car ride from Florida, and it kept me amused basically the whole time. It's set up like a real survival book, so the humor may be lost on a few. It's definitely a fun one to include on your book shelf or to keep in your car. Great conversation piece. Max Brooks has really out done himself with writing a detailed guide about how to stay away from an oncoming horde of the undead. Great book to have!

Max Brooks has some absolutely genius ideas about horror, comedy, sociology, and pop culture. He's just not, unfortunately, a very good writer. The Zombie Survival Guide is more successful than his should-have-been-brilliant novel World War Z, due largely to it's being written in the style of a manual where Max's stiff style works more to his favor.

Actually this is not really much of a scary book, and as others have said, and even the book says, is more humor based. It is a fun little read, with some great tongue-in-cheek passages. It starts out very strong, but lags in the middle. The end has some great stuff though.

I think somebody else mentioned it best as the type of book to thumb through here and there when you have time to kill. For zombie enthusiasts this is easily a 4 or even 5 star book, for everyone else, it is certainly worth a look or two, and is very original in its style. Check it out, I think most of you will be pleasantly surprised.