I'm going to add in my $.02 and will hopefully make a good point. I see lots of threads with links to great books, manuals, instructions, etc. And... lot's of responses saying thanks and that they are going to download them. But... having a book and "owning" the knowledge within are two entirely different things. I hope the plan is not to wait until SHTF and then you pull out your tablet and pdf survival manual and try to figure out how to live. If so... you'll be lucky to survive the week. Having a book... or even reading a book is not the same as "owning" the knowledge in the book. You have to practice it... again and again... so it becomes a part of you. And... I'm hoping that over the next 6 months to see threads like "So I tried out this technique from Book X... and here's what I learned." But... I'm not crossing me fingers.
Now... don't get me wrong. Having a stash of books on other subjects for use after SHTF is an awesome idea. I'm doing that myself. Personally... I don't plan on trying to become an expert since I have somewhere around 3000 ebooks on subjects from building dams and water turbines to building boats to building a stator for a turbine. Sure... those will come in handy after... when I have secured a future for my family and myself. But.... it's the immediate threat books that we need to start to "own" now. Books on building fires with wet wood in the middle of a snow storm are great reads.... but only experience trying it will save your life if and when the situation occurs. I'm sure every person on this forum has seen a fire bow and understands the basics on how to use it. But... I'd be willing to bet that less than 5% have actually tried it and succeeded more that once. And... that was probably in a different climate, while camping in the summer.... with matches or a lighter for backup. How many have done it where they live now... with scraps they find lying around, after a rainstorm or in the winter? How many have put themselves to the test and said: "If I don't get a fire started... I don't eat cooked meat tonight"? Yes... something like a fire bow is a little thing... and it's probably in the survival ebook that everyone has on a jump drive in their BOB... but it's the little things that will get you killed. Wow... I said $.02, that was more like $.15. Sorry about my rambling... but for those reading between the lines... you can tell this is something I'm rather passionate about.