The Zombie Survival Guide

Complete Protection from the Living Dead

By: Max Brooks

Narrated by: Marc Cashman

Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

The Zombie Survival Guide is your key to survival against the hordes of undead who may be stalking you right now. Exhaustively comprehensive, this book covers everything you need to know, including how to understand zombie physiology and behavior, the most effective defense tactics and weaponry, ways to outfit your home for a long siege, and how to survive and adapt in any territory or terrain.

Top 10 Lessons for Surviving a Zombie Attack:
1. Organize before they rise!
2. They feel no fear, why should you?
3. Use your head: cut off theirs.
4. Blades don't need reloading.
5. Ideal protection: tight clothes, short hair.
6. Get up the staircase, then destroy it.
7. Get out of the car, get onto the bike.
8. Keep moving, keep low, keep quiet, keep alert!
9. No place is safe, only safer.
10. The zombie may be gone, but the threat lives on.

Don't be carefree and foolish with your most precious asset: life. The Zombie Survival Guide offers complete protection through trusted, proven tips for safeguarding yourself and your loved ones against the living dead. It is an audiobook that can save your life.

©2003 Max Brooks (P)2006 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"One would expect the son of Mel Brooks to have a genetic predisposition to humor, and indeed, he does, and he exhibits it relentlessly here." (Publishers Weekly)

Definitely a less serious listen than World War Z

Overall, this is a great, fun, and entertaining experience.
This "handbook" exists in a world in which zombies exist among us, have for thousands of years, and although known to the public, denied by most governments.

"The Zombie Survival Guide" is presented and narrated as exactly that-a guidebook- with tips and pointers for dispatching zombies, securing shelter, and much more. It's heavy, horror style material, but presented in a way that's fun to listen to, and even made me laugh on a few occasions. I think the narrator's voice and reading style helped a lot with that.

My only real criticism comes from the same thing that makes the book so good-that it's presented as a guide, or handbook. There are a few places throughout the story where the narrator will say things like "see 'transportation', chapter 3, page 44" or something similar, when explaining a tactic or method that's been touched on before. While this is exactly how you'd use an actual survival guide, it makes the presentation a little bit clunky in some spots. It doesn't happen a lot, and isn't a deal breaker, but I don't think it would have hurt the story to just eliminate those references and let the story flow. Had I read the actual book before listening, I may not have noticed so much.

There are tons of positive things to list, in my opinion, but I would say my best description would be this- If you've enjoyed Brooks's work before, and want something that's not quite as heavy handed with social and political undertones as World War Z, this is a pretty fun ride. I'll definitely make it a point to pick up and actually read the book now that I've listened, and that's a positive all around.
8.5/10-- would definitely recommend, will eventually listen again.

Still holds up

This book is fantastic at playing it straight. It is 100% not a humor book. It is firmly a work of earnest sci-fi/horror. There's nothing scary about it per se, but it is written as though it exists in the horrific world implied by its instructions. It's supplemental reading not to a work he wrote, but to a genre Brooks clearly loves. Obviously later he would go on to write WWZ, but when this guide was published, it was nothing except Brooks applying his painstaking attention to detail and logistics to the creations of others.

The only complaint I have is that, unlike World War Z which works far better as audio, The Zombie Survival Guide works better as a physical book rather than audio.

clinical

You will either love it or hate it. There is sound advice that can be used in multiple situations not just zombies.

Very entertaining...for when the DEAD walk again!

If you could sum up The Zombie Survival Guide in three words, what would they be?

It would be "are you serious?" I love a good zombie game, movie or story; but, I can't tell if this guy is serious.

Who was your favorite character and why?

This is not applicable, but I was imagining one while listening. I don't know if that counts.

Have you listened to any of Marc Cashman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't, this book is just stating information, so I don't know if I was able to experience his full potential. He was a very good reader.

If you could rename The Zombie Survival Guide, what would you call it?

"Zombie-Proofing for Dummies"

Loved it!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Zombie Survival Guide to be better than the print version?

I would

What does Marc Cashman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I loved his matter of fact tone

Any additional comments?

Huge fan of zombies and this book is easily one of my favorites. I have listened to this book several times. It never gets old. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys zombie literature ;)

Just too funny

If you think you need the book for the one or two visuals don't bother. The visuals were very 'bla' so don't let that slow you down when deciding to getting this book. A great little listen and worth a credit you don't know what to do with.

Best audiobook I've ever listened tok

This audiobook has a phenomenal cast and overall performance. It is definitely the best adaptation of the novel.

Refuge for People Tired of Teenage Vampires

There need to be many, many more books like this one. I am so happy that the Zombie genre has belatedly started gaining on the teen vampire genre. My wife watched Buffy, reads Twilight and enjoys True Blood. Vampires are complicated, emotional and there is all that sex and teenaged angst mixed in.

Zombies are simple; they like brains. They want to eat yours. There is no Edward, no Sookie no Angel, just brains. If you like apocalyptic fiction, this is a great use of an Audible Credit.

textbook presentation

the print book has a lot of drawings and graphics that make it a fun read, but the narrator reads like a textbook. it sounds very official, giving credence to the recommendations, predictions, and "science" from the author. that doesn't mean it's a boring listen, it just presents the metatextual content in a way the book couldn't. the narrator changes styles when reading "debriefs." I keep coming back to it and highly recommend to any zombie or survivalism fans.

A must read

Love it's the best best best best best best best best best best book i ever