Close your eyes for a moment and imagine what would happen if you became ill and couldn't work; or if an earthquake, hurricane, or violence left your community devastated. It happens more often than you think—and when the unexpected happens, people who are even a little prepared are much better off than those who never thought about their dependence on outside resources.

Now imagine having the resources in storage and the skills necessary to turn crisis into comfort. Imagine the peace of mind that comes with preparedness and the knowledge that you don't need to shop for weeks—and a comprehensive storage system begins to make sense.

Now in its 11th edition with over 760,000 copies sold, Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook is the best-known preparedness guide around. Author James Stevens describes the basics of food and resource storage (including how to use what you store!), and lays out a yearlong preparedness program covering fifteen food and nonfood categories that will sustain your family through any crisis.

Table of Contents

Section I

• The Wake-Up Call
• The Time to Prepare is Now!
• Preparedness Lifestyle
• The Path to Family Preparedness

Section II

• The Emergency Preparedness Action Kit
• Getting your Household in Order

Section III

• A Basic Strategy for Family Preparedness
• In-Home Convenience Store
• Managing Long-Term Storage

Section IV

• Water—The Absolute Basic
• Powdered Milk—Dairy Basics
• Healthy Kitchen Gardening
• The Basics of Honey Use

Section V

• Wheat—The Basic Grain
• Basics of Whole Wheat Flour Cookery
• WheatMeat Cookery
• Sourdough Cookery
• WHite Four Cookery
• Triticale Flour Cookery

Section VI

• Dehydrating Fruits and Vegetables
• Preparing Game Meats, Fish, and Fowl
• Energy and Fuel Storage

Section VII

• Vitamins, Minerals & Herbs
• Managing Stress and Pain
• Essential Oils
• Genetic Engineering

Section VIII

• Creating a Preparedness Library