"In this outrageous parody of a survival guide, Saturday Night Live staff writer Brooks prepares humanity for its eventual battle with zombies. 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: he outlines virtually every possible zombie-human encounter, drafts detailed plans for defense and attack and outlines past recorded attacks dating from 60,000 B.C. to 2002. In planning for that catastrophic day when "the dead rise," Brooks urges readers to get to know themselves, their bodies, their weaponry, their surroundings and, just in case, their escape routes. Some of the book's more amusing aspects are the laughable analyses Brooks proposes on all aspects of zombiehood, and the specificity with which he enumerates the necessary actions for survival-i.e., a member of an anti-zombie team must be sure to have with him at all times two emergency flares, a signaling mirror, daily rations, a personal mess kit and two pairs of socks. Comic, though unnecessarily exhaustive, this is a good bet for Halloween gag gifts and fans of Bored of the Rings-esque humor."
~Publisher's Weekly

Zombie fans, horror fans

The brilliance of this book is the absolutely sincerity with which it is written. I found it in the humor section of my book store- an appropriate place. Yet Brooks never cracks even the slightest joke.

The Zombie Survival Guide is hysterical work written with a dull, serious face. Or safety written with a smile. I'm not sure which. Chapters are dedicated to protection with direct correlation to outbreak size & scope, supplies and available firepower. Despite popular belief, the chainsaw is actually one of the worst weapons to use against a zombie. You'd be better off with a flamethrower.

Possibly the best aspect of this book comes from how seriously you yourself might take it without even realizing it. Studying the layout of your neighborhood in relation to highly populated areas and considering how to turn any household item into an improvised weapon are common side-effects. Highly recommended.

Defend my town from a zombie invasion.

Is the son of legendary comic Mel Brooks.

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Created Jun 17, 2007 at 11:50am • Submit your own review...