Book Review Review of The Survival Template by John A Heatherly

I was contacted awhile back by a member here at the Monkey, @JohnAHeatherly. He wanted me to review his book: The Survival Template.

I have to admit that the first thing that came to my mind was “Oh great, another survival manual”. I've read countless survival manuals and guides and have learned 101 ways to make a shelter, fire, water and (fill in the blank - survival topic). I don't need another survival manual...

I started to read this book one Thursday night while solo camping and had read it 3 times by that Sunday afternoon. It's an amazing book and stands out from other books on survival because of the way it focuses on mindset over skills and techniques.

The Survival Template isn't long (59 pages) but sets the reader on a course for beginning to exercise their minds now, before that scenario we've prepped for has occurred. So many of our preps focus on products and supplies and while I don't discount the need (luxury) of having stockpiles of things we may not be able to find later, it does little to train our minds and actually just makes us power consumers even if we aren't yet consuming what we are procuring. Proper mindset is paramount to survival.

The survival template is all about planning – dynamic planning - being able to see your day to day lives in blocks of short term, mid term and long term. This concept meshes perfectly with my own survival philosophy which has always advised those new to preparedness to break their preps down into those very 3 categories: which all build on each other without duplication. The Survival Template helps you to build firm guideposts that define the chart for the progress of your life. This makes you keenly aware of where you're at, where you've been and what you need to do to steer back to the course that you've mapped out.

The concepts are not complicated and you could likely make one of those 'so easy a caveman could do it' commercials out of the ideas in this book. The great thing about this mindset training is that you can start it now with your day to day lives. If you become disciplined in following the practices, you'll be more organized, more focused and much better prepared for the uncertain times we're heading into. The Survival Template can become the foundation for the way you live and work. If you can find a way to build this foundation strongly, it will be tough to rattle when the going gets tough.

I don't throw the term 'life changing' around lightly but this book has very likely altered the way I think, the way I plan and the way I see my future as I've laid it out. My career will benefit and I'm already employing the technique in my work life. I manage a 300 Million dollar project and my manager recently asked me to share my 'Best Practices' with the rest of his team after seeing my strategic planning skills kick into overdrive. Much of what I'm working up to fulfill his request aligns perfectly with The Survival Template. Mr. Heatherly could make a small fortune marketing himself as a consultant to corporations who are seeking to instill big picture planning in their middle managers.

This is a tough book to review without giving away the concept that John has put into words. I highly recommend The Survival Template which is available at the authors site, The Survival Template, as well as on Amazon. It's available in print, kindle and iTunes formats.

This book is a force multiplier.

 

Just loaded it on my iPad2, and iPod Touch.... and I think I will send it to Momma, while she is in Africa, on a Mission....

 

Just bought. Looking forward to the read

 

Count me in for the freebie, and if I win I'll buy another one.