July 13, 2011
Braiiiins…Getting the Best from your People w/Brain Science
Are your employees or co-workers shambling around the office like zombies? Take a defensive position and grab this book:
Shine: Using Brain Science to Get the Best from Your People
Your job as a manager is getting harder all the time. But your most critical responsibility–especially in today’s world of intensifying competition and economic stress–is how to help your people shine their brightest. In Shine, Hallowell draws on brain science, performance research, and his own experience helping people maximize their potential to present a proven process for getting the best from your people:
(1) Select: put the right people in the right job, and “light up” their brain
(2) Connect: strengthen interpersonal bonds among team members
(3) Play: help people unleash their imaginations at work
(4) Grapple and Grow: when the pressure’s on, let employees master their work
(5) Shine: use the right rewards to promote loyalty and stoke people’s desire to excel.
I like this approach as it merges nicely with a number of other approaches I think work well, plus it goes one step further.
Certainly there is a history of trying to “get the right people on the bus”, Hallowell gets them in the right seats.
Strengthening interpersonal bonds among teams members might be the hardest part. Not everybody wants to be buddy-buddy with their colleagues at work, but I don’t think that’s exactly what Hallowell is talking about. More reading for me on this point, I guess.
But the rest of this, I am totally on board with! Play at work equals innovation in my book, and “grapple and grow” to me is the same idea that I’ve espoused, which is giving people control – even more when the pressure is on. Throw the rules out the window, let people try anything that moves the “issue” forward.
In the end, it is the “shine” portion that Hallowell has gotten the most attention for. Kevin Sheehan at “Become A Leader” put it best:
Ned Hallowell’s Ten-Step Action Plan
1. Recognize effort, not just results. ”Of course, you want the results, but if you recognize ongoing effort, results will more likely ensue. Cheerleading works.”
2. Notice details. ”Generic acknowledgment pales next to specific recognition.”
3. Try, as much as possible, to provide recognition in person. ”E-mail packs much less of a punch than face-to-face interaction.”
4. In meetings—and everywhere—try to make others look good, not bad. ”Scoring points off the backs of others usually backfires.”
5. As a manager, you need to understand that your most important asset is the self-esteem of each of your employees. ”Recognition is a powerful tool to preserve their self-esteem.”
6. Acknowledge people’s existence! Try always to say hello, give a nod of the head, a high-five, or a smile in passing. “It’s incredibly deflating to feel that someone you work for has just passed by you without noticing your presence.”
7. Tap into the power of positive feedback. ”Granted, it’s important to be able to acknowledge and learn from mistakes. But positive feedback is often a more effective means of consolidating the learning.”
8. Monitor progress. ”Performance improves when a person’s progress toward a goal is monitored regularly.”
9. As a manager, the more you recognize others, the more you “establish the habit of recognition of hard work and progress as part of the organizational culture.”
10. Bring the marginalized people inside the tent. ”In most organizations, about 15 percent of people feel unrecognized, misunderstood, devalued, and generally disconnected. Not only is recognition good for that 15 percent to help them feel valued, it is good for the other 85 percent as well, because it boosts the positive energy across
What do you think about these ideas? What has been your experience as an employee or as a manager?
June 13, 2010
The Falcon Comes Home To Roost
It all starts out so promising:
The safe return in the face of many spacecraft failures during the 7 year and more than billion mile epic journey is a triumph of human ingenuity. Japanese scientists and engineers are to be congratulated for this magnificent space exploration accomplishment, humanities first round trip to an asteroid. (source)
And what is this magnificent accomplishment for humanity?
Japanese space probe, Hayabusa, returned to the Earth on Sunday, ending its seven-year mission to an asteroid, and possibly bringing with it the first asteroid surface samples. (source)
And so it begins. Japan’s Hayabusa (the name means peregrine falcon) just spent seven years chasing down and landing on the billion-year-old asteroid Itokawa.
Hayabusa made two landings on the asteroid’s surface, hopefully gathering the first samples of such an object ever collected from beyond Earth. (source)
The Hayabusa returned only a portion of its equipment to Earth, the first of which was its payload portion, a 16-inch capsule containing the samples from the asteroid Itakawa. The asteroid was named after Hideo “Dr. Rocket” Itakawa, the father of Japanese rocketry. The payload portion landed in a blaze of fire as it re-entered the atmosphere and landed in the Woomera Prohibited Area, Australia’s largest high-security military zone, close to Glendambo, South Australia.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NASA teams will recover the payload and return it to JAXA labs in Sagamihara, Japan. There, they will examine the payload and:
Samples of any asteroidal material captured would be distributed to science teams worldwide for high powered scientific examination. (source)
Sagamihara City Flag
The remainder of the Hayabusa craft disintegrated as part of the re-entry plan. It is presumed that particles of the craft were haremlessly disbursed into the atmosphere. Eyewitness video shows a firey descent and disintegration reminiscent of the tragic destruction of US shuttle Columbia in 2003.
Now would be a good time to keep your eyes open for reports of unusual or unexplained deaths along the route of the “Falcon capsule” or reports of industrial accidents in Sagamihara. Once the payload is transmitted to scientists around the world, it will be very difficult to track the outbreak, as it will appear to originate in various places.
If you have a Zombie Research Society Chapter near you, now would be a time to be alert to this.
This is how the zombie apocalypse begins.
UPDATE:
Zombie Early Warning Signs
Google News Search: Woomera
Google News Search: Sagamihara
UPDATE 21 June: Falcon arrives in Sagamihara
May 28, 2010
Zombie Apocalypse Workplace Emergency Procedures
Zombie Apocalypse Workplace Emergency Procedures were recently added to our office manual:
Zombie Apocalypse (Event Z)
In case of Event Z there is likely to be a high degree of confusion and uncertainty due to uniqueness of the event. However, given recent events and the company’s location in an urban area, staff and insurance rules demand additional and modified procedures be provided as guidelines. To a great extent the procedures to follow are modifications of hostile intruder procedures and pandemic procedures noted elsewhere in this document.
Potential Issues:
Given the company’s location in the downtown core, the office building is likely to be within the immediate Event Z zone of activity. Precautions have already been taken: windows in outer offices have been sealed, and in offices on the north side of the building, windows have been removed entirely. Additional building structures have been erected against these formerly weaker points, but ground level access points are many (6) necessitating a retreat to higher and more secure ground on the third floor.
Reports vary, but it is estimated that initial panic will clog most exits out of the downtown, making evacuation inadvisable. These clogged exit ways, rather than being avenues of escape, are likely to be concentrated areas of “casualties” during Event Z.
This Appendix assumes a minimum of 72 hours isolation w/o outside support or direction by authorities, but does assume working utilities during that period. Procedures beyond 72 hours must be determined by CEO or senior staff based situational analysis and best practices.*
First Signs:
Notification of Event Z will most likely come first via informal sources. Following recent incidents, the Communications Manager has been tasked with monitoring potential threats as a normal part of the company’s Risk Management policies. First signs of Event Z will likely include rumour, confused and contradictory news reports, followed by sirens and, of course, panic.
Even with diligent monitoring, it is likely that little warning will be available, and it is with a warning window of less than 10 minutes that this Appendix is written.
Two-Stage Approach:
Assumes Event Z risk is not present in building and time allows for securing of building in ten (10) minutes or less without undue risk to staff.
Stage One: Stockade
“Stockade” procedures are as follows:
• Receptionist announces nature of threat and “Stockade” via phones
• Marketing Team uses emergency locks on stairwell fire doors, retreats to 3rd floor via Call Center, securing steel Call Center door.
• R&D Team retrieves “Z kit” from 3rd floor storage room
• Call Center Team locks library door and pull alarm marked SOLAR panels, closes barricade on 1st-2nd floor landing, posts guard
• Customer Services Team uses emergency locks on front doors, retreats to 3rd floor via front stairwell.
• Third floor Production Team retrieves cargo nets for skylights, using pre-installed hooks in ceiling.
• Third floor Engineering Team uses emergency locks on stairwell fire doors, closes barricade on 1st-2nd floor landing, post guard.
Once third floor stockade is secure:
• CDO takes roll call, assess resources.
• Dir. of IT confirm deployment of SOLAR panels, path of retreat
• Marketing Team monitor internet traffic, access security cameras.**
• Customer Services Team set up kitchen, draw water reserves.
• Finance Team to set up infirmary in Finance office
• Engineering Team to rotate front stairwell guard
• Call Center Team to rotate rear stairwell guard
• Production Team reinforce as possible for three ring defence:
• R&D Team distribute contents of “Z kit”
Once stockade secured and reinforced:
• Stay put, stay safe, stay alert
• Do not draw attention to yourself
• Conserve food, fuel, water
• Sleep in shifts behind locked, windowless office doors.
Stage Two: Retreat to Stockade of Last Absolute Resort (SOLAR)
The music library (an entirely interior room with reinforced walls) on the second floor will act as “stockade of last absolute resort” (SOLAR).
• Access is via floor panel hidden in the SW corner of the IT office.
o Peel back carpeting to find removable hatch, roll steel SOLAR panel out of way per directions printed on panel face. Read carefully as panel is sharp and spring-loaded.
• Use the large bookshelf directly below as a staircase. Avoid jumping.
• Once inside, pull orange release handle to close SOLAR panels. USE EXTREME CAUTION ; panel edge is sharpened and spring-loaded to sever any obstruction.
• Sliding reinforced steel door panel is similarly in place, blocking the normal entrance. If not, pull the SOLAR panel door release beside the door. Again, USE EXTREME CAUTION; door panel edge is sharpened and spring-loaded to sever any obstruction.
• In the center of the library floor, you will find a hatch that opens to the ground floor men’s room, a potential source of water, refuge, or escape assuming the (normally locked) ground floor men’s room door has not been breached.
• In the locked lateral filing cabinet marked “Bach Operas” you will find the “SOLAR Kit”. There are no keys to this lock, but a hatchet, pry bar or other means should quickly breach that. The cabinet is alarmed to our central alarm system in case of normal, unauthorized breach, but is of no consequence in this scenario.
• The “SOLAR Kit” should provide for a robust defence capability not found in the “Z Kit”. Together, these kits may provide adequate protection for a small determined group to either extend their siege or attempt an escape.
Abandonment, Escape, Retreat
Like the “Z Kit” the “SOLAR KIT” contains, in addition to weapons, contents to create a number of “go bags” which may be helpful if escape is required.
Do not leave the premises unless forced to, or unless superior safety is offered by a known, verified, secure location.
A likely first location of refuge is the nearby Canadian Forces Armoury, located four blocks from the offices. The situation may dictate otherwise, but as a general rule, such a fortified location with trained personnel may be a wise first stop in case of forced abandonment, escape or retreat.
See Also: Alien Invasion Procedures
Further Reading:
http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/zombiesurvivalguide/index2.html
http://ww2.zombieinitiative.org/
http://www.zombiesurvivalwiki.com/
http://www.irrationaldiversions.com/stories/zombie-attack-plan
————————————————————————————————————
*Best Practices: “The Zombie Survival Guide” by Max Brooks, Three Rivers Press, 2003. A first edition copy is included in the “Z kit” for your reference.
**Communications Manager has access to a number of public security cameras throughout the city which are noted on her workstation.
January 2, 2010
A Hard Day’s Night Of The Living Dead
As a “meh” fan of the Beatles, I love this. I also think the editor got exactly what Romero was trying to say.
December 26, 2009
Zombie Bite Calculator
If you’ve followed this blog and read the suggested materials, you’ll have planned in advance for the coming zombie apocalypse.
But good things happen to good people…so…..
So if you do get bitten, you’re going to want to know this…how long have I got?
(thanks to girllightning and theoatmeal.com)
November 27, 2009
Zombie-wear
What is the well-dressed zombiephile wearing this Christmas?
Why a $9 t-shirt from Threadless of course! Just In Time for the Holidays!
One even comes with a handy instruction sheet built right in!
thanks to @girllightning for the fashion tip
November 24, 2009
Zombie Outbreak Simulator
For those who have been following along, you know my fascination with zombies.
Now you and I have a place to try out all our theories:
The simulator is set in DC and allows you to change a number of variables to test various theories of zombie virulence, public response, and accuracy of weapons. Oh and, you can move around the US capitol to see different scenarios play out.
It is a MAJOR time killer, but oh, so fun. I was able to defeat a zombie outbreak in 2 minutes with a not unrealistic edit to the number of armed civilians in DC.
An excellent addition to your zombie survial training.
October 5, 2009
Zombie Survival Studies
New research from Italy entitled “Target annihilation by diffusing particles in inhomogeneous geometries” suggests that when hiding from ‘random walkers’ like zombies, it may be best to hide in sophisticated, irregular spaces.
In other words, hide somewhere where there’s lots of places to hide! You know, like hiding in the warehouse full to props is probably a better idea than hiding in an empty gymnasium.
Of course, that begs the question of how to classify a geomotery like the Pacific Northwest. I would suggest that this would be a more ‘inhomogeneous geometry” than, say Nunavut or Iowa.
But here’s a fun take on it, if you like: ZOMBIE LINK
July 23, 2009
a zombie outbreak is likely to lead to the collapse of civilisation
In: Infectious Disease Modelling Research Progress
Editors: J.M. Tchuenche and C. Chiyaka, pp. 133-150
ISBN 978-1-60741-347-9
c
2009 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Chapter 4
WHEN ZOMBIES ATTACK!: MATHEMATICAL
MODELLING OF AN OUTBREAK OF ZOMBIE
INFECTION
Philip Munz1, Ioan Hudea1y, Joe Imad2z, Robert J. Smith?3x
1School of Mathematics and Statistics, Carleton University,
1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
2Department of Mathematics, The University of Ottawa,
585 King Edward Ave, Ottawa ON K1N 6N5, Canada
2Department of Mathematics and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Ottawa,
585 King Edward Ave, Ottawa ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Abstract
Zombies are a popular figure in pop culture/entertainment and they are usually
portrayed as being brought about through an outbreak or epidemic. Consequently,
we model a zombie attack, using biological assumptions based on popular zombie
movies. We introduce a basic model for zombie infection, determine equilibria and
their stability, and illustrate the outcome with numerical solutions. We then refine the
model to introduce a latent period of zombification, whereby humans are infected, but not infectious, before becoming undead. We then modify the model to include the
effects of possible quarantine or a cure. Finally, we examine the impact of regular,
impulsive reductions in the number of zombies and derive conditions under which
eradication can occur. We show that only quick, aggressive attacks can stave off the doomsday scenario: the collapse of society as zombies overtake us all.
1. Introduction
A zombie is a reanimated human corpse that feeds on living human flesh [1]. Stories
about zombies originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of Vodou (anglicised voodoo). These stories described people as being controlled by a powerful sorcerer. The walking dead became popular in the modern horror fiction mainly because of the success of George A. Romero’s 1968 film, Night of the Living Dead [2]. There are several possible etymologies of the word zombie. One of the possible origins is jumbie, which comes from the Carribean term for ghost. Another possible origin is the word nzambi which in Kongo means ‘spirit of a dead person’. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word zombie originates from the word zonbi, used in the Louisiana Creole or the Haitian Creole.
According to the Creole culture, a zonbi represents a person who died and was then brought to life without speech or free will. The followers of Vodou believe that a dead person can be revived by a sorcerer [3]. After being revived, the zombies remain under the control of the sorcerer because they have no will of their own. Zombi is also another name for a Voodoo snake god. It is said that the sorcerer uses a ‘zombie powder’ for the zombification. This powder contains an extremely powerful neurotoxin that temporarily paralyzes the human nervous system and it creates a state of hibernation. The main organs, such as the heart and lungs, and all of
the bodily functions, function at minimal levels during this state of hibernation. What turns these human beings into zombies is the lack of oxygen to the brain. As a result of this, they suffer from brain damage.
A popular belief in the Middle Ages was that the souls of the dead could return to earth one day and haunt the living [4]. In France, during the Middle Ages, they believed that the dead would usually awaken to avenge some sort of crime committed against them during their life. These awakened dead took the form of an emaciated corpse and they wandered around graveyards at night. The idea of the zombie also appears in several other cultures, such as China, Japan, the Pacific, India, Persia, the Arabs and the Americas.
Modern zombies (the ones illustrated in books, films and games [1, 5]) are very different from the voodoo and the folklore zombies. Modern zombies follow a standard, as set in the movie Night of the Living Dead [2]. The ghouls are portrayed as being mindless monsters who do not feel pain and who have an immense appetite for human flesh. Their aim is to kill, eat or infect people. The ‘undead’ move in small, irregular steps, and show signs of physical decomposition such as rotting flesh, discoloured eyes and open wounds.
Modern zombies are often related to an apocalypse, where civilization could collapse due to a plague of the undead. The background stories behind zombie movies, video games etc, are purposefully vague and inconsistent in explaining how the zombies came about in the first place. Some ideas include radiation (Night of the Living Dead [2]), exposure to airborne viruses (Resident Evil [6]), mutated diseases carried by various vectors (Dead Rising [7] claimed it was from bee stings of genetically altered bees). Shaun of the Dead [8] made fun of this by not allowing the viewer to determine what actually happened.
When a susceptible individual is bitten by a zombie, it leaves an open wound. The
wound created by the zombie has the zombie’s saliva in and around it. This bodily fluid mixes with the blood, thus infecting the (previously susceptible) individual.
The zombie that we chose to model was characterised best by the popular-culture zombie.
The basic assumptions help to form some guidelines as to the specific type of zombie
we seek to model (which will be presented in the next section). The model zombie is of the classical pop-culture zombie: slow moving, cannibalistic and undead. There are other ‘types’ of zombies, characterised by some movies like 28 Days Later [9] and the 2004 reWhen Zombies Attack! 135 make of Dawn of the Dead [10]. These ‘zombies’ can move faster, are more independent and much smarter than their classical counterparts. While we are trying to be as broad as possible in modelling zombies – especially since there are many varieties – we have decided
not to consider these individuals…
7. Discussion
An outbreak of zombies infecting humans is likely to be disastrous, unless extremely aggressive tactics are employed against the undead. While aggressive quarantine may eradicate the infection, this is unlikely to happen in practice. A cure would only result in some humans surviving the outbreak, although they will still coexist with zombies. Only sufficiently frequent attacks, with increasing force, will result in eradication, assuming the available resources can be mustered in time.
Furthermore, these results assumed that the timescale of the outbreak was short, so that the natural birth and death rates could be ignored. If the timescale of the outbreak increases, then the result is the doomsday scenario: an outbreak of zombies will result in the collapse of civilisation, with every human infected, or dead. This is because human births and deaths will provide the undead with a limitless supply of new bodies to infect, resurrect and convert. Thus, if zombies arrive, we must act quickly and decisively to eradicate them before they eradicate us.
The key difference between the models presented here and other models of infectious disease is that the dead can come back to life. Clearly, this is an unlikely scenario if taken literally, but possible real-life applications may include allegiance to political parties, or diseases with a dormant infection.
This is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the first mathematical analysis of an outbreak of zombie infection. While the scenarios considered are obviously not realistic, it is nevertheless instructive to develop mathematical models for an unusual outbreak. This demonstrates the flexibility of mathematical modelling and shows how modelling can respond to a wide variety of challenges in ‘biology’.
In summary, a zombie outbreak is likely to lead to the collapse of civilisation, unless it
is dealt with quickly. While aggressive quarantine may contain the epidemic, or a cure may lead to coexistence of humans and zombies, the most effective way to contain the rise of the undead is to hit hard and hit often. As seen in the movies, it is imperative that zombies are dealt with quickly, or else we are all in a great deal of trouble.
June 3, 2009
Zombie Survival
How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse
1. Get Prepared: Buy and read The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks
2. Know your enemy: The Virus is contagious by transference of body fluids, 100% lethal w/in 20 hours, and has one goal: reproduction. Respect it.
3. Know its weapon: Zombies are carriers with one goal: your death. Mindless, slow, and virtually unstoppable but for the ever-effective head shot.
4. Figure Out How Bad it Is: Class 1 (small and local), or are we talking Class 4 Zombie Apocalypse? This will determine the rest of your survival plan.
5. Arm Yourself: Blades don’t need reloading, M-16′s are for pussies, chain saws are for idiots. Go M-1, AK-47. Think katana, machete, trench spike for close combat. If you’re using a pistol, you’ve gotten too close and you’re making too much noise…but if it makes you feel better, go for it.
6. Tight clothes, short hair = zombie killer chic.
7. Defend: Get up stairs, then destroy them. You know that 72 hour survival kit every Canadian is supposed to have? Bulk it up. Then stay quiet, alert and be ready to run.
8. Run: Know your terrain and your goal and stick to it. Small groups travel fast and silent. Stay out of the cities and away from cars, trucks and SUVs. Hike, bike, or get a horse.
9. Attack: When its time to hunt the hunters, remember your advantages: communication, discipline, strategy and firepower. A fall back and escape route are a must as well.
10. Start Over: New Eden needs to be remote, have water, good soil, natural defenses, and ample resources to rebuild civilization. Oh, and it’d be best if you kept is secret.
Planning to survive a worldwide apocalypse is more than a top ten list can handle. Only by reading the book, watching for the signs and preparing for the worst can you hope to be among the few survivors.
Good Luck and God Speed.
April 27, 2009
In Case Of Armageddon, Turn To Page 42…
Over on a little blog called “In Case Of Apocalype” they are running a little feature on what books you should have with you in case everything goes kaflouie, or in my scenario the sun fries all the circuits.
I thought I’d try to pull his multiple threads together into a list for us here:
Merck Veterinary Manual – for taking care of the livestock
Merck Manual – my suggestion, overlooked there
Joy of Cooking
How to Cook and Preserve Anything
SAS guide to tracking, ISBN 1-58574-031-4
Henley’s Formulas
Field Dressing and Butchering Deer: Step-by-Step Instructions, from Field to Table by Monte Burch ISBN: 1585743585
The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants by Samuel Thayer ISBN: 0976626608
SAS Survival Handbook: How to Survive in the Wild, in Any Climate, on Land or at Sea by John Lofty Wiseman ISBN: 0060578793
Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills by Abigail Gehring ISBN: 1602392331
There is a series of books called Foxfire, numbered about 12 in total. The series is an effort to document the lifestyle, culture, and skills of people in southern Appalachia, a very poor area of the US that is comprised of isolated communities that are largely self sufficient. The books give in highly instructive detail everything needed to survive and thrive post-industrial: making tools and shelter from available materials, identify and select plants for tools, food and medicinals as well as, of course selecting, preparing and protecting foodstuffs against spoilage. A smart reader will even gather the vital insights needed to form a viable culture in such conditions from the stories and recorded accounts of their lives and society. There are even articles on dances and construction details of musical instruments, very important for a culture to form and thrive successfully. (Anonymous)
When Technology Fails
Townsend Whelan’s On Your Own In The Wilderness
Mechanical Movements – http://www.amazon.com/507-Mechanical-Movements-Henry-Brown/dp/0961808861
Boy Scout/Girl Scout Fieldbook
“American Indian Medicine”, Vogel. Gives lists of native plants and their traditional uses. You’re going to need a good vermifuge and antihelminic after eating that wild game.
Complete Book of Camping byLeonard Miracle.
It is a wonderful survival guide- from setting up a tent to first aid.
Boatbuilding: A Complete Handbook of Wooden Boat Construction by: Howard Chapelle
A topographical map of your area, useful for things like navigating, finding water sources and marking finds (patches of edible plants, animal grazing areas, good sources of firewood, etc.)
A guide to plant / animal species in your area. Most states have them, and they can be very light or even condensed to a pamphlet. Knowing specifically which berries / mushrooms in your area you can eat, etc., could just save your life
An old Farmer’s Almanac or similar from your area. In the short term, the environment may change dramatically, but (depending on the disaster) it should return to normal eventually, and it would be very handy to know when you can expect rain, what temperature and soil are like, and other things you will need to know to start rebuilding agriculture.
Again, a guide to plant life in your area. I would suggest against saving seeds, because most seeds only last a couple of seasons, even under the best conditions (constant temperature and no moisture), and chances are you’re going to kill your first crop or two (I speak from experience). So, when you move from hunting / gathering to agriculture, you’re going to have to do what humanity is done by starting with the cultivation of native plants and/or animals.
Basic books on math (basic algebra and geometry are all you need), mechanical (not electrical) physics, chemistry / metallurgy, and biology / anatomy / medicine. There are two reasons for this: first, it took humanity thousands of years to get the basics of these fields, but only a couple hundred years to get from there to where we are today, so the higher you go, the more the returns diminish; second, with basic algebra / geometry and a knowledge of metallurgy, you can design and build all sorts of machinery up to and including the steam engine. You can get similarly far with basic knowledge in the other fields.
For making the leap to a post-industrial society, perhaps most useful would be a book on the history of mechanical and civil engineering, especially one with pictures or descriptions of actual technologies. In the history of the world these were the first engineering professions, and it is 100 times easier to emulate someone else’s ideas than it is to come up with them yourself.
How Things Work
Army Field Manuals on a variety of topics
Bushcraft: Outdoor Skills & Wilderness Survival by Mors Kochanski
And for the kids:
Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things
Again, none of these are my ideas. and I’d like to hear yours.
This list is the essentials. What are we missing?
Extra reading glasses. Lots of them…
