Neil Strauss’s book The Game, an account of how he a nerdy journalist became a successful pick-up artist, is one of the most interesting and entertaining things I’ve ever read. So I was eager to tackle his new one. He’s nothing if not eclectic: his previous book was an account of his months accompanying Motley Crue on tour. What would the next topic be?
Emergency is about survival. Not a how-to book as such, but the story of his mission after 9/11 to be prepared, self-sufficient, with the skills and knowledge to cope if The American Way turns sour. Like his other works, it’s absolutely fascinating and well-written.
It set me thinking though, chimes in with some conversations I’ve had in recent months. And I reached the quick conclusion that we’re a pretty useless bunch, me and my friends. Barely a practical skill between us, for all our intellectual capability and clever chit-chat and certificates. What could my nearest and dearest do if the world order collapsed and it all went Mad Max? It’s an unimpressive list.
• Write an article about it
• Audit it
• Produce a drama about it
• Write a poem
• Ensure everything was compliant
• Develop a strategic partnership
• Analyse it with spreadsheets
• Write a song
• Lead a psychotherapy group to talk about it
• Capture it in electronic mood-music
• Worry about it
• Translate all the above into other languages
The list of pathetic, ineffectual responses is probably endless. Blogging about it is of course a much more valid response... Makes you think though, doesn’t it.
And we’re all so damn good at thinking, aren’t we?!
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