This author’s note originally appeared in the December 19th edition of my author newsletter. To subscribe to my newsletter, click here. I’ve been thinking a lot about self-reliance recently. I just finished reading One Second After by William R. Forstchen, and while it’s a good book—perhaps even an important book—I have to say that is… Continue reading 2019-12-19 Newsletter Author’s Note
Tag: self sufficiency
A Path to Self-Sufficiency
It’s been a while since I’ve done a Self-Sufficient Writer post, but I think I’d like to bring that series back, with the goal of turning it into a book eventually. There’s a lot of interesting stuff I’ve learned that would make good content for that blog series, and I still have a lot to… Continue reading A Path to Self-Sufficiency
What Falls from the Sky by Esther Emery
This kind of book isn’t my usual fare, but I discovered this author through some YouTube videos on homesteading, and when I read in the description about how she went for a year without the internet, I thought I’d give it a try. I was not disappointed. Esther Emery has had an interesting life. With… Continue reading What Falls from the Sky by Esther Emery
The thousand year view
How will your life impact the world in a thousand years? It’s an easy question to dismiss. After all, how can one person possibly shape the course of history? Even if we accept the impact of certain great men, how can we have the hubris to think that we might one day join them? But… Continue reading The thousand year view
Unthinkable truths
If you told the average person that you believed with near 100% certainty that intelligent alien life exists in the universe, they would consider you crazy. Yet the truth is that our universe is so incredibly vast, so full of Earthlike planets, that the odds that intelligent life only emerged here are low enough to… Continue reading Unthinkable truths
The Self-Sufficient Writer: Varieties of Collapse
What does a collapse look like? The first thing most people think of is the zombie apocalypse. Which makes sense, considering how popular zombie stories are. The signs of collapse are clear and present, with no room for ambiguity. The world has come to an end, and the only thing left is to pick up an… Continue reading The Self-Sufficient Writer: Varieties of Collapse
My next impossible dream
If I keep doing what I’m doing, writing and publishing my books, and building a steadily growing readership, eventually I’m going to come into some money. My readership will reach a critical mass, one of my books will hit the market in just the right way, and I’ll find myself riding the rocket to career heights that… Continue reading My next impossible dream
The Self-Sufficient Writer: Makers vs. Takers
There are two kinds of people in the world. No, not those who can count and those who can’t. No, not those with loaded guns and those who dig. Stay with me for a minute, because this is important. In fact, it may be the most important realization I’ve ever had. We have a tendency to see… Continue reading The Self-Sufficient Writer: Makers vs. Takers
Lights Out by Ted Koppel
About a year ago, while doing research for prepper-type stuff, I came across this interview of Ted Koppel, discussing his book Lights Out. It piqued my interest, especially since Ted Koppel is not the kind of person I’d peg as much of a prepper/survivalist. The part about the Mormons sounded interesting too, so I reserved the book… Continue reading Lights Out by Ted Koppel
The Self-Sufficient Writer: Preparedness vs. Self-Sufficiency
No, I haven’t abandoned the Self-Sufficient Writer series. The path to self-sufficiency is an ongoing journey for me, and I wanted to take some time to learn a few things before I shared them here. My attempts at gardening this year ended rather badly, but I learned a lot from it and I’m carrying those lessons to… Continue reading The Self-Sufficient Writer: Preparedness vs. Self-Sufficiency