This week’s installment of Saturday Reads (and admittedly a day late) is not another zombie fiction novel, but it will come in handy in case there ever is a zombie apocalypse. It’s simply called Pocket Ref and it is a compendium of everything you’ll ever need to know in the event of a total societal breakdown. And the best part is all 768 pages fit into your pocket.

Meant as a reference guide for engineers, contractors, etc, Pocket Ref has detailed information topics ranging from chemistry, weather, first aid, plumbing and many, many more. Let’s say the zombie infection has begun. Want to find out if those clouds on horizon mean rain before you leave town? Page 652. Need to tie down an infected human but unsure of what knot to use? Page 537. Cell Phone networks down and need to communicate via semaphore code? Page 241.

Everything from the mundane (listings of holidays, zip codes, and time zones) to the esoteric (friction loss in pipes, thermal expansion coefficients) is in Pocket Ref. If you’ve ever thought a zombie attack could happen and want to be prepared, make sure you’ve got a copy of this book.

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In the world of underground fiction, few novels can compare to J.L. Bourne’s Day by Day Armageddon. Self-published in 2004, it was a print adaption of the author’s ongoing web blog. I was lucky enough to be a regular reader on the site and bought a copy of the book as soon as it was published. Good thing too - it’s highly sought after now and can easily sell for $50-$100.

Written in a journal style, Day by Day Armageddon follows the life of a Naval pilot as he slowly learns of a growing zombie epidemic. He initially holes himself up, but as things get worse and the living seem fewer and fewer, he finds new ways to survive. It manages to provide a realistic, rather than sensationalized portrayal of survival but still manages to be an exciting page-turner. Bourne makes wonderful use of his own background (a military man himself) and provides an insider’s view on how the military might actually react. The only downside is that it abruptly ends (it was originally supposed to multi-volume series).

The good news is that if you missed out on it’s original print run, Day by Day Armageddon is going to be re-printed soon by Permuted Press! Volume 2 is also on its way. You can find out more information on the author’s website here.  You can also read the first chapter of the book and see how great it is for yourself.

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Who would’ve thought that we could learn so much from zombies? Quite a bit, as it turns out according to Scott Kenemore - author of The Zen of Zombie: Better Living Through the Undead. His book attempts to condense the innate wisdom of the zombie into practical lessons for living.

At first glance I was skeptical - honestly I thought this book would be another in a long line of books hoping to cash in on the latest fad. But when the review copy arrived in the mail, it was immediately apparent this was something special. The cover, pages, and illustrations are all high quality with many color pages and red accents on each page.

Whatever the quality of the binding, the value in The Zen of Zombie is clearly in the contents of the book itself. The book is divided into two parts: “The 24 Habits of Highly Effective Zombies” and “Your Guide to Complete Zombification in 90 Days”. Interspersed throughout are little blurbs of “Zombie Tips” and boxes that say “Remember” with a severed hand and emphasize important points.

The “24 Habits” listed in the book are each hilarious and some are downright laugh-out-loud funny. Kenemore writes with all the authority of an undead Dr. Phil, blending real life lessons with humor and parody. I could’ve never imagined that zombies could teach us so much.  The “Complete Guide to Zombifcation” is equally hilarious, going through real-life scenarios and thought experiements in an attempt to see life through the slowly decomposing eye of a zombie.

The Zen of Zombie manages to be great at not only parodying those worthless self-help books but also provide some real food for thought.  That is the true genius of this book - it works on several levels.  If you don’t find enlightenment after reading this book, at least you had a good time reading it.

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