Introduction
Introduction
People getting ready for cataclysmic disasters by stockpiling food, water and, in many cases, guns are easy to dismiss as alarmists. But a stream of natural and human-created disasters has made so-called “preppers” seem less eccentric and more sensible. Even the Red Cross and government agencies recommend assembling emergency supplies and planning for disaster. Some preppers go several steps beyond — building rural retreats, for example, where they would hole up if society fell apart. To the more alarmed segment of the movement, a collapse of modern civilization is not so much a possibility as a probability. Overall, though, even the “prepper” label signifies a more mainstream, less politicized approach than the “survivalism” of the late 20th century. Meanwhile, politicians and scientists share some preppers' ...