Simply put, this is the best book in existence that has compiled under one cover all the skills that one would need to not only survive in the wilderness, but to live comfortably. Unlike many other complete! skills books, this one was written one chapter at a time as smaller books (ten) complete in themselves. They were written to teach the reader how-to ... and they do. If you read a chapter, you come away with not only an understanding of how-to do it, you will also understand the whys. Over 700 photographs, and some line drawings, illustrate step by step every skill presented.