As a modern day Jack of All Trades, it was my calling to write an encyclopedia that touches on all aspects of preparedness. I come from a long line of hands-on doers -- railroad engineers, computer engineers, makers of artificial limbs, and even someone who worked on the Apollo 13 Lunar Lander (yeah, the one from that ill-fated mission, the one that had to run 5 times longer than spec in order to get the crew home safely). With such encouragement, I've dabbled in leather work, metal work, building archery equipment, creating custom camping gear, making some "home brew" Ham Radio parts, and more.

And then there's the 16' Snipe (a type of racing sailboat) that took shape in my garage over the course of 18 months. It was my brother's doing; I only helped, but I learned a ton from that project. That's our family motto: always learning, and always teaching. Semper discipulus, semper matrona.

Anyway, that's why I felt compelled to give something back by writing this book, as part of my civic duty. I hope you all find that it was a worthwhile endeavor.