Book excerpt: There are many books out there on all the different aspects of preparedness and survival that can provide you with information, checklists, and theoretical solutions to potential problems. But no matter how much you read or how well-researched the books you choose are, there's only so much you can take away from these tomes. Getting your information from someone who has survived a "sh*t hit the fan" crisis will take your preparedness to an entirely different level. Meet Selco, a legend in the preparedness world. He survived in a city that was under siege for more than a year. He had no power, no running water, no stores for supplies, and every day, he ran the risk of meeting a violent death, whether by shells, sniper fire, or a person intent on hurting others. This book is a collection of memories from the darkest days of the Balkan War, where each moment could have been his last. This isn't a cheerful and uplifting guide to survival. There's no misplaced optimism. There's only Selco, the darkness he faced, and the grim reality of an SHTF scenario most of us can't even fathom. But if you can grasp it all before it happens, you'll be much further ahead than those who are frozen in shock.***Please note that Selco's first language is not English. These stories have been lightly edited for clarity, but they still retain the "accent."