Book excerpt: The Rough Guide to Surviving the End of the World is a light-hearted yet well-informed look at threats to the very existence of life on Earth, how we might be able to deal with them and-if things go truly, horribly wrong-how we might just be able to survive. Written by scientist and sci fan Paul Parsons, this gripping book examines scenarios ranging from megafloods to space radiation, supervolcanoes to bioengineering and what you should do when the sh*t hits the fan. Along the way, we meet some of the lesser-trodden paths to oblivion, including the possibility that the human race will be gripped by mass stupidity and the outrageous idea that life on Earth could all be one giant Matrix-style computer simulation that its creators might one day decide to switch off. All are placed under the scientific spotlight and presented with clarity and humor. To survive Armageddon you need the best advice and information available, which is here presented in ample detail and capturing every plausible catastrophic scenario. Now available in ePub format.