Annie Searle

Advice From A Risk Detective Third Edition Annie Searle

Searle walks you through some of the most common risks in life. Now in its third edition, the volume includes updated and additional material on emergency management, workplace situations, and new technology tools and options. With stories based on her own personal experience - from a house fire that destroyed thousands of books, to an episode in St. Petersburg where she lost her bearings - she walks the reader through the value of having plans so that risks can be taken with confidence. Life is divided into five chapters - home, school, work, online, and on the road. It's written in practical, plain English with plenty of stories about how things can go wrong. She argues that "Being aware means that it is possible to identify risks and make a plan. Being prepared means having more control over the outcome of events. I don't identify all the risks or all the plans that one can make. I do discuss what is reasonable rather than what is possible." Each chapter contains tips - she calls them "reasonable precautions" - along with checklists for larger projects, such as an emergency kit designed to let you live off the grid for up to ten days. Searle argues that taking risks is an essential part of personal growth, and that identifying risks and taking precautions can be learned. Her final point is that making a plan to handle your risks does not take much time or money.