When Technology Fails, Revised and Expanded

The Definitive Manual for Preparedness in an Uncertain World

By: Matthew Stein, Tim MacWelch (Editor)

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Paperback | 2 June 2026

At a Glance

Format
Paperback

Dimensions(cm)
27.69 x 21.62 x 2.72

Paperback

RRP $85.00

$55.99

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The classic, comprehensive primer on sustainable living skills—from food and water to shelter and energy to first aid and crisis-management skills—fully revised and updated for 2026 and beyond 

Matthew Stein’s When Technology Fails prepares you to embark on the path toward sustainability. But unlike any other book, Stein not only shows you how to live green in seemingly stable times, but to live in the face of potential disasters, lasting days or years, coming in the form of social upheaval, economic meltdown, or environmental catastrophe.  

When Technology Fails covers the gamut: 

The basics of installing a renewable energy system for your home or business

How to find and sterilize water in the face of utility failure

How to keep warm if you’ve been left temporarily homeless

Practical information for dealing with water-quality issues

Alternative health and first-aid techniques

Each chapter describes skills for self-reliance in good times and bad. Chapters include: 

A survey of the risks to the status quo

Supplies and preparation for short- and long-term emergencies

Emergency measures for survival

Prepping water, food, shelter, and clothing

First aid, low-tech medicine, and healing

Securing energy, heat, and power

Metalworking

Utensils and storage

Low-tech chemistry engineering, machines, and materials

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