We have come to a new book. It also happens to be one that I have never read. It also happens to be a book that shows up on the lists ‘If you like 1984, Atlas Shrugged, etc.’ Given that I have never read it, it is deemed a classic and it fits in this genre, it is my next pick for book review.

This is another reasonably short book. As of right now, I am going to take it a chapter at a time. This means that this review will last into the middle of the summer. Once again, I may change my mind if it seems like chapters go together or are really short. To make that decision, you really have either know the book or have pre-read well ahead. Of course, I have done neither at this point but I reserve the right to change my mind as we go along.

While I haven’t read the book, it is a story line that is familiar in our culture. That being said, there are also several movies on the book that I haven’t seen either. We will see if what I think I know holds up when we get through the book. As I was trying to figure out how to break up the book, I ran across this video which I think fits here.

The reason that this story fits into the dystopian genre is that apparently there is a nuclear war that has begun. For some reason, there are a whole plane load of children that get shot down over a deserted island. As we have it, no adults survived the crash and (so far) there is no mention of the wreckage or any assets related to the airplane. Apparently, most of the kids do not know each other and so this is the beginning of the story.

To me, this chapter speaks to or more aptly against the lone wolf theory. Let me explain. The lone wolf is a predominant idea in preparedness circles. It is one individual stocking up on supplies in the event that something happens. That individual plans on taking on the event solo; not sharing supplies or working with other individuals for survival or rebuilding. This has more to do with the lone wolf being ridiculed or ostracized for their beliefs and habits and so the attitude is anti-social.

Now, of the people that I have met with this mindset, there often is a reason that they become a lone wolf. A lot of people would characterize this as tin-foil hatters. The other reason is that they use poor rhetoric when trying to persuade others to their beliefs and tend to be abrasive or secretive to boot.

I have some of those tendencies as well. I hate social media, I keep people at a distance, I have some semi-radical ideas and I would rather be home than out and about for dinner or other activities. That being said, I understand that humans are social creatures and if there was some sort of rebuilding event, we need each other to successfully do that task.

In the book, the first thing that happens is the primary characters Ralph and Piggy find a conch shell to blow on it and make noise, like a horn. This sound brings all of the survivors to the sound and they immediately begin to organize. Leaders are elected and roles are created.

This of course goes against my anarchist tendencies. That being said, in a critical situation it makes a lot of sense for voluntary association to solve an acute problem. And for that kind of situation, I am all for a temporary association. Said better, they need each other and to take advantage of the strengths that each person can bring to the table for the common goal of survival and getting discovered for rescue.

The problem of course is that these things run their course and then you end up with sociopaths seeking power and attempting to maintain it when the situation does not warrant it. The leads to arbitrary or self-serving rules that enhance power and control. I often find leadership needs change as the situation evolves. The people that immediately get elected/appointed are the charismatic ones, not necessarily the ones that are ultimately the best leaders.

End Your Programming Routine: I have a theory that there are people good at starting things and those people are usually not the best at running them. It is the difference between entrepreneurial and work a job mindset. That being said, it is natural for people to organize in a social setting, especially for crisis situations. The book is already living up to it’s premise, this is a reflection of society.