Snufkin said:
The first Naked in the Wilderness is defiantly the better of the two books.
thats not to say that the second book isnt good, but it has the feeling that most of the stuff that would appeal to the largest audiance went into the first book and the stuff that did not have a wide enough appeal to make the first and thus left over where collected up for the second. It also lacks the flow from one subject to the next found in the first title and gets a bit rambling in places, but there are some real gems hidden inside.
the second book is about 100 pages shorter, it opens with a section on the Hantavirus (a bit dull) which runs to the 22nd page.
this is followed by a very interesting though rambling 17 page chapter on nutrition, however if you have issue 1 & 2 of the BCUK bushcraft magazine you will find nothing new in this section.
the third chapter is the best single intructional topic in the book with 49 pages of very clear and easy to follow instruction on the preparation and brain tanning of robes and furs with good explanation of the details that make it happen.
then there is a very rambling 42 page tale of the construction of a dugout canoe with stone age tools (constructed over 47days) whilst the achievement is very impressive, it lacks any real interest unless you are planning just such a project. it turns out that making a dug out canoe from a tree is pretty much the way you would expect, cutting down a tree followed by lots of painfully slow chipping away of wood until you have a canoe shaped log. (this section is unique though so if you are planning to dedicate a solid 2 months making a dugout canoe with stone tools, this book is a probably invaluable)
chapter 5 is 53 pages long and consists of a collection of article on various subjects all of them quite to very interesting covering:
flintknapping (well explained for the beginner, 12 pages)
making fat lamps (a bit short but quite interesting if you havent seen it before, 4 pages)
making a bone needle (short and sweet, mostly pictures, 3 pages)
Quick stone axe hafting (as previous short but useful if you've not seen it before, 2 pages)
the quickie bow (how to make a very primitive quick and dirty bow in with stone tools from green wood, good if you havent got the woodworking skills or the desire to make a proper bow but would like to know how to make something workable for the short term, 5 pages)
Water containers (now this is an interesting though very short section demonstrating willow/pitch and rawhide water vessels, gave me some ideas, 3 pages)
Primitive navigation (a nice abstract piece on navigation, which also dispels some very commonly held misconceptions about the sunstick compass method, which i remember finding very illuminating at the time I read it, 8 pages)
two piece moccasins (the obligatory really basic moccasin tutorial and not a great one either, as seen in dozens of other books. better to skip this section if your interested in footwear and go straight to page 267 where they show you how to make a pair of Mocs from two squirrels! simply case skin them, turn them fur side in and pull them on your feet, tie the front two legs together across the front and back two behind the heel for instant shoes, let them dry on your feet for form fitting rawhide finish, fantastic!!)
Primitive versus prehistoric (a political ramble and not really an interesting one, the author even says "I planned approaching this subject (in the first book) but dropped the idea because most likely the majority of you readers dont really care about word games" enough said, 3 pages)
Chapter 6 concerns a favourite phrase of John and Geri's "Primitive, Primitive" its a abstract piece about being undertaking totally primitive projects, all stone tools and natural cordage from start to finish etc and taking as primitive approach as possible, going right back to the very basic of basics. a quite interesting philosophical ramble, but of little or no nuts and bolts instructional value.
Chapter 7 "Naked into the wilderness" Now this is where this book really shines! this chapter is a detailed and instructional 63 page real time diary of John, Geri and kids heading into the wilderness with nothing but the clothes on their backs (t-shirts and jeans)
by the end of day one they have a basket (filled with collected walnuts and rosehips, a nice wickiup shelter, a fire (Mullin handdrill), flint tools, cordage, and a small trap line of 15 piaute deadfalls.
end of day two they have a number of gathered handrills sets and tinder prepared and dried, 400 feet of cordage, an addition 70 deadfall traps + two deer traps on the trap line, grass mats/blankets and even a grass coat, a stone axe, a bow and arrows, an improved shelter with surrounding fence that is now looking more like a house with a walled compound than a simple shelter, several rodents to eat from the trap line.
by the end of the final day (day 3) all of the above plus digging sticks, stores of tinder, firewood, smoked meat, clay, 3 fired clay posts, a 2 pairs of instant squirral moccasins! they are ready to stay indefinably
every step is explained in detail (with photos) such as the full process of finding clay making pots and firing them on day 3 etc, by people who obviously do this regulary and a great deal of wisdom about the priorities of survival is divulged. its this book that taught me that one of the first things to do after fire, water, shelter is to sit down and make a hell of a lot of cordage.
Such 'starting with nothing' 'primitive, primitive' survival scenarios is rarely explained in other books and in my opinion this chapter is worth the price of the book alone.
The last chapter 'Storms' is a nice fictional story written by Geri about a Stone Age hunting trip that goes awry. Its a nice finish to a good book
I borrowed and read this book, before I bought a copy for myself. whilst it is not written and laid out as well or as instructional as the first book it is never the less contains a few real gems of information which are not repeated elsewhere (like instant squirral Mocs and the truth about the sunstick)
If you are especially interested in some of its specific topics such as a making dugout canoe or processing buckskin, this book will be invaluable but even if your not you should still own it for chapters 5 and 7 alone, for which you will still get your moneys worth.
I only started my subscription in issue 3 
