A Survivalist Library

The busy pace of modern life and our alienation from knowledge and skills that were once commonplace mean that it is almost impossible to learn every skill or piece of knowledge that we would need in the event of a crisis. Thankfully, books provide a convenient and cost-effective means of filling in the gaps in our knowledge. Here's a listing of books that I've found worthwhile enough to own, grouped by topic:

The Survivalist Mindset
The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why, by Amanda Ripley
The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life, by Ben Sherwood
The Gift of Fear (and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence), by Gavin De Becker
How to Be Invisible: The Essential Guide to Protecting your Personal Privacy, Your Assets, and Your Life, by J.J. Luna

General SHTF
When Technology Fails: A Manual for Self-Reliance, Sustainability, and Surviving the Long Emergency, by Matthew Stein
Just in Case: How to Be Self-Sufficient When the Unexpected Happens, by Kathy Harrison
Crisis Preparedness Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Home Storage and Physical Survival, by Jack A. Spigarelli

Gardening
Gardening When It Counts: Growing Food in Hard Times, by Steve Solomon
Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and Growing Techniques for Vegetable Gardeners, by Suzanne Ashworth

Homesteading
The New Woodburner's Handbook: A Guide to Safe, Healthy and Efficient Woodburning, by Stephen Bushway
Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage of Fruits & Vegetables, by Mike and Nancy Bubel
The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency: The Classic Guide for Realists and Dreamers, by John Seymour

Cooking
American Wood Heat Cookery, by Margaret Byrd Adams
Woodstove Cookery: At Home on the Range, by Jane Cooper
Cooking With Sunshine: The Complete Guide to Solar Cuisine with 150 Easy Sun-Cooked Recipes, by Lorraine Anderson and Rick Palkovic

Of course, learning how to do something for the first time, from a book, under stressful conditions is less than ideal. But it's a lot better than having to reinvent the wheel.