I recently read the novel "World War Z" by Max Brooks. You may have seen the movie inspired by it, but the book is formatted in a vastly different way and does not abide by the controversial “fast zombies.” It is written from the point-of-view of a journalist traveling around the world documenting the ways in which different nations and people dealt with the crisis after the war against the zombies has been won. The book consists of a series of short interviews between our anonymous journalist and people who were at the center of several different crucial points in the Zombie War. "World War Z" is not only a compelling novel, but it has a lot to say about our current society and the individuals that make it up. So, here is a list of realizations I had about myself as I read it:

My idea of a normal job is incredibly specialized.

Most people, including myself, plan on having an incredibly specific career and way of making money, meaning they rely on a vast network of other people for almost all of their needs.

I don’t know how anything works.

While scavenging for useful parts in the zombie apocalypse, it helps to know what is in everyday machines, like refrigerators, washing machines, etc. And honestly, I couldn’t tell you what is in any of my household electronics or appliances or how their parts work together to perform whatever function I want from them.

I need to learn more about my environment.

If I can’t go to the grocery store, I have no way of feeding myself. It would do me some good to learn about the edible plants that grow around me.

I am extremely dependent on information from other sources.

The internet is an incredible source of all sorts of information, and if I could not connect to it I fear I may not have kept enough of that info in my own brain.

Maintaining physical fitness is crucial.

I have always been involved in sports and maintained at least some degree of physical fitness, but I also fall victim to laziness when I have nothing to train for. Reading "World War Z"has made me realize the importance of a baseline of fitness: You don’t want to be the one who gets eaten because you gassed out after running only half a mile.

I keep very little survival equipment with me.

I don’t even have a sleeping bag with me, let alone a tent or drops that will make water okay to drink.

So, what have I learned from reading "World War Z"? I've learned that I probably won't be the first to go if the zombies come for us, but I certainly won't be the last. So if you see me stumbling down Railroad Ave with guts hanging out of my mouth, do me a favor and give me a nice nine iron to the head. Thanks.