Resilient Citizens
The People, Perils, and Politics of Modern Preparedness
Published on 4. November 2025
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-1-63763-448-6 (ISBN)
Description
Blending battlefield experience, cutting-edge disaster research, and real-world stories of ranchers, homesteaders, and policymakers, Resilient Citizens is a gripping and essential guide for anyone ready to stop hoping and start preparing in an age of polycrisis and cascading collapse.
Resilience is a mindset.
From war zones to wildfires, pandemics to power outages, the threats we face today seem bigger, scarier, and more unrelenting than ever before. Why, then, does society take a critical view of those who prepare for the worst while hoping for the best? Why do so many people write them off as crazy, conspiracy-minded “doomsday preppers”?
In Resilient Citizens, Army officer and disaster expert Dr. Chris Ellis challenges the myths, dismisses the fearmongering, and takes a much-needed, long-overdue scholarly look not just at prepper culture in America, but our overall social, physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual health.
This isn’t another doomsday prepper guide or government-endorsed emergency brochure. It’s a deep dive into the people, perils, and politics of preparedness—from ranchers in the Rockies to policymakers globally—and a call to action for those who refuse to outsource their safety to luck or bureaucracy.
Unpacking thousands of hours of research, Dr. Ellis will help you—
Whether you’re a concerned parent, a curious skeptic, or a seasoned survivalist, Resilient Citizens will challenge your assumptions and inspire you to think bigger, prepare smarter, and ensure your own survival in a chaotic world and uncertain future.
Resilience is a mindset.
From war zones to wildfires, pandemics to power outages, the threats we face today seem bigger, scarier, and more unrelenting than ever before. Why, then, does society take a critical view of those who prepare for the worst while hoping for the best? Why do so many people write them off as crazy, conspiracy-minded “doomsday preppers”?
In Resilient Citizens, Army officer and disaster expert Dr. Chris Ellis challenges the myths, dismisses the fearmongering, and takes a much-needed, long-overdue scholarly look not just at prepper culture in America, but our overall social, physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual health.
This isn’t another doomsday prepper guide or government-endorsed emergency brochure. It’s a deep dive into the people, perils, and politics of preparedness—from ranchers in the Rockies to policymakers globally—and a call to action for those who refuse to outsource their safety to luck or bureaucracy.
Unpacking thousands of hours of research, Dr. Ellis will help you—
- Learn the traits and strategies of those best equipped to survive and thrive amid disaster.
- Understand the psychological roadblocks that keep people stuck in denial or helplessness.
- Discover how different belief systems, subcultures, and nations approach long-term resilience.
- Debunk popular myths about “preppers” and discover the truth behind America’s growing culture of preparedness.
- Examine the historical and political roots of America’s preparedness paradox.
- Reveal the number one resilience item every household must own.
Whether you’re a concerned parent, a curious skeptic, or a seasoned survivalist, Resilient Citizens will challenge your assumptions and inspire you to think bigger, prepare smarter, and ensure your own survival in a chaotic world and uncertain future.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 160 mm
Thickness: 35 mm
Weight
522 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-63763-448-6 (9781637634486)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Dr. Chris Ellis is a career Army officer, disaster readiness expert, and lifelong student of how people, communities, and nations prepare for the worst. With over twenty-six years of military service—including time in combat zones and collaborative work across five continents—Chris has seen firsthand what resilience looks like under pressure.
Chris holds a Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University, along with four other advanced degrees covering public policy, military strategy, and international security. His work blends academic insight with boots-on-the-ground experience, tackling big-picture threats like civil unrest, nuclear catastrophe, economic collapse, and even the end of the world.
Outside of uniform, Chris is an obstacle course racer, an active volunteer, and a longtime supporter of humanitarian and environmental causes. After his military service, he hopes to keep serving through leadership roles in homeland security or global disaster relief.
Chris holds a Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University, along with four other advanced degrees covering public policy, military strategy, and international security. His work blends academic insight with boots-on-the-ground experience, tackling big-picture threats like civil unrest, nuclear catastrophe, economic collapse, and even the end of the world.
Outside of uniform, Chris is an obstacle course racer, an active volunteer, and a longtime supporter of humanitarian and environmental causes. After his military service, he hopes to keep serving through leadership roles in homeland security or global disaster relief.