The U.S. Armed Forces Nurclear, Biologial and Chemical Survival Manual isn't for everyone. But those determined to protect themselves from terrorist attacks of all kinds should find this must reading.

Frankly, my family is more in need of a plan to get out of the house in time to get to school most mornings. But if you feel the need to learn how to detect and protect yourself from nuclear agents, try Chapter 4.

Worried about biological and chemical agents? Chapters 5 and 6 are for you.

You get the (survival) drill.

The manual is edited by Dick Couch, a retired Navy captain and a former Navy SEAL who led a successful POW rescue during the Vietnam War. He later joined the CIA, so you know Couch understands the territory.

And believe me when I tell you it's a complex territory. Simple duct tape is nowhere to be found.

If anything, Couch might be a little too dense in this 224-page book, which requires a real time commitment. Given the challenges facing someone bent on total protection, however, it may be just the ticket.

Joe Rassenfoss