I must admit, that I was very reluctant to spend my yearly Barnes and Noble gift card I get each year for Christmas on this book. I am usually very frugal when it comes to spending up the credits on it. For the most part I will only spend it on the classics by J.D. Salinger or Jack Kerouac, and lately I’ve had an obsession with mafia stories.

But the book was gaining momentum in the ratings and was a New York Times best-seller and Brad Pitt is developing a movie around the storyline. So I caved and bought it.

Max Brooks, son of Mel Brooks, is the “Studs Turkel” of a fictitious zombie outbreak that has almost disseminated humankind. The book is a series of interviews conducted by Brooks who is an agent of the United Nations Postwar Commission. The interviews take stories from people all over the world who have survived the zombie apocalypse dubbed “World War Z”.

The zombie outbreak begins in China when a boy is bitten by a zombie while he is swimming in a pond. The Chinese government tries to hide the outbreak but because of black market organ trading and refugees it is starting to spread worldwide. What starts out as rumor becomes worldwide attention as an outbreak in South Africa goes public.

The United States acts ignorant to any outbreak in her borders and is little prepared when the outbreak occurs. Eventually, the entire human race is on the brink of extinction. Survivors are forced to live either at sea, in the northern climes where the temperature freezes the zombies, or in fortresses or “Safe Zones” set up by faltering governments. Even the rich and celebrity, who have fortified themselves in “impenetrable fortresses” with all the amenities they are accustomed to are over run with the zombie hordes.

The book is not only a story about zombies and human survival, but is also a commentary on social breakdown, obtuse government, and a lackadaisical mindset of the general population. The scary part of this entire book is its reality. Both in its way governments would react, media would cover, military tactics, medical reactions, and human survivalism is portrayed. Sure, zombies are far fetched, but the fact that their condition is caused by a strain of virus called “Solanum” and is incurable and the way the zombie hordes act more like a virus than any sort of monster leaves you locking the doors at night.

Max Brooks went through a lot of resources and did many miles and hours of research on this book to make it as real as possible. In my opinion he succeeded and I’m very glad that I spent my B and N giftcard on his book. Will be seeking out the audio version of this book with my next gift card.