The first were Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson, read in the children's versions before I was 10, and re-read several times since. Then there was Alas, Babylon, which I read as a teenager. They are very different works, but they all helped form the opinion that survival is a matter of individual responsibility and preparation, and that most of the preparation is mental, in the acquisition of knowledge and skills and the judgment to use them appropriately.

About 10 years ago I read a book by Dick Francis called Longshot which got me seriously interested in assembling and organizing the basic tools and supplies to be prepared for various kinds of emergencies. Until then all I had was a toolbox in the garage, miscellaneous camping gear scattered throughout the house, and a drawer with (sometimes) a couple of flashlights and candles.