It is stated at one point by some CIA guy that North Korea was able to avoid the zombie outbreak by systematically removing the teeth of all of its residence in less than 24 hours. The reasoning being that if nobody had teeth then the virus couldn’t spread because nobody could bite anyone. He states that it was “the greatest feat of social engineering ever achieved”. Like I get this is a fictitious plot but they can’t even avoid making up the most utterly deranged bullshit lmao.
The book has its moments of being interesting, but then pulls shit like that. It also has an incredibly weeb section where a Japanese shut-in kid takes his neighbour's WW2 katana and joins forces with a blind gardener with some Shaolin polearm thing to become a badass pair of zombie slayers. It also has... Russia, I believe, going back to doing full purges and actual Roman-style decimations in their ranks because reasons.
But the book does also have the US Army taking a massive L during the Battle of Yonkers (where the Army is called out for focusing on using all their super cool high tech firepower and tanks... that prove ineffective against zombies), and also the Mets Fan story is one of my favourite little horror shorts.
The Japanese kid being laughably out of shape was kind of amusing. And his constant masturbation.
The "Go North!" story is genuinely terrifying, depicting US consumer culture literally cannibalising itself.
I did feel that all the Americans dying due to being ill equipped and prioritization treats over survival really stayed true to the anti consumer themes of Romero.
Max Brooks is a fine example of progressive authors getting ever so close to the answer but not quite being able to make the final leap.
Also Ruben Studdard and Larry the Cable Guy hiding in a celebrity-only bunker and hoarding supplies until angry civilians kick the front door open. One of them tries to throw a live grenade but holds it too long.
Bonus: This segment is narrated by Henry Rollins in the audiobook.
Mace Griffin Bounty Hunter was on an audiobook? Wow.
Even if it's a kinda bad book by itself for writing reasons, the audiobook is great just for the cast - Alan Alda and Mark Hamill do a bit if the narration.