Some cockroach species can go for a month without food, survive for a month on a drop of water from a dishrag, and withstand massive doses of radiation.
No best-sellers, of course - that goes without saying, although you should read enough to be able to say it nauseated you so much you couldn't finish it.
It goes without saying that weather forecasting is far more important than simply letting people know whether to take waterproofs and an umbrella out with them.