Now, I think the extent of the damage inflicted by an EMP attack may be overblown in the book. But I also think that a much-reduced version of that damage could roll this country in just a week into the a horror show not seen since the Civil War. Civilization is a veneer that is only so thick and we *are* vulnerable as a result of our over-reliance on electronics.
There are very, very few Americans who do any amount of prepping, let alone the amount necessary to deal with the worst case scenario.
Buy an old car with no electronics. Maybe a Jeep CJ or an old 1960s pickup.
The inner cities, yes, but not where I live. I am confident that our neighbors and citizens of our town and county would rally. Yes, there would be damage and many people very inconvenienced and some deaths but in no way would there be the collapse of Western Civilization. Not in this county.