Yes, that is precisely what the book is about, fear ruling peoples lives and how to overcome it. But I won't explain it here, just read it cause that will make more sense.
In terms of power, you will need to get a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). The one I have is APC (1000 VA 600 Watts) which is just barely enough for my high end desktop. I should have got a 800W or more, as I can get pretty close to the capacity at times, but it still works. For an older computer or a laptop it would be fine, and I think even like 500W or 420W would be okay for a laptop. I have my computer and my monitor connected. This will protect against blackouts, brownouts, and surges. The backup battery is not huge (my unit was $150, they make bigger ones) but I get around 15 minutes of idle time on the desktop, or 5 minutes if playing a game. Which is okay for short blackouts, or at least enough time for my to safely shut down the computer without data loss or damage. The APC units also have a daemon, which works on all operating systems, that you can configure to automatically shut down your computer (for example if there is a black out while you are not home).
This is the one I have. Should be enough for most any desktop machine and a monitor. If you have a really old desktop, you can probably get a lower wattage (or if a laptop) but the higher ones will give you more run time on the battery.
https://www.newegg.com/apc-bx1000m-4-x-nema-5-15r-4-x-nema-5-15r/p/42-301-547
I did have one computer die last year. It wasn't a blackout, but my cat stepped on the surge protector and somehow this blew out the machine. The motherboard was toast. It could also happen with surges, though usually a cheap surge protector will protect from this. But if you get a blackout while you are using the computer, this can cause damage. Data could be corrupted and it's possible, in theory, to destroy a power supply (which can then destroy other components, like the motherboard). It is rare and unlikely, but possible.
In terms of HDMI, it can transmit power. Usually for larger desktop monitors, they have their own power convertor (which is subject to the same issues as the computer itself, which is why you need a surge protector at the very least or ideally a UPS). Some smaller monitors can be powered from the HDMI cable, sometimes portable monitors do this. However, in this case the power is coming from the video card on the computer (and thus from the power supply). So in order to damage the monitor, your computer itself would need to be damaged. I don't know exactly how this would work, as I've never experienced it (I'm guessing) but I think if you make sure that the PC itself is safe, then the monitor will be safe.
