Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why by Laurence Gonzales

Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why
by Laurence Gonzales
302 pages / 10 hrs, 29 mins

After her plane crashes, a seventeen-year-old girl spends eleven days walking through the Peruvian jungle.  Against all odds, with no food, shelter, or equipment, she gets out.  A better-equipped group of adult survivors of the same crash sits down and dies.  What makes the difference?

Examining such stories of miraculous endurance and tragic death--how people get into trouble and how they get out again (or not)--Deep Survival takes us from the tops of snowy mountains and the depths of oceans to the workings of the brain that control our behavior.  Through close analysis of case studies, Laurence Gonzales describes the "stages of survival" and reveals the essence of a survivor--truths that apply not only to surviving in the wild but also to surviving life-threatening illness, relationships, the death of a loved one, running a business during uncertain times, even war.

Fascinating for any reader, and absolutely essential for anyone who takes a hike in the woods, this book will change the way we understand ourselves and the great outdoors.  --from the publisher

Although I don't agree with all of Gonzales' theories of why some survive and some don't, his insights and rules for survival are excellent.  Since I am a naturally fearful person who is prone to panic, I was encouraged to see I've gained some survival skills through my life experience and maturity.

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