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Title: Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why by Laurence Gonzales ISBN: 0-393-05276-1 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: October, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.23 (22 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Compels and Empowers
Comment: Years ago I put myself in a situation and got cold, very cold. It would have been a pain-free relief to have simply given in. Shut-down mode. Enough of the pain. Enough of the struggle. It'll be alright. This is the journalistic beat of Laurence Gonzales. Why some people hear that voice and assuage themselves with the endorphins of impending morbidity. And why in the brains of others there is a dialogue which cues simultaneous and contradictory impulses. Life-saving impulses. I did not read Deep Survival so much as absorb it into the fabric of my being. You too may have occasion to explore your own self in deeply personal, provocative ways while reading this book. This goes way, way beyond "armchair exploration" and into a deeper examination of self. Many of the like-minded among us now have cause to quote Gonzalesian priniciples to the uninitiated. Take from it what you will. Just get in touch with (and control of) that voice emanating from the base of your brain. This skill may one day be the best hope you've got.
Rating: 4
Summary: (4.5) The ultimate challenge: man vs. Nature
Comment: Billed as "true stories of miraculous endurance and sudden death", this impressive book uses specific examples of how a split-second decision can mean the difference between life and death. The author includes anecdotal references and the most recent scientific studies as well. There is, Gonzales explains, a sequence of events and/or decisions that can leave one in mortal peril within seconds. The flood of emotions experienced may also work against survival, unless the overwhelming feelings are channeled toward positive action.
The first part of the book, "How Accidents Happen", specifies the precise behavior that leads to life-threatening incidents. Using documented survival incidents, Gonzales explains the nature of accidents and their inevitability. He stresses that a rigid plan may itself be a deterrent to survival, if that plan keeps one from pursuing alternatives to meet changing conditions, perhaps quitting the adventure when that is the safest choice. The individual must be prepared to deal with any obstacle nature throws his way.
In the second half, "Survival", Gonzales relates amazing tales of courage, the actual experiences of pilots, sailors and mountain climbers, the accidents that befall them and the split-second decisions that make all the difference. According to the author, it isn't the equipment that saves a life, but rather what lies in the individual's heart. Integrity is key to success, the ability to take charge after the fear and shock of the accident set in. Emotions are critical, because fear is a powerful tool when used to sustain any activity that secures safety. Every survivor must remember one salient fact: anything is possible. "The only thought you can allow," says the author, "is one that directs your own cause of action".
Gonzales includes his father's story, one of extraordinary survival in World War II. Clearly, the author's life has been shaped by the personal drama of his father's endurance, his indomitable will to live tested by extremely difficult conditions. Drawing strength from his father's ordeal, Gonzales pursues his own challenges in the outdoors, acquiring survival skills that are tempered with a spirit of humility.
The authenticity and spirit of Deep Survival will appeal to outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers, those who have walked on the edge of life. Still, Gonzales offers food for thought to all readers, delineating a clear path for emotional, as well as physical survival, with lessons applicable to the smallest details of daily existence. As an especially fortunate few have learned, "Days stolen are always sweeter than days given." Luan Gaines/2003.
Rating: 2
Summary: Disappointing
Comment: I was very excited when I first started reading this book because the concept is so promising. I was expecting story after story of outdoor adventures gone bad along with an analysis of why the people did (or didn't) survive. Whatever this book is, it definitely isn't that.
I gave up on this book after four chapters, so maybe it gets better later on, but the parts I read were very haphazardly put together. Accounts from real life survival stories are intermixed with the author's philosophy on survival physiology. In addition, the author often makes back references to small facts from earlier scenarios, which is very disrupting to the rhythm of the story.
I would recommend reading the annual "Accidents in North American Mountaineering" series instead.
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Title: 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive by Cody Lundin, Russ Miller, Christopher Marchetti ISBN: 1586852345 Publisher: Gibbs Smith Publisher Pub. Date: September, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Wilderness Evasion : A Guide To Hiding Out and Eluding Pursuit in Remote Areas by Michael Chesbro ISBN: 1581603657 Publisher: Paladin Press Pub. Date: November, 2002 List Price(USD): $20.00 |
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Title: Panic Rising: True-Life Survivor Tales from the Great Outdoors by Brett Nunn ISBN: 1570613508 Publisher: Sasquatch Books Pub. Date: October, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Emergency Medical Procedures for the Outdoors, 2nd by Patient Care Publications ISBN: 0897320514 Publisher: Menasha Ridge Press Pub. Date: 01 April, 1996 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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Title: Four Against the Arctic: Shipwrecked for Six Years at the Top of the World by David Roberts ISBN: 0743224310 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 01 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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