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"Unique among survival books...stunning...enthralling. Deep Survival makes compelling, and chilling, reading."—Penelope Purdy, Denver Post
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.
Reads like a thriller...Reviewed by BizTech Readings, 2010-02-25
Take a deep breath... say goodbye to family and friends for few
hours or days... pick up the book... you won't stop reading if
you're interested in outdoors. I started listening to the book on a
Friday and couldn't stop until I finished it on the weekend. The
book goes from one disaster to another...by the time you come to
grips with one, another disaster is waiting. I agree with author's
conclusion that knowing when you're pushing the envelope and when
you're risking life is the difference. I recalled and relived two
incidents in my outdoor life when I was close to making bad
decisions.. both times trying to take short cuts in wilderness...
Fortunately I backtracked and survived.
I read it just to enjoy the book itself.. not necessarily correlate
lessons to another area f life.
Look beyond the cheesy titleReviewed by Scott D. Hayden, 2010-02-23
Fabulous book about the philosophy of survivors and
surviving.
Filled with incredible accounts of survival and non-survival, and
comparisons between them. This is one of the best books of the
year. Fantastic!
Reading Deep SurvivalReviewed by Arthur David Digby, 2010-02-14
A park ranger, while leading me on a rescue mission for my friend, on a very dark night in the wilderness, recommended this book. So I went to Amazon.com and bought it. It has changed the way I think about a lot of things I do. It's not so much a book of survival techniques or stories of heroism as it is a book of how people who survive dangerous situations think. There are some concrete ideas about thinking and will that apply to everyone's life whether we expect to be in danger or not. Well written, easily comprehended, compelling - some adjectives to describe this book.
Not just "survivor" stories--so much more!Reviewed by Tortuga, 2010-02-06
Laurence Gonzales was impressed with the story of his father's survival during WWII, falling five miles out of the sky in an airplane and living to tell the tale. He was intrigued with the questions of not only how people survive in extreme circumstances, but also about how and why skilled people who should know better get into these situations. He explains quite a bit about how our brains and instincts work both for us and against us in these circumstances, and in so doing, produces a work that's fascinating, scientific, and compellingly readable. His summaries of what places people in peril and what helps them survive seemed so vital that I ended up reading the book twice, while ignoring a stack of unread books on my nightstand! I recommend this book to any reader, even the non-adventurous, and I look forward to reading his latest book as well.
Top Gun meets Tao te ChingReviewed by Nolagal, 2010-02-03
I liked this book but it got on my nerves.
If you liked the movie Top Gun; if you think the guys with the need
for speed are "elite" (a term the author uses throughought the book
when referring to his heroes, and you get the sense he includes
himself in that number); if you love the macho adrenaline junkie
jargon (which the author sometimes doesn't even bother to translate
for us ordinary folk), you may love this book.
On the other hand; if the guys in Top Gun sometimes grate on your
nerves; if you think football heroes, aviators, race car drivers
and military men can sometimes be full of themselves and overrated;
this book will definitely get on your nerves.
The author has some interesting insights, but if he could just get
over himself, his Daddy and all of the other "elite" performers
running around avoiding death, it would be a much more palatable
read.
This guy comes off a bit like a narcissist. His book screams "Look
how *awesome* these dudes are and I'm one of THEM!!!!" He does name
drop; he does seem to be talking down at us peons much of the time
and spiritual quotes get thrown in sometimes as if they were in an
SNL skit. Has more than a healthy dose of ego, this guy does. We
"get" how special he and his homies are a few pages into it.
I disagree with a reviewer who says he is sexist. True, most of his
heroes are male, but there are a few female heroines that get their
due in the book and they are pretty awesome chicks too.
He does have some good information and interesting insights for us
about the mindset and actions we need to survive scary situations.
Information we can all use, God forbid, should we find ourselves in
a dread situation.
Take the good and blow off the bad, if you can. It's worth reading,
but be ready to roll your eyes shake your head at the storyteller
more than a few times.
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