Synopses & Reviews
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)-- 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.
Review
"Remarkable, unique, and compulsively readable, Deep Survival is three books in one: a compendium of vivid tales of disasters and near misses in the wilderness, but also a probing analysis of what the latest neuroscience and psychology can tell us about 'who lives and who dies' as well as, finally, a moving memoir about Gonzales's father, whose own miraculous survival after a plane crash behind German lines in World War II launched the author on his lifelong quest into the mystery of risk and adventure." David Roberts, author of The Lost Explorer: Finding Mallory on Mount Everest and True Summit: What Really Happened on the Legendary Ascent on Annapurna
Review
"[Deep Survival is] a great and enjoyable book that is enlivening and enlightening for the neuroscientist and lay reader alike." Shane O'Mara, Deputy Director, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience
Review
"Deep Survival provides a new lens for looking at survival, risk taking, and life itself. Through personal stories, classic case studies, scientific research, and some great humor, Gonzales takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride that ends with rules of survival we can all stand to learn. Equally important, he answers the question: what is the value of taking risks. I love this book." Jed Williamson, Chair of the Safety Committee, American Alpine Club; editor, Accidents in North American Mountaineering
Synopsis
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. "
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. [279]-284) and index.
Synopsis
"Unique among survival books...stunning...enthralling. makes compelling, and chilling, reading."--Penelope Purdy,
About the Author
Laurence Gonzales is the author of Surviving Survival and the bestseller Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. He has won two National Magazine Awards and is a fellow of the Santa Fe Institute. His essays are collected in the book House of Pain. He lives in Evanston, Illinois.
Table of Contents
Look out, here comes Ray Charles -- Memories of the future -- A map of the world -- A gorilla in our midst -- The anatomy of an act of God -- The sand pile effect -- The rules of life -- Thank God for surfboards -- Bending the map -- The right stuff -- "We're all gonna fuckin' die!" -- A view of heaven -- The sacred chamber -- A certain nobility -- The day of the fall.