Book "Deep Survival"

[Kingcreek]

http://deepsurvival.com/

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

I just finished reading this book. I have never posted a book review here but this book is different from anything I've ever read before. It's not about what you need in your essentials pack, or how to find water, etc. It is about mindset. He thoroughly discusses how the mind processes information and adapts to changing situations and what can go wrong. He gives many excellent examples of people reacting to crisis while surviving mountaineering, plane crashes, being lost in wilderness, shipwrecks, world trade center collapse, and more. Some of the survivors are children and some are highly trained professionals and he writes about the skills they have in common.
Mr Gonzales is an outdoor adventure writer for National Geographic and has years of experience. The book is very well organised and well written.
I have just sent a copy of the book to my daughter and I would like to have everybody that I care about read this book.
Just to be clear, I do not know the author or have any financial interest in promoting this book.

 

[CWL]

Good read, this book has been a favorite pass-around book in my group of friends.

Mindset is key.

 

[honkeoki]

I also read this book and it gave me more to think about than anything I've read in a long time.

Deep Survival is extremely well-written. It takes the form of individual stories about a survival-related situation and then the author dissects what went wrong. I really learned a lot from this book.

But it's not prescriptive at all. If you want recipes for your bug-out bag you should go elsewhere. Gonzalez doesn't discuss hardware; only the software you need to react properly and survive a disaster.

 

[mbt2001]

Odd how many books don't contain any real information, just focus on the mind set. To be honest, I think that the real information is what will make the difference, it is also what is hardest to find in a destilled "survivalist" package.

Preserving foods
Finding water
Where salt occurs
medicinal and edible plants
how to clean, cook and utilize animal
how to raise, feed and care for animals

I wish there was a book on that, instead of the 50 I had to buy and wade through to get the above info.

 

[walking arsenal]

Gonzales' writing is awesome stuff.

I've probably read the book 4 times now.

It is the ultimate in human and human survival behavior.

His theory on accident and complex systems is excellent.

It has been required reading in some SAR units I've worked with.

This is one of those life changing books, you will either get it or it will make your head hurt thinking about the stuff he covers.

The "deep" in "deep survival" is no lie.

Read it.

 

[riverdog]

Not only mindset, but Gonzales discusses how the brain functions under stress and tells why people do stupid things. It's a great book; anyone interested in survival issues should read it. Time for me to read it again.

 

[Kingcreek]

Not only mindset, but Gonzales discusses how the brain functions under stress and tells why people do stupid things.

riverdog is exactly right.
I had a very hard time summarizing this book. I am pretty well educated. I've studied CNS, neuroanatomy, and have some psych background but Gonzales does a great job of describing brain functions and the difference in emotional and logical control mechanisms and how they interact.
This book has changed the way I think about survival. I am 50 years old, have spent a lot of time in wild places and will continue to as long as I am able. I have some experience and some skills, but now I see how easy it is for critical systems to fail, and what has to happen in order to survive.

Odd how many books don't contain any real information, just focus on the mind set. To be honest, I think that the real information is what will make the difference, it is also what is hardest to find in a destilled "survivalist" package.

If the brain doesn't engage in the right systematic functions, none of the other stuff will matter. Gonzales gives an example of a fit young firefighter lost alone in the mountains with a backpack and everything he needed for 4 days- he came real close to dying before he finally started to "survive" on day 3.

This is one of those life changing books, you will either get it or it will make your head hurt thinking about the stuff he covers.

walking arsenal- amen, brother!

 

[IllHunter]

What do I know!

I've lived in an urban/suburban setting, most of my life. Not including USN but mor than not. I educated and interested and agree with mbt2001 that mindset is one thing but as illustrated in the '"sitcom" Jericho, so many variables are possible that I'd love to have more info on the "hardware". Not bugout stuff, we've covered that before, but skills for providing/provisioning, as mbt2001 enumerated. I hunt and can butcher but salt sources and scrounging leave my mind spinning. Any input?

 

[Pat-inCO]

Amazon has them for $17.xx

 

[mbt2001]

IllHunter - Salt is so important, that the Roman Legions used to pay their soldiers in cakes of salt.... In fact, it is one of the strategic reasons, I believe, that they went after the middle east. Salt formations are often associated with Oil Production.

In any event, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halite That is a good place to start. I am trying to find the answers on that one... Isn't easy. Stock piling seems to be a reasonable alternative, but I wonder if you can buy enough.

In any event, I wished I had a good source for that information in a condensed format. The mental stuff will either workout or it won't, but I doubt it will be worth working out unless you have some knowledge on how to survive after the fact. Stock piles and bugouts will only last x long. Studying how to make black powder, how to develop the raw ingredients so on and so forth added with my previous post regarding other information would be vital.

Foxfire (http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b...earch-alias=stripbooks&field-keywords=foxfire) is an excellent resource, but it is several volumes and doesn't have some of the other required info.

 

[stevek]

+1! Well written, and well researched.

 

[conw]

I think www.abebooks.com has this book for <$10, as well as most books for a lot less than usual prices.

Crap, now I won't be able to get it from there when I have the cash

 

[CountGlockula]

Thanks for the review and recommendation.

 

[lee n. field]

Amazon has them for $17.xx

"New or used from $7.97"

 

[Big Boomer]

oddly enough this book was just added to the "approved educational literature" available from my work. I thought about getting it but passed, perhaps I should take a second look.