Deep Survival – Who Lives, Who Dies & Why: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why - Hardcover

Gonzales, Laurence

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0393052761 ISBN 13: 9780393052763

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2004

Synopsis

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.

About this title

Review:

A fascinating look into why we are who we are. -- Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and Enough

A fascinating look into why we are who we are.--Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and Enough

Gonzales's writing is effortless and compelling, and his research is first-rate. I can't imagine a better book on the topic. --Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm"

A fascinating look into why we are who we are. --Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and Enough"

A superb, entertaining addition to a nature buff's library or for anyone not tucked safely away in a bunker. "

Great stories of disaster and survival where one irresistibly wonders, "How would I do in this circumstance?" combined with revealing science about the physiology and psychology of how we deal with crisis. [Gonzales's] science is accurate, accessible, up-to-date and insightful. An extremely good book. --Robert Sapolsky, author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers"

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; a probing analysis of what the latest neuroscience and psychology can tell us about 'who lives and who dies'; and, 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 True Summit: What Really Happened on the Legendary Ascent on Annapurna"

A feast of excitement and wonder. Makes complexity and chaos come alive...fantastic accounts of danger and death.--Charles Perrow, author of Normal Accidents

Laurence Gonzales has masterfully woven together personal survival stories with the study of human perception to reach rock-bottom truths about how to live with risk.--Peter Stark, author of Last Breath: The Limits of Adventure

Deep Survival provides a new lens for looking at survival, risk taking, and life itself. 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, editor, Accidents in North American Mountaineering

Synopsis:

After a plane crash, a 17 year old girl spends 11 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 gave up and died. Laurence Gonzales delves into the science, psychology and art of wilderness survival. Examining stories of miraculous endurance and tragic death, he takes us to the top of snowy mountains and the depths of oceans, to the workings of the brain that control our behaviour.

About this edition

• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0393052761
• ISBN 13: 9780393052763
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 304