Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
W. W. Norton & Company (2004), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 318 pages
Description
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, and even war. In the end, he finds, it is what's in your heart, not what's in your pack, that separates the living from the dead. Fascinating and absolutely essential for anyone who hikes in the woods, this book will change the way we understand ourselves and the great outdoors.… (more)
Media reviews
Would I recommend this book? Yes, especially if you have never had to employ a survivor mentality in your life. I would also recommend this book to those who are leaders as well as to those who teach outdoor skills or lead trips into the wilderness. Not a handbook by any means, this book does
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offer big picture advice with very diverse application. If I were to sum it up this book said to me (and these are my own words):
If you are going to do something “stupid” be smart about it. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member MusicalGlass
Gonzales’ study of survival and nonsurvival in trying circumstances—mostly having to do with aeroplanes, boats, and mountains—affirms lessons from neuroscience, Plato, and buddhism:
Your mind has a mind of its own.
The world outside your head does not necessarily correspond with your
Desire can steer you wrong.
Paper City Riley’s Stout
Red Hook Long Hammer IPA
Your mind has a mind of its own.
The world outside your head does not necessarily correspond with your
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perceptions. Desire can steer you wrong.
Paper City Riley’s Stout
Red Hook Long Hammer IPA
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LibraryThing member Garp83
Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why, by Laurence Gonzales, was a pick of my monthly book club that I greeted with some ambivalence at first. As it turned out, it was a highly satisfying read that was nothing like what I anticipated from scanning the back cover.
The book is more or less
Gradually, the chapters flow into accounts of those who manage to survive, often under impossible circumstances, from aircraft crashes in the remote mountains to badly injured rock climbers to deep ocean lifeboat survivors. While the people who die often don’t have a great deal in common, the ones who survive do have apparent similarities in their outlook and their stubborn refusal to succumb. Frequently, it is luck alone that has spared them in the initial catastrophe, but it is their determination to survive and the practical and emotional steps they take to achieve that which contributes to that ultimate survival.
Gonzales, who seems to have spent his entire life chasing danger in every arena from motorcycles to rock climbing to flying stunt aircraft, tells us that he became interested in survival because of his own father’s experience as a severely injured World War II pilot, the lone survivor of his plane’s crash, who can credit both good luck and his own mental focus and perseverance for a long, painful, and unlikely survival in horrific conditions as a POW after being shot down. Laying there with his nose ripped off and most of the bones in his limbs broken, he literally stares death in the face again as the gun of a German farmer intent on executing him misfires before his proper capture by enemy troops. Inspired by his father’s almost incomprehensible survival, Gonzales not only dedicates his life to chasing danger, but also to the study of who is most likely to make it when the odds go way against you.
It is not just all an adventure tale, however. Gonzales injects into the storyline a number of esoteric scientific references to such things as chaos theory, as well as the physiological makeup of the brain and how it reacts to the less than optimal conditions many of his protagonists find themselves in before succumbing to their conditions or ultimately succeeding in getting out alive. He makes a convincing argument that mental focus and optimism is the most critical factor, that while even those with the best mental orientation who make all of the right decisions can still die, they are far less likely to than their peers who panic or treat danger with insouciance or simply give up. The narrative is also peppered with a wide range of literary references that reveal the author to be very well read in the humanities, from Herodotus to Remarque to the Tao Te Ching. It is obvious that he has long meditated upon the philosophical element of his central theme, and the interspersed turns to both science and literature not only provide a solid intellectual foundation but further underscore his own deep commitment to his conclusions as to which individuals are more likely to live or die.
Fortunately, I have never found myself in the kind of survival situations Gonzales discusses in this fine book, but as one who has done a bit of AT backpacking, I have indeed encountered places and events that could very well have provided the proving ground. I would recommend this book not only to those who go into the wild, but to every soul who walks the planet: you could be in an office building that catches fire or in your basement as a tornado dissolves your home. It is not only a good read, but the lessons Gonzales imparts here could very well save your life.
The book is more or less
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divided into two parts, although there is no real hard division as such. The first half of the narrative tends to dwell on those who find themselves in critically dangerous arenas who make bad decisions and die. Surprisingly, it turns out that the worst survivors are the “Rambo-types” who don’t take danger very seriously at all. There is one story of comic-poignancy of a badass Army Ranger who is swept off of a raft and cavalierly ignores the efforts of a guide to save him, seemingly because he thought he could easily rescue himself: he was sucked under a boulder and drowned. Gradually, the chapters flow into accounts of those who manage to survive, often under impossible circumstances, from aircraft crashes in the remote mountains to badly injured rock climbers to deep ocean lifeboat survivors. While the people who die often don’t have a great deal in common, the ones who survive do have apparent similarities in their outlook and their stubborn refusal to succumb. Frequently, it is luck alone that has spared them in the initial catastrophe, but it is their determination to survive and the practical and emotional steps they take to achieve that which contributes to that ultimate survival.
Gonzales, who seems to have spent his entire life chasing danger in every arena from motorcycles to rock climbing to flying stunt aircraft, tells us that he became interested in survival because of his own father’s experience as a severely injured World War II pilot, the lone survivor of his plane’s crash, who can credit both good luck and his own mental focus and perseverance for a long, painful, and unlikely survival in horrific conditions as a POW after being shot down. Laying there with his nose ripped off and most of the bones in his limbs broken, he literally stares death in the face again as the gun of a German farmer intent on executing him misfires before his proper capture by enemy troops. Inspired by his father’s almost incomprehensible survival, Gonzales not only dedicates his life to chasing danger, but also to the study of who is most likely to make it when the odds go way against you.
It is not just all an adventure tale, however. Gonzales injects into the storyline a number of esoteric scientific references to such things as chaos theory, as well as the physiological makeup of the brain and how it reacts to the less than optimal conditions many of his protagonists find themselves in before succumbing to their conditions or ultimately succeeding in getting out alive. He makes a convincing argument that mental focus and optimism is the most critical factor, that while even those with the best mental orientation who make all of the right decisions can still die, they are far less likely to than their peers who panic or treat danger with insouciance or simply give up. The narrative is also peppered with a wide range of literary references that reveal the author to be very well read in the humanities, from Herodotus to Remarque to the Tao Te Ching. It is obvious that he has long meditated upon the philosophical element of his central theme, and the interspersed turns to both science and literature not only provide a solid intellectual foundation but further underscore his own deep commitment to his conclusions as to which individuals are more likely to live or die.
Fortunately, I have never found myself in the kind of survival situations Gonzales discusses in this fine book, but as one who has done a bit of AT backpacking, I have indeed encountered places and events that could very well have provided the proving ground. I would recommend this book not only to those who go into the wild, but to every soul who walks the planet: you could be in an office building that catches fire or in your basement as a tornado dissolves your home. It is not only a good read, but the lessons Gonzales imparts here could very well save your life.
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LibraryThing member TheDancingGoats
Deep Survival, A concept with application in more profound places than nature.
Heavy industry, the human created Balrog…by weight and capital is plagued by disaster after disaster. Lives lost. Treasure burned.
It happens again and again. Same deaths, same destruction, same result. Everyone stands
and wonders why.
Gonzalez nails it…Chaos theory and complexity…they predicate disaster. This makes disaster a
natural result of human designed systems. The more complex, the more likely prone to disaster…
but don’t think about that the next time you press a
button on an elevator or climb into a shiny tube that hurls along next to the speed of sound.
The one million part Space Shuttle with a predicted failure rate of one in 60 flights…
The answer is just this: Simplify. At all costs…
Another book that is a key to hidden knowledge. Read it and open doors.
Heavy industry, the human created Balrog…by weight and capital is plagued by disaster after disaster. Lives lost. Treasure burned.
It happens again and again. Same deaths, same destruction, same result. Everyone stands
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aroundand wonders why.
Gonzalez nails it…Chaos theory and complexity…they predicate disaster. This makes disaster a
natural result of human designed systems. The more complex, the more likely prone to disaster…
but don’t think about that the next time you press a
button on an elevator or climb into a shiny tube that hurls along next to the speed of sound.
The one million part Space Shuttle with a predicted failure rate of one in 60 flights…
The answer is just this: Simplify. At all costs…
Another book that is a key to hidden knowledge. Read it and open doors.
Show Less
LibraryThing member colinsky
This is a fun read. Interesting stories of survival, the main theme being an attempt to define the difference between those who make it and those who don't.
LibraryThing member mms
Picked up this one on a lark - love adventure/survival stories. Could NOT put it down. Chapters divided by at-risk human behavior (including group dynamics), complete index, extensive bibliography, a last chapter that is an essay that should be entitled "OK, Now What Have We Learned", and an
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introduction that will knock your socks completely off make up this work of "Deep Survival". Show Less
LibraryThing member EowynA
I read most of this while waiting for my stepson to finish the HP book. Fascinating. Subtitled -- who lives, who dies, and why. It is about the psychology of survivers vs. victims. And about why people in extreme danger sometimes ignore all the signs that could have saved their lives. One of the
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most interesting books I've read all year. Show Less
LibraryThing member khuggard
This is an interesting but inadequately executed book. Deep Survival attempts to answer the question "what makes people survivors?". To do so, Gonzales presents us with stories of survival glued together by scientific and psychological research. The stories are fascinating; the scientific glue is
I also felt that Gonzales interjected his own experiences too much. He seemed to want to relate to every dramatic survival experience he related. He does share one relevant story about getting lost on a hike. But most of his personal relationships to the overall theme seem contrived and after so many of them he comes off as a little egotistical.
I did finish this book because like I said the adventure stories were fascinating and I knew that if I could get through the long-winded but somehow inadequate explanations, I would get to another one.
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not. That's not to say there aren't interesting tidbits found in the scientific explanations, but overall Gonzales does a poor job of relating his facts to his stories. The overall technique ends up being a little bit jumpy and hard to follow as he tells a little bit of story, explores some science, gets back to the story, interjects another story, explores some more science and finally gets back to the original story. I also felt that Gonzales interjected his own experiences too much. He seemed to want to relate to every dramatic survival experience he related. He does share one relevant story about getting lost on a hike. But most of his personal relationships to the overall theme seem contrived and after so many of them he comes off as a little egotistical.
I did finish this book because like I said the adventure stories were fascinating and I knew that if I could get through the long-winded but somehow inadequate explanations, I would get to another one.
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LibraryThing member Nerd_Girl985
The premise behind the book is interesting and some of the stories that the author uses to illustrate his points are compelling. However, the author's writing style was somewhat disjointed and appeared to be an attempt to artificially inflate the drama of the already compelling situations that were
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being referenced. I was distracted and pulled out of my reading experience every time the author related personal anecdotes to make a point. It was as though the author really wanted to write a gripping memoir about all of the "death-defying" things that he had accomplished but he couldn't find a publisher so he wrote this book and peppered it with as many of his adventures as possible. Show Less
LibraryThing member chrisrys
I found this book to be an excellent and informative look at the psychology differentiating "survivors" and "non-survivors." Gonzales draws upon a number of death-defying tales, personal anecdotes, scientific research studies, and classic intellectual works in an effort to determine what (if any)
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steps could help an individual or group of individuals survive in a given situation. The writing is fascinating at times, makes a ton of sense logically, and weaves a diverse set of experiences into a coherent set of directives for the reader. My only criticism is that the overabundance of personal stories and a bit too much repetition in the name of tying the points together detracts from the message, but overall a great and exciting read. Show Less
LibraryThing member NateJordon
"Deep Survival" is not just a series of flesh-eating tales of survival, it is a deep investigation into what it takes to survive in life-threatening situations. Gonzales deftly combines factors of psychology, emotionality, spirituality, and physicality as the premier forces that determine who
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lives, who dies, and why. Show Less
LibraryThing member Philotera
This book is, imo, an absolute requirement for anyone who is interested in the mechanism of what makes a survivor. it consists of stories, anecdotes and analysis. I found it fascinating and that it correlated with my own experience. Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member Sovranty
This book won't give you the expert tips or knowledge required to survive a catastrophic event of any kind, be it emotional, financial, or physical. What it does give you is the path to build a stronger mental capacity for such events; this mental ability/will is what Gonzales believes is at the
While a better read than Everyday Survival (which I read first), it is still not the seamless structure I was expecting. Gonzales uses dramatic real-life events to example his survival theory. It becomes difficult to read when Gonzales continues to example the examples with other stories (mainly of his own personal accounts), as it feels like the stories circle themselves into the ground.
Having read both Survival books, if you intend on reading at least, read Deep Survival, but don't expect to be blown away by the answers to "Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why."
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center of every survivor. Highlighting the need for personal responsibility in every matter at every level is what made me read to the end.While a better read than Everyday Survival (which I read first), it is still not the seamless structure I was expecting. Gonzales uses dramatic real-life events to example his survival theory. It becomes difficult to read when Gonzales continues to example the examples with other stories (mainly of his own personal accounts), as it feels like the stories circle themselves into the ground.
Having read both Survival books, if you intend on reading at least, read Deep Survival, but don't expect to be blown away by the answers to "Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why."
Show Less
LibraryThing member nyiper
This has to be one of the best books I've read. It was fascinating and written in such an engaging way, full of detailed true stories---a real page turner but full of so much research about the mind and the body ---the physical, emotional reactions to changes that all of us experience that are life
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altering in their effects and complexity. The Appendix is a wonderful ending to this book, along with the list of books in the selected bibliography. the Appendix pulls it all together in a "so now what do I do?" approach. Show Less
LibraryThing member MrDowney
This book will change you. It's compellingly written, hard to put down, and really makes you stare off into space in wonderment.
LibraryThing member rcgibson
Case studies of what people do when confronted with a life or death situation. Even if you're not an adventurer, it's still fascinating reading. One of those books that should be required reading in every middle school.
LibraryThing member Adrianesc
I was fascinated by reading the personality traits of survivors. I find it interesting to put myself in the place of the people in the situations and consider what I would do.
LibraryThing member rivkat
I found this book a lot less engaging than I wanted to. Gonzales argues that being a survivor is fundamentally about being both prepared and open: prepared, in having certain skills that allow you to survive in the environment in which you find yourself (like knowing how to make a fire in the
Though many of the stories were striking and intense, I felt like there was a lot of padding in the book—huge amounts of repetition, especially of catchphrases about the brain (panic bad; distanced rationality good). And Gonzales basically assumed rather than defined “survivor,” even though he also noted that some people who do everything right die anyway because the challenges are too great and some people who don’t do things right don’t die because they are lucky, so “survivor” turns out to mean something in between “someone who has the fortitude to survive crisis” and “someone who possesses attributes of which I approve.” Most of the survival stories are wilderness or shipwreck based, though there are a couple of 2001 World Trade Center stories. And there’s a fair amount about Gonzales’ attempt to emulate his war hero/bombing raid crash and war camp survivor father by taking extreme risks and flying stunt planes, which did not seem to me to be very comparable. At the end Gonzales steps back to argue that it’s not just natural for humans to do things like climb dangerous mountains that regularly kill people, but also admirable, because (at least if they do it with training and knowledge of the risks they’re taking) they live more fulfilling lives. Um, maybe, for them? But I concluded that smug outdoorsmen are really no more fun to listen to than smug marrieds.
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wilderness) and open—picking up on signs from your surroundings and responding to them; making rational plans but being flexible when necessary.Though many of the stories were striking and intense, I felt like there was a lot of padding in the book—huge amounts of repetition, especially of catchphrases about the brain (panic bad; distanced rationality good). And Gonzales basically assumed rather than defined “survivor,” even though he also noted that some people who do everything right die anyway because the challenges are too great and some people who don’t do things right don’t die because they are lucky, so “survivor” turns out to mean something in between “someone who has the fortitude to survive crisis” and “someone who possesses attributes of which I approve.” Most of the survival stories are wilderness or shipwreck based, though there are a couple of 2001 World Trade Center stories. And there’s a fair amount about Gonzales’ attempt to emulate his war hero/bombing raid crash and war camp survivor father by taking extreme risks and flying stunt planes, which did not seem to me to be very comparable. At the end Gonzales steps back to argue that it’s not just natural for humans to do things like climb dangerous mountains that regularly kill people, but also admirable, because (at least if they do it with training and knowledge of the risks they’re taking) they live more fulfilling lives. Um, maybe, for them? But I concluded that smug outdoorsmen are really no more fun to listen to than smug marrieds.
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LibraryThing member JerryColonna
Terrific. Can't praise this enough. The subject is fascinating in and of itself but the applications for this thinking are broad and profound. On one level, this is about people who survive extreme conditions. But, on a deeper level, this is about each of us and the ways we survive (or not) the
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travails of every day life. Thanks to Ben Saunders to sharing it with me and thanks to Ann Mehl for prompting to read it. Show Less
LibraryThing member jayhiker
Not a great book. Disjointed.
LibraryThing member Jeremy_Palmer
As one can see from my books, I enjoy survival stories. Unfortunately, this book is not so much about survival stories as it is about a whole slew of anecdotes, short stories and information about psychology. I feel that the book title is misleading. It should be called something like "The
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psychology of survival." I was particularly disappointed at how brief the author's descriptions were of the various real survival situations. The story of the girl walking out of the jungle, for example, was boiled down into a short entry. Show Less
LibraryThing member Scrabblenut
If you want to read a book about one person's analysis of what it takes to survive in dire circumstances, this may be the book for you. I much prefer to read the actual accounts of such survival written by the survivors themselves, so this book may give some ideas of where to find such stories.
LibraryThing member rbanks1
In depth examination of what makes a survivor. Well researched and well told, a must read for fans of outdoor wilderness stories and survival types. Anyone that plans on ever leaving their couch for more than a trip to the fridge should read it.
LibraryThing member GGlusman
A rich collection of survival stories, at points at excruciating detail, but (most importantly) deftly stringed into a cohesive picture and very thoughtfully set in context with considerations of neurology, personality, society and philosophy.
Strongly recommended by a friend, and I can see why! It
Strongly recommended by a friend, and I can see why! It
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is an excellent read. Show Less
LibraryThing member MartinBodek
The author knows well how to paint a picture and turn a phrase. His passion is well understood through his narrative, as well as its source. I believe the scientific exposition/areas-of-the-mind approach to survival might actually be unprecedented here. This is bravura, commendable bookwriting. He
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teaches good, hard, important lessons any of us, especially immersed survivalists, should take to heart (and mind). I can't wait to tear in to more of his work. His fiction is stunning as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisaLynne
I have written before about my love of travel and adventure books. Often, these are more accurately about misadventure - an expedition gone wrong, a plane crash, a shipwreck. Some people live, some die. Why did Robert Falcon Scott lose every member of his expedition, while Edmund Shackleton brought
Gonzales has lived a fascinating life and has ample experience to bring to this subject, but this isn't a book about survival techniques. You won't find tips on how to navigate by the stars, how to find water in the desert or keep warm in a blizzard. You will learn how we create emotional bookmarks, how we create mental maps that guide us, even when we don't realize it. You'll learn the importance of Positive Mental Attitude, even if the experts can't tell you exactly what comprises that attitude. These things are actually far more important, because they are lessons that you can apply to your everyday life.
My full review is here.
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all of his crewmembers - including a stowaway - home safely? Why do experienced climbers die on "beginner" mountains while four-year-olds, lost in the woods, are found unharmed? Deep Survival attempts to answer some of those questions by looking at what goes into making someone a survivor.Gonzales has lived a fascinating life and has ample experience to bring to this subject, but this isn't a book about survival techniques. You won't find tips on how to navigate by the stars, how to find water in the desert or keep warm in a blizzard. You will learn how we create emotional bookmarks, how we create mental maps that guide us, even when we don't realize it. You'll learn the importance of Positive Mental Attitude, even if the experts can't tell you exactly what comprises that attitude. These things are actually far more important, because they are lessons that you can apply to your everyday life.
My full review is here.
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Subjects
Awards
Eric Hoffer Book Award (Winner — Grand Prize — 2018)
Language
Original publication date
2003
Physical description
318 p.; 5.67 inches
ISBN
0393326152 / 9780393326154