Rating: 
Summary: Funny, but Not the Real Thing
Review: This book was good for a chuckle, but did not provide real down and dirty, nitty gritty survival techniques such as those taught to certain groups in the Armed Forces. For that, the best is probably the U.S. Army Survival Manual. The "problem" with the Army book is that it's not funny.
Rating: 
Summary: Yes, And You Can Even Carry It In Your Pocket...Just In Case
Review: I love this book! When if first came out, I bought a million copies and included it in the Christmas gifts I gave to my dearest friends. Well, okay, it was a few less than that. But, it was definitely a hit! As a therapist, I'm all the more amused because my practice is *full* of people whose lives are filled with catastrophic thinking. This is the *perfect* book for them, too. It's full of accurate, practical advice. "How To Escape From Quicksand." "How To Escape From A Sinking Car." "How To Take A Punch." 40 senarios in all. My favorite is the wonderfully descriptive, "How To Leap From A Motorcycle To A Car." "In the movies and in stunt shows," warn the authors, "these transfers are usually performed at low speeds, and in fact often employ the use of a metal step installed on one side of the bike or car, which allows the rider to step off while keeping the bike balanced. You are not likely to have this option." Serious stuff, but ultimately rooted in paranoia! It's a fun read. And, who knows, maybe you'll actually find this info useful some day! Unlikely, but you never know....
Rating: 
Summary: Brief, relevant information, but don't take it seriously....
Review: This book makes for entertaining reading. The book consists of brief two or three page summaries of how to deal with various incidents. There are decent illustrations and text. I'd expected the text to be light and humorous, but it is very seriously-written. The authorities cited sound impressive, and some of the situations are things that real people SOMEWHERE have to deal with sometimes, even if most of us will never have to face them ourselves. But the book is mainly for fun. Some of the articles scare me: the section on "how to perform a tracheotomy" gives a reasonably good summary of the process, but doesn't warn that the carotid arteries are right next to the area you'll be merrily slashing on. And if you cut into the carotid, the person you are helping will be in a very bad situation, even if you do open the airway....
Rating:
Summary: enough to fascinate the most reluctant reader
Review: I am always trying to get my 15-year-old brother-in-law to read more, and though everything I give him usually ends up buried under junk in his room, I thought I'd try again with this. It was a hit! He could not put it down, he kept reading aloud to anyone who would listen, even to his teenage friends who came over. Young teenage boys apparently find it to be very cool--how could they not? Of course, as a teacher myself, I advised him not to take it to school, and told him I'd kill him myself if he got himself hurt trying stuff in the book. But he loved it, read every page, and his parents had to tell him to put it away when he brought it with him to the dinner table! A great gift for any boy over 12 who needs to read more. And who knows, maybe they'll learn something they can use one day!
Rating:
Summary: great
Review: in one word great book, i'll probly never use the info. but it was great reading and sharing with my friends. the best part by far was the chapter on breaking into and jumpstarting cars (he he he) just joking, okay.
Rating:
Summary: TWO STARS FOR CONTENT - TWO STARS FOR ORGINALITY
Review: These authors certainly deserve praise for originality. In reality, if you plan to trek the Amazon, you just might find a need for at least one of these insightful tips; otherwise, sit back and enjoy the book for its humor. As for, "How to Perform a Fast 180 Degree Turn with Your Car" - that happens almost everytime I back out of my icy driveway in winter; I can do that like a pro and still miss every other car in the parking lot! "Fending off a shark?" I know someone who has a pit-bull that could make fending off a shark seem like a battle with a goldfish ! Oh, yes, and "How to Preform a Tracteotomy" - believe me, short of a doctor, you would not want anyone to try this on you matter, no matter how near to death you were; an attempt at this barbaric procedure would surely guarantee completion of your fatal demise, and a very painfully one at that! Even if you never venture to use some of these "survival" techniques, and hopefully you will not, the book is still worth the price for its hillarious content.
Rating: 
Summary: More research needed.
Review: In the items that I am either an expert or have considerable knowledge this book falls short of a good recommendation. As a long time SCUBA diver you are taught and learn through experience when you are sharing your regulator with someone never lose control of the regulator. While holding on to your buddy you put the regulator into their mouth and take it back. Giving up the control you maybe the one out of air. Or having to fight to get it back. Spending 30 years as a railroad freight qualitifies me as an expert. All railroad cars have ladders on the side. (Not just in movies) Few have ladders that go all the way to the top. Unless they are grain cars and are loaded from the top. Very few railroad cars if any have ladders on the end of the cars. They were put on the side of the cars so if you did fall you wouldn't under the train but off to the side. Few ladders even go to the top any more. The reason for this is that the hand brakes have been relocated from the top of the cars to near the bottom. When I retired in 1995 it was very unusal to run across a car with a high end hand brake. I hope the people that wrote this book did a little research on their own.
Rating:
Summary: Best-Case Coffee-Table Book
Review: Upon reading the "Boy Scout" review, let me say this: I doubt very seriously that more than 1 in 100 readers will ever need to execute ANY of the maneuvers shown in this book. However, this is an EXTREMELY interesting trivia book! It gives advice on interesting situations that I personally have often wondered about--even though I know I will never step into quicksand. Some solutions presented are things I'd NEVER think about, like tapping the croc's snout. I don't think ANY book is without merit (fiction or non-fiction) that gives you new things to think about and know. Also, the book compiles some very good advice for situations that the majority of us MAY need--how to start a fire, how to survive a shark attack, etc. I haven't read the "Travel" book yet, but I can only hope that it's as well-prepared as this one. In short, I find this book is an excellent trivia book, a good conversation piece, and overall an interesting and informative book!
Rating:
Summary: Best-case: it might save your life;worst-case: you'll laugh!
Review: I found myself oscillating between "This is very funny" and "This is kind of useful, in an obscure sort of way" as I read this book. And it's this dichotomy that is the humor in this book -- very very dry humor. The book is sort of like a boy scout manual, only more preposterous in it's suggestions and dire situations. For example: -how to fend off a shark -how to take a punch -how to jump from a building into a dumpster -how to escape from killer bees... The suggestions to these predicaments are all real, and completely deadpan. To sum my review of this book up, best-case scenario: it might save your life; worst-case scenario: you'll laugh!
Rating:
Summary: A Hypochondriac's DREAM!!
Review: A firm believer in being prepared, I bought this book to expand my knowledge of safety and survival. To my delight it was not only informative, but funny as hell! I laughed my way through pages and pages of interesting and useful information. Decending from a family of Hypochondriacs and Stress Mongrals, I consistently fear swimming in the ocean due to the inevitable shark attack. Now I not only know how to survive an attack, but how to avoid one all together. Overall, a great book for ANYONE! Buy it for yourself, buy it as a gift. Whatever you do share this gem with everyone you know! While you may never find yourself in one of these situations, the knowledge will someday be useful during a crisis or who knows... you don't want to get caught unenlightened.
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