Rating: 
Summary: The title says it all...
Review: It really does. This book is not about the technical elements of how to survive, such as how to build shelter, find water and eat in harsh conditions. You will probably end up feeling like you could do those things better after having read the book, but to focus on those skills would be to lose the point of the book. It is a detailed explanation of what it means to survive. Gonzales tells us what surval means in our brain as well as what it means to our personality, specifically the lessons that can be learned and the growth that can take place through a survival situation. What I found most powerful about the book were his regular references to his father's survival in WWII and how learning about that experience and trying to understand it steered his own life toward adventure. Gonzales uses survival as a vehicle to explore what drives people to do things others would think insane or even deadly. He also provides one of the most compelling and simple explanations for that behavior: we do it in order to build skills that will save us later. In one way or another, everyone will face a survival situation in their life from which they will either live or die. Gonzales' point seems to be that when that time comes having had some practice can make all the difference.
Rating:
Summary: Listen Up, Grasshopper
Review: Laurence Gonzales has written a riveting book, not about survival technique, but survival philosophy. The points he makes can be applied to any situation in which you find yourself endangered physically, mentally, or emotionally. He weaves together the tao te ching, chaos theory, musings on Roman military tactics, biological lessons on how the brain works to help us preserve the species by preserving ourselves, true-life experiences from people who have endured some of the more bizarre "accidents", and his own taste for thrills. Gonzales bookends the essays with the story of his father, a scientist who, as a young flier during WWII, was shot down over Germany. He FELL out of his plane--he didn't parachute, he literally fell--and lived through a harrowing recovery as a POW. Why did his dad make it when the rest of his crew was killed? Some of this has to do with events you can't control, and some of it has to do with how to control yourself so that you can find a way out of dire straits. He points out that some people can make every correct decision and end up being killed, while others make every wrong decision and walk out of the woods (or off a mountain...) unscathed. But, you can learn to THINK like a survivor, and greatly increase your chances of getting through what may seem, even to others in the same sinking boat, like a no-win situation. Gonzales's dad taught him, "Plan the flight. Fly the plan, but don't fall in love with the plan." Being prepared is only part of the equation; being able to adjust to changing circumstances is what a lot of us forget about. Reading this book is an adventure in itself. If you're a city dweller, like me, and don't anticipate not having the Sears Tower in your line of sight if you get disoriented, it's still enjoyable, and applicable to what you will eventually experience. This book should be on every high school reading list. (Preferably BEFORE the kid takes driver's ed.) I also recommend Gavin DeBecker's books, such as THE GIFT OF FEAR. He discusses some of what Gonzales does, insofar as honing your inner resources so they work FOR you, but he is also very specific regarding cases of direct threats from other people. Gonzales does discuss how non-survivors can compromise a survivor, but most of what he talks about is environmental. If you are planning a wilderness trip or just a seemingly innocuous weekend hike, this book is a great reality check. It's also an inspiration. Some of these stories are just amazing, and they prove how tough, and sometimes dumb, a species we are.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth reading, though some of it is self-evident stuff
Review: The author leads with his strongest material--In Chapters 1 and 2, the author gaves a convincing explanation of logic and emotion interact in the brain, and how this affects behavior under stress. He applies this explanation to two actual examples where knowledgeable and trained people did stupid, self-destructive things that are in direct opposition to their knowledge and training. That in itself was probably worth buying the book for. The author claims that the majority of people, when confronted with a highly stressful situation, don't react appropriately. This doesn't mean that they will fail to come through the situation, they may survive through luck, and they may have the opportunity to regain their composure and function properly before anything fatal happens. In the succeeding chapters, the book gives detailed description of actual emergencies, and describes how those involved reacted. Each chapter focuses on a particular type of behavior that is typical of survivor types. This is the bulk of the book, and it is not as instructive as the first two chapters, though it is very interesting reading. The epilogue summarizes key things the author believes mark those who are survivors from those who are not survivors. The behaviors won't come as a big surprise to most people. One thing that disturbs me about the book is that the author almost harps on how much more important these behaviors are than actual skills. I don't think the author believes that skill is unimportant--In particular two of his accounts of survival at sea show that skill is quite important--But I'm concerned some readers will decide that acquiring basic skills isn't urgent. Which would be the wrong lesson to take from this book. The book does acknowledge that training is important, but doesn't really do so until the epilogue I spoke of, where he urges those who will go into the wilderness to "take every training course you can find". But that's a little late to start emphasizing that point! Throughout the book, the author refers back to his father's frightful experience during World War II, which started his interest in what marks a survivor. Those who want to supplement this book would benefit from Leach's "Survival Psychology", which discusses some of the same ideas and applies them to less outdoorsy situations such as hostage scenarios.
Rating:
Summary: In A Chess Game With Nature, You Must Show Respect
Review: This book means a great deal to me. I am not what you'd call an adventurer. My day consists of basically waking up, convincing myself to take a shower and eat breakfast, then getting out and dealing with my rush-hour commute and (oh, the excitement) work. So why would a book about how people who venture out into the wild (and I do mean wild) outdoors strike so many chords with me? Here's why: First of all, it's really, really exciting to read about the people (many of them experienced risk takers, but not all) who find themselves in what author Laurence Gonzales calls the ultimate chess game; they are suddenly in a crisis situation that may very well kill them. How will they survive? Mother Nature knows all the moves on the board and can checkmate them without any warning. If they don't respect her, they WILL die. Nature is not some amusement park ride we can carelessly jump on, just expecting to get a rush. It's very instructive to read that even experienced hikers, mountain climbers and sailers have ventured out, often after several crisis-free trips, only to find themselves in a situation where they are fighting for their lives. Some of the people who ultimatley survive are just regular sorts who, through a series of chance events, find themselves in dire straits. You or I might just find ourselves in this sort of predicament, no matter how "safe" our lives Seem to be. I'd rather be prepared. This book gives the reader alot of tips and wisdom to work with. What's so fascinating is to realize that it's not just what's in your backpack, or how thoroughly you have been trained that determines if you will survive. Inner qualites are just as important, probably even more so, and Deep Survival is crammed with wisdom on every page. I found myself taking notes, scribbling down phrases, thinking: this really applies to my life! That's why this book has so much to offer: as Gonzales shows, survival situations come in all forms: divorce, a loved one who dies or struggling to get through an illness. Maybe even just struggling to get through the day. As the author points out, it's hardly fulfilling to live an empty life, even if you get to be 98. Clearly the challenge in life is learning to take meaningful risks, whether they are outdoors or simply in your heart. Taking risks is not (drum-roll, please) risk free. Gonzales tells us that emotion is like the horse and cognition is the rider. One without the other is no good. He draws from all the latest brain research to help us see the predictable mistakes our heads will make if we are in a crisis situation, and how we can use our brains, hearts and intuition to save ourselves. Reading this book, you get the clear sense the author knows of what he writes; he's led a very active life, challenging himself in all kinds of impressive ways, but he does not brag. This makes sense. One of the things that may kill you is acting like you know it all. But before you condem those in the book who seemed to take ridiculous risks, flying in the face of all common sense (two people snowboard up a hill even after they have been warned of alvalanches, some others decide to raft a river in a rainstorm, with huge trees careening down it), Gonzales tells us these people were probably overwhelmed by the hard wiring in our brains that sometimes causes us to take foolhardy risks. The trick is to slow down and learn not only to deal with the hazards outside ourselves, but the ones within us, which may be the most fatal ones. Gonzales knows that luck also plays a big part in who lives and who dies. He never judges any of the people he writes about. He does show us what they did right and what they failed at, to help us, should we find ourselves in the ultimate chess game, fighting for our lives. He really wants us to win. In essence, I believe this is a spiritual book. It does not sugarcoat. Sometimes survivors need to do drastic things to live, like cut a friend's rope when that person seems to have died, or be grateful when the last weak link in a lifeboat will soon die. This is not cold heartedness. Drastic situations bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. If someone is going to pull you down with him or herself, you can either drown with them or learn to swim. Gonzales says: swim! And he shows us how. I highly recommend this book to anyone who 1. loves a good, exciting read and 2. wants to know more about themselves and this extremely interesting world we find ourselves in.
Rating:
Summary: Thought provoking
Review: This book offers more than a fascinating series of "survival" stories; it lives up to its title of offering insights into the mind set, personality, and strategies that can make the difference between living and dying in a life-threatening situation. I found the analysis of how people get lost and found again to be particularly interesting, since I've personally experienced the same poor decisions that seem to be natural when lost in the backcountry (fortunately, I did many things right, and -- obviously -- survived).
Read this book and take the time to absorb its lessons -- they may save your life someday!
Rating: 
Summary: this book was a waste of money
Review: this book sounds promising, but was very disappointing. it has some stories that for the most part had a very narrow scope (more survival than just mountain climbing??). the author tries to back up his theories with science, but the reasoning is weak and the logic flawed. overall, i'm truly sorry that i purchased and read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Informed, Intelligent, Meditative and Philosophical
Review: This delightful book combines a study of risk and people with a taste for adventure with the biological and philosophical considerations of why some people survive and others do not. It is not a book of lists and three steps plans, but rather a book about the mental and emotional equipment we bring to dangerous and life threatening situations. Wonderfully writing, arresting anecdotes, and pragmatic philosophy combine to make a truly memorable book.
Rating:
Summary: Deeply revealing - I could not put it down
Review: This is not a story book. It has a lot of survival stories in it. But that isn't the point of the book. What the author does is to take a look at the various accidents (ships sinking in the atlanitc, planes exploding over the rainforest, falling into a crevasse at 15,000 feet) and finds a common thread that binds the victims that survived these accidents. Gonzales doesn't tell us how to make a bow to hunt deer or how fire can be made out of flints. Instead, his book explores the physiological/emotional/and spiritual side of survival.
The book is deeply revealing about human nature. He explains why it is that children that are 2-6 years old that get lost in the wilderness have better survival rates than expereinced adults. But why children older than six have the worst rates of survival.
In addition to his discussions into what makes a survivor, what was also fascinating was his discussion on how these accidents happen in the first place. He discusses tightly coupled systems like the spaceship and how accidents like the Challenger and Cloumbia come to happen. He explains how these catastrophes are built into the system. No one designs it into the system, it is inherent. He then relates this information to an accident were several climbers roped together (another tightly coupled system) had a catastrophic fall.
He often quotes Epicletus and Tao Te Ching and explains how their teachings such as humility are inherent characteristics of survivors. I enjoyed how Gonzales tied in philosphy to survival and I had many "aha!" expereinces while reading this book. Those old sages knew what they were talking about.
He also discusses chaos theory as well as the physiological aspects of survival. He talks about the various chemicals that are released by our body and how this affects us physiologically and mentally.
My only critique of this book is that when Gonzales writes about his own experiences, his poetic attempts to describe the environment he is in are really bad. He throws in adjectives and analogies that make no sense and I almost put down the book because they were so awkward and horrible. But when he actually stops writing fluff and gets into analyzing the various aspects of surival, his writing flows and becomes compulsively readable.
Rating:
Summary: Not your father's survival book
Review: This is sort of "the long time listener, first time caller" of book reviews. I read these all the time, and have even been persuaded by a few, but have never taken the time to write a review before. But Deep Survival is one of the coolest books I have read in a long, long time. And it was so beyond what I was expecting that I had to write a review about it. I should mention that this book was a gift from my father, who's a big outdoorsman, survival-type guy. Dad's given me a lot of survival books. In fact, I have an entire shelf dedicated to survival books dad gave me - almost none of which I read much more than a few pages of. I had sat down to read the first ten pages of Deep Survival, as I've done with all the books dad gave me, so that when I set it on the shelf to collect dust, I could do so with as little guilt as is possible. Of course, I ended up reading the entire thing in one sitting.
Gonzales may have the capability of synthesizing all of these vast concepts into a simple easy-to-read narrative, but I don't. So I can't exactly sum it up for you, because it really is vast. About all I can say is that this book is as much about philosophy, and life, as it is about survival. And for anyone interested in not only what it takes to survive, and why some survive and some don't, but are interested in the war between the cognitive and emotional centers of our being, about systems and chaos theory and what makes us all tick, this is the book for you. Of course it helps that Gonzales has an engaging, easy-to-read style, and chooses to tell his story in part through anecdotes that are at one time hysterical and frightening and sad.
I could not recommend this book more.
Rating:
Summary: Simply wonderful
Review: Those who are focusing on whether or not Gonzales is actually instructing you on how to survive in the wild are completely missing the point of Deep Survival. As a totally urban chick who'd rather die than hike, I bought the book not because I wanted to learn about mountaineering, but to investigate why I've survived a blood disorder that has killed others. And thanks to this book, I've gotten my answer. Gonzales beautifully explains and explores the paradox that must be absorbed completely if one is to live through a catastrophe--which is that to survive something, you must surrender to it, basically fall into it, accepting all the pain and suffering, if you're ever going to get out of it. When you're able to quickly adapt to a new reality and make this new place--however frightening--your new home, you've a much better chance of surviving than the person who's in denial. For one thing, your sense of spirituality and wonder deepens, and this is a tremendous life force in and of itself. It helps you enjoy where you ARE, instead of frantically trying to get to where you think you should be. This is simply a great life lesson, whether you're lost in the woods, or just trying to live a happier existence. He explains the paradox so well--that in order to survive, one must surrender, yet at the same time not give in. There must be a sheer raw determination to win the game, yet an acceptance of possibly losing it as well, which paradoxically, gives you an edge. And if you can muster a playful spirit on top of it all, well--then you're just golden. A *great* read.
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