Reddit reviews Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why

One final comment that I'm adding as a separate post since I reached the size limit in my post above: for anyone who is looking for additional information concerning backcountry ailments and injuries, I highly recommend the book Deep Survival, by Laurence Gonzales. In addition to drawing from his own experience, the author analyzed countless reports of backcountry injuries in writing the book. One of the biggest takeaways that I got from Deep Survival is the idea that injuries in the backcountry are rarely the result of a single factor, but rather usually the result of multiple factors- and those factors are often seemingly inconsequential when evaluated on an individual basis. If you can learn to recognize and address various factors as they crop up, then you can generally reduce most of the risk of injury.

They have actually. Here's a really good book on it. I don't think people 'decide' to freak out or not. Their brain is either able to perform rationally under extreme stress or not.


During a crisis, there is a period of time where your brain freaks out and doesn't functional rationally. People who are more trained to experience high stress levels recover from this period faster, sometimes fast enough to make it appear that they are calm and collected the whole time, while someone else will look like they're freaking out.


On a side note, this is also why people who can smile and laugh while being threatened seem far more dangerous than people who get angry and start screaming or acting tough. Smiling and laughing while in a threatening situation implies that you're brain does not feel threatened enough to override your calm.

https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Survival-Who-Lives-Dies/dp/0393326152 That's an interesting book on survival situations. Some people just freeze when panic sets in.

Some of these rules are also from my experience with SAR:

1. When hiking (or other outdoor recreation) always have a whistle on you. So many people who get lost in the woods are actually close enough to other people that they could be heard if they had a whistle. Screaming uses a lot more energy and people might not interpret it as cries for help.
   
   
2. People on day outings/day hikes are less likely to be prepared in the event of an unexpected situation (like bad weather or getting lost) because they assume they can just walk out and go home. Bring enough stuff with you that if you had to spend a night somewhere (even though it would suck), you could survive.
   
   
3. Keep basic survival stuff in your car at all times. There's just no reason not to and if you break down, you'll be glad. Have a blanket, firestarter kit, headlamp/flashlight, paracord, painters tarp, and first aid kit.
   
   
4. Assume your cellphone won't work. People are too reliant on cellphones and forgo basic safety steps because they assume they can use the map on their phone, call for help, use the flashlight, use the compass, look something up, etc.
   
   
5. Don't drive to unknown places without at least half a tank.
   
   
6. Be loud and make eye contact, if possible, when someones giving you the creeps. "Why are you following me?" loudly or "What are you doing?" can throw an attacker off. Many of them instinctively don't want to draw attention to themselves.
   
   
7. If someone tries to get you into a car, fight like hell. I'd rather them find my body in a parking lot then never know what happened to me.
   
   
8. Don't drink and swim.
   
   
9. If there's someone you can trust this with, share your phone location with them in an ongoing way (like find my friends) and give their phone number to one of your family members. If they're worried you are missing, they can call that person and have them check out your phones location. (If you don't feel comfortable just giving that family member access to your location all the time)
   
   
10. Recognize behavioral red flags in the people around you and take them seriously. A significant other that seems paranoid and controlling, a coworker who seems fixated on getting back at your company.. etc. If someone freaks you out, listen to your gut.
    
    
11. Don't engage in road rage, public confrontations, etc. You never know if the stranger you're arguing with is as sane as you are. Call 911, back off, or deescalate the situation as best you can if you find yourself in an angry confrontation with a stranger.
    
    
12. When you're drunk, stay with the group. If your drunk friend insists on going off alone, agree on a time that you'll call them and if they don't pick up you'll call the cops for a welfare check.
    
    
13. If you're having a mental health crisis, do not go off alone. So many disappearences happen after a person in a mental health crisis wanders off or leaves alone. When you're alone and dealing with a mental health crisis, you are more likely to harm/kill yourself, to experience an accident, and to become a victim of someone nefarious. (I know that most people in crisis lack the ability to think rationally... definitely no blame here. It's just something to remember if you have the wherewithal to practice)
    
    I really recommend the book Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales. for some interesting survival reading.
    
    Edit: Uh, I'm sorry this is so long. I just started back on my meds for ADHD and sometimes this happens.

Any one interested in high altitude survival should check out http://www.greenharbor.com/fffolder/ffresearch.html . its dedicated to survivors of immense freefalls.
Examples:
Here's the world record: Vesna Vulovic was a stewardess on a Yugoslav DC 9 jet airliner that blew up in January of 1972 (probably as the result of a terrorist bomb). She fell more than 33,000 feet in the wreckage of the plane, which hit a snow-covered slope. The only survivor, she was badly injured and was paralyzed from the waist down, but later recovered and now can walk.
And here's two of my favorites:
In March of 1944, Nicholas Alkemade was the tail gunner in a British Lancaster bomber on a night mission to Berlin when his plane was attacked by German fighters. When the captain ordered the crew to bail out, Alkemade looked back into the plane and discovered that his parachute was in flames. He chose to jump without a parachute rather than to stay in the burning plane. He fell 18,000 feet, landing in trees, underbrush, and drifted snow. He twisted his knee and had some cuts, but was otherwise alright.
And the father of Deep Survival author Lawrence Gonezeles (an amazing book about the psychology of survival and WTL http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0393326152?pc_redir=1397159136&robot_redir=1):
In January of 1945, Federico Gonzales was a pilot of a 398th Bomb Group B-17 whose wing was shot off over Dusseldorf. He was unable to bail out of the spinning plane and fell 27,000 feet. He was pulled alive from the wreckage. Everyone else died . -what's not included are the incredible events that occurred immediately after being pulled from the wreckage... Gonzales had broken most of the bones in his body. The civilian who found him produced a pistol and tried to execute him. The pistol jammed and before the civilian could run the action a nearby German officer stopped him... Talk about fucking luck.

I'm not sure if this is exactly what you're looking for, but I really enjoyed this book - https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Survival-Who-Lives-Dies/dp/0393326152

Deep Survival -- an informative read of when things go wrong in the wilderness and how the survivors make it out alive. It shines upon the personalities and characteristics that tend to have the highest survival rate by analyzing the craziest stories of people that have lived and also sometimes died. Such a good read in fact that it's the only book that could hold my attention for the last 4 years. ^((I don't really like to read))

I KNOW! I KNOW!

I was thinking the exact same fucking thing.

If you hear the man-stewardess in the video say, "oh don't worry, it's only the fuel burning", I was going out of my mind.
Read 'Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why' then tell me you wouldn't have pulled the emergency exit and got the hell out of there.

https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Survival-Who-Lives-Dies/dp/0393326152

Amazing. Glad I wasn't in that situation.

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

Swimming to Antarctica : Tales of Long Distance Swimming by Lynne Cox

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

I was home for a holiday, and found these laying around my mother's book stash. She recommended all of them and I thoroughly enjoy each one. Although, usually I read fiction. All of these books are intriguing, well-written, and educational. If you never read non-fiction a good place to start is reading Mary Roach. Here is her TED talk about orgasms.

I thought these people were idiots until I read your comment. It's also worth noting that it was a loaner car. From now on whenever I drive an unfamiliar car, I'm going to test putting it in neutral, so I can do it without thinking about it.

A great book on the things that go through people's heads in dangerous situations, and how it gets them killed, is Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why by Laurence Gonzales.

Deep Survival, by Laurence Gonzalez, perhaps?

Edit: the other one I know of which is along those lines is "The Unthinkable" by Amanda Ripley

Read "Emotional Intelligence" and "Deep Survival". Seriously. Go google them right now. If you like the human brain - get those. Absolutely fascinating books. Trust me.

Let me know your thoughts on this.

Here: Links for you

Emotional Intelligence

Deep Survival

It's a well-documented phenomenon that catastrophic events are simply the last occurrence on a long chain of small, otherwise trivial mistakes. I really enjoyed this book on the topic if anyone wants to further their knowledge.

Annnnd jzc pointed out the 'Swiss Cheese Model' below. Such a great analogy.

Can be a bit depressing at times, but I enjoyed "Deep Survival" by Laurence Gonzales. The most surreal part about reading this book while backpacking near Cathedral Peak in Yosemite was the chapter about two climbers that were struck by lightening while summiting Cathedral Peak. It was weird to be sitting at the base, reading the intense situation and being able to look up and see the rock faces that the author was describing.

https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Survival-Who-Lives-Dies/dp/0393326152

Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales is good as well.

http://amzn.com/0393326152

> The fact that I fucked up on this means I'm carrying something in my head that is getting in the way of success.

Wrong.

Interviews are stressful, and many people choke up under certain types of stress and pressure. I recommend practicing, and I think Toastmasters can help you. Part of the reason for the baloney and screaming in basic training is that you can be innoculated to handle stress: you feel the fear and do it anyway. Then when you encounter fear and stress, you've already experienced it, and survived it, and you'll survive this stress as well.

There is also a book I recommend to folks called On Combat. There are a number of chapters that explain what stress can do to people, and how your body will do things you won't expect.

> And I blanked out.

All mammals experience the fight or flight response. You aren't the only person to sit there with your mouth open, like a deer in headlights. Another book that is helpful to read is Deep Survival, because some folks become addicted to that adrenaline rush, and that addiction leads people to take risks that they should have survived, but died.

No I'm not. I troll it from time to time for beta on routes and stuff. I believe I used to post there during my active climbing years (I started doing tree work for a living and have since slowed down much on my climbing).

I didn't even know who he was at the time. I was camping out there about to start the JMT and decided to shoulder tap to get some beer. He said Sure! and i asked if he spent much time in Yosemite. He laughed it off and said yea, 8 or 9 seasons...

We briefly spoke about a book he was reading ( Deep Survival )

He was such a nice guy. Told me to climb certain routes and stuff....

Then I humped my gear up the death slabs to the base of half dome to start my JMT hike and while running away from a rock fall (you can hear it coming) I sliced my heel open and ruined my opportunity to complete the JMT.

So i bummed around the valley for a about a month and climbed and set up slacklines over the river below middle cathedral.

[Not Without Peril: 150 Years of Misadventure on the Presidential Range of New Hampshire] (https://www.amazon.com/Not-Without-Peril-Misadventure-Presidential/dp/1934028320/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469484204&sr=1-1&keywords=not+without+peril+150+years+of+misadventure+on+the+presidential+range+of+new+hampshire) by Nicholas Howe is a fascinating book filled with hiking and backcountry history, adventure, and misadventure.

Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies and Why by Laurence Gonzales is an interesting look at survival in the wilderness, which is always handy for those of us who spend a good deal of time in the backcountry.

It has been a while since I read either of the two, but I really enjoyed both Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzalez and Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.

They both address the ability to continue on in the face of adversity. How people are able to keep going when things get really shitty, and how you can as well.

Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales... http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0393326152?pc_redir=1406283000&robot_redir=1

Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales

I went into it not expecting him to explain exactly why people survive and give me a perfect plan to how to prepare for a disaster, as many people expected from the book, and I was blown away. Just a very interesting read for anyone remotely interested in the human mind during high stress situations.

Don't bring a handgun. Statistically, there aren't any boogeymen out there. Perhaps the best thing you can do for you and your parents is to bring with you the best survival gear in the world, a well-stocked brain. For this, you already likely have everything you need. But here are a couple of good books:

http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Survival-Who-Lives-Dies/dp/0393326152
http://www.amazon.com/98-6-Degrees-Keeping-Your-Alive/dp/1586852345

Source: 30-day-a-year backpacker and SAR team member.

I just finished reading the book Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzales, and while most of the scenario's he talks about in the book are of the typical 'survival story' variety (ie: lost at sea, lost on a mountain, lost on a jungle) he does talk a little bit about how everyone needs to be prepared for the inevitability of something terrifying or life threatening happening at any moment. A survival situation really can break out at any second and it's important to be prepared mentally, emotionally, and physically for such things. It's a great book.

Deep Survival
Know how you react to stressful situations is number one on your survival to do list.

Learn about yourself as you learn how to survive.

Have you read Deep Survival?

http://www.amazon.com/Hope-Hell-Doctors-Without-Borders/dp/155407634X

Hope in Hell. It's sort of frontier medicine - an intro into MSF.

Also not medically related, but science/outdoorsy - Deep Survival by Laurence Gonzalez (http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Survival-Who-Lives-Dies/dp/0393326152) is really good nonfiction looking at why some people survive disasters and others don't. It's sort of pop sociology.

Deep Survival

Is about why people survive horrible circumstances and is extremely thought provoking. Not exactly what you asked for but based on what you are interested in I thought you might like it.

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Deep Survival - awesome book!
https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Survival-Who-Lives-Dies/dp/0393326152

A couple books that might be useful:

http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Survival-Who-Lives-Dies/dp/0393326152/

http://www.amazon.com/Other-Survival-Signals-Protect-Violence/dp/0440508835/

Deep survival

Bushcraft

These are the two that come to mind. Deep survival focuses on frame of mind, and bushcraft focuses on skills. It's a good balance.

Edit: the art of the rifle if this doesn't motivate you to learn about shooting, nothing will.