Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why

Very interesting book that is, quite frankly, on a topic about which you have to be in a mood to read: survival. Most people take survival for granted and those that don't attribute it to sheer luck. Gonzales, though, lays out the mental toughness that it takes to survive and describes the chemical and physical happenings of one's body and brain during survival situations in terms we can all understand.

This is not just a how-to manual. It is not a typical piece of non-fiction. Gonzales expertly uses personal stories, accounts of accidents, and vivid language to create a piece that reads like fiction. This is a book that is full of humor and poignant advice.

The most striking “take-away” from this book is Gonzales' urging to see reality. So many of us only see what we are told to see. We only see the “mental map” that we've created in our mind. In extreme survival conditions, this could be deadly. Seeing reality is something that we can practice in everyday, routine situations. Like Gonzales, I would encourage everyone to practice it.