Deep Survival

True Stories of Miraculous Endurance and Sudden Death

By: Laurence Gonzales

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki

After her plane crashes, a 17-year-old girl spends 11 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, 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 essence of a survivor and offers 12 "Rules of Survival".

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. This audiobook will change the way we understand ourselves and the great outdoors.

©2003 Laurence Gonzales (P)2006 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"The study of survival offers an illuminating portal into the human psyche, and Gonzales, knowledgeable and passionate, is a compelling and trustworthy guide." (Booklist)
"A superb, entertaining addition to a nature buff's library, or for anyone not tucked safely away in a bunker." (Kirkus Reviews)

Must listen!

A terrific audio book. 10+ hours, but wish there was more. The true account storytelling dovetailed with the explaination and analysis exposes the roots of survival.
Exciting, frightening, and educational, with lessons applicable not only in survival circumstances but everyday life.

Beyond Wonderfull

This book is all about survival, life, the universe, and everything (with profound apologies to Douglas Adams). It is a moving meditation on what it is to be human and applies to all of our existence even though we usually ignore our mortality and the functioning of our minds. The adventures and misadventures Laurence Gonzales chronicles reveal our human condition better than anything I have ever read. This is not a simple adventure book so some may be disappointed. It is so much more. I understand Gonzales has another book along similar lines due out in September of 2008. I hope it come to Audible and I hope that Stefan Rudnicki narrates that one as well. He is brilliant. His narration of "On Intelligence" was excellent - his intelligent speech highlighted that book as well as this.

Bravo Gonzales, Rudnicki and Audible - well done. Thank you!

Provacative Implications

I can't remember reading a book that affected me more profoundly. Sure, it is a book about people who are living in survival situations and the reasons why some live to tell the story while others don't. But the in-depth analysis has far-reaching implications that go well beyond the subject matter.
Gonzalez is extremely well read and an accomplished writer. His style is breezy and an easy listen even when the subject matter is rather dark. Add to this the fact that many passages are gripping, edge-of-the-seat nail biters, and you have a book difficult to put down and impossible to forget.
Take for instance the description, early in the book, of landing a plane on an aircraft carrier. At first it is difficult to understand all of the "pilot-speak" but as the story unfolds and each piece of jargon is explained, you begin to understand just how hair-raising such a feat is, and the internal battle each pilot wrestles with as he obeys his training in spite of the overpowering instincts to do otherwise. Unfortunately, as the author points out, instinct occasionally wins...with tragic results.
There are, of course, many other situations examined, each with its own lessons to be learned and its own provacative implications.

Remarkable Stories That Inspire Deep Thought

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I would in turn recommend it to others.

Who was your favorite character and why?

N/A

What about Stefan Rudnicki’s performance did you like?

Stefan Rudnicki is a great performer. About half-way through, I did adjust the speed to 1.25x which seemed about perfect for me and still sounded completely natural. His voice keeps you interested and focused on the book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book really made me think. As someone that enjoys spending time in the wilderness, I thought I knew the dangers I faced. This book made me realize that disaster has always been much closer than I imagined. The best part of this book is that it offers important tools to not only recognize and avoid dangerous situations, but how to survive once you're in one.

Awesome book

A well crafted exploration of survival. Using examples of extreme survival to build a case for everyday living.