Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why
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- Create Date：2021-08-14 08:54:48
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Laurence Gonzales
- ISBN：0393353710
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Summary
Laurence Gonzales’s bestselling Deep Survival has helped save lives from the deepest wildernesses， just as it has improved readers’ everyday lives。 Its mix of adventure narrative， survival science， and practical advice has inspired everyone from business leaders to military officers， educators， and psychiatric professionals on how to take control of stress， learn to assess risk， and make better decisions under pressure。
Reviews
Crista Lindberg
，
If you can get past the Goggins-style narcissism and heavy masculinity， you will enjoy it as much as I did。 I’m an adventure light person and female — not a thrill seeker with military background。 But I was able to tease out the nuggets that were interesting and worthwhile。 I’d be keen to hear him speak on recent survivors like the Thai boys stuck in the cave or the Chilean miners … even though these aren’t necessarily adventurers （he brought up 9/11 often and those victims and survivors were no If you can get past the Goggins-style narcissism and heavy masculinity， you will enjoy it as much as I did。 I’m an adventure light person and female — not a thrill seeker with military background。 But I was able to tease out the nuggets that were interesting and worthwhile。 I’d be keen to hear him speak on recent survivors like the Thai boys stuck in the cave or the Chilean miners … even though these aren’t necessarily adventurers （he brought up 9/11 often and those victims and survivors were not adventurers）。 。。。more
Erin Sabourin
，
Story line jumps around a lot as if the authors trying to make a point and connect the chapters。
Jenn
，
An exceptional， well-written book endorsed by Sebastian Junger。 Gripping in its storytelling， inspirational in its life lessons， relevant to any dang thing you might be going through。 Laurence Gonzales is THE Dos Equis man from those commercials way back when！ No plans to jump out of cargo planes， hike up dangerous peaks， or swim shark-infested waters but contending with daily bullying at work that has been ebbing away my strength， peace of mind， and will to survive。 Going to apply the life less An exceptional， well-written book endorsed by Sebastian Junger。 Gripping in its storytelling， inspirational in its life lessons， relevant to any dang thing you might be going through。 Laurence Gonzales is THE Dos Equis man from those commercials way back when！ No plans to jump out of cargo planes， hike up dangerous peaks， or swim shark-infested waters but contending with daily bullying at work that has been ebbing away my strength， peace of mind， and will to survive。 Going to apply the life lessons from this book to my situation in the office。 And feeling hopeful and more calm about the toxicity at work now that I have read this amazing book。 Such a gift is this marvelous book ~ 。。。more
Valentine Crimson
，
The neuroscience vulgarization and the survival stories were very insightful and interestingly woven together， though some of the author’s own conclusion are discussable in their logical foundations。 That’s 50% of the book， the other half is recounting the authors adventures and his father’s。 They are not exactly thrilling， and the author comes across as quite the unlikable macho at times。 I think the book would have been better off without the LinkedIn-style autobiographic bits， they don’t mix The neuroscience vulgarization and the survival stories were very insightful and interestingly woven together， though some of the author’s own conclusion are discussable in their logical foundations。 That’s 50% of the book， the other half is recounting the authors adventures and his father’s。 They are not exactly thrilling， and the author comes across as quite the unlikable macho at times。 I think the book would have been better off without the LinkedIn-style autobiographic bits， they don’t mix well with the rest。 。。。more
Gregg
，
This is not the best book I’ve read on survival。 The focus was more intellectual than practical and had an outsized emphasis on immutable characteristics—or at least traits that will not become apparent until you are in a crisis and by then it’s too late to change。
Miranda Daviduk
，
It was fine。 Interesting stories but the book got bogged down with the author inserting himself unnecessarily far too often。 Too much rambling and scattered writing to really hold your attention。 The general topic was fascinating， as were the stories of survival but didn’t personally care for the way it was all strung together。
Amelia Zeve
，
This book took me literally FOREVER （read: 7 months） to get into， but once I hit a certain crux about 40% of the book， I couldn’t put it down and burned through it in a day。 Not only was this really engaging once you got into it， but it was inspiring and moving in the strangest way and I was highlighting whole chunks of it by the time the book ended。 I would recommend！！ 4。5 stars
Catherine
，
This book is a fascinating look at why some people survive seemingly impossible situations， while others perish。 The author looks beyond having knowledge， emergency supplies and adequate preparation， and dives deep into an individual's psyche。 Just what is the mindset of those who survive？ I had difficulty with the first part of the book， often finding my mind wandering as the author meandered down some tangents that I had trouble following。 I found the book more engaging in the second half， whe This book is a fascinating look at why some people survive seemingly impossible situations， while others perish。 The author looks beyond having knowledge， emergency supplies and adequate preparation， and dives deep into an individual's psyche。 Just what is the mindset of those who survive？ I had difficulty with the first part of the book， often finding my mind wandering as the author meandered down some tangents that I had trouble following。 I found the book more engaging in the second half， where the author focused more on specific accidents and how the individuals fared （some lived， obviously。。。otherwise there would be no story to tell）。 The events are described with gripping detail， and throughout each vignette I kept thinking， "How on earth did this person make it out？！" In each story， Gonzales points out where the survivor exhibited the thinking and habits that helped them survive， as well as the pitfalls of those who didn't。 He is also clear in noting that sometimes no matter how much of a survivor you might be， circumstances can overwhelm you。 Most of the examples involve man vs。 nature， and we are really no match for Mother Nature。One interesting chapter explored how sometimes experience and know-how can actually inhibit your ability to survive。。。giving you a sense of confidence that may lead you to take misguided risks or be so committed to your plan that you fail to see the warning signs telling you to abort （rapidly rising water in a river， a cliff of snow threatening an avalanche）。This book is one long cautionary tale。 The author is an adventurer and is certainly not saying we shouldn't go out there and push our limits， but he does provide a healthy dose of reality。。。no matter how prepared and experienced you may be， the proverbial s**t can always hit the fan。 I'd like to think that I'd be one of the ones who would survive， but I honestly still don't know for sure。 Hopefully I'll never have to find out！ 。。。more
iamKovy
，
Очень уютная， ламповая книга про поведение человека в экстремальных ситуациях， какие шутки играет с нами мозг и почему они зачастую не очень смешные。Уютная и ламповая потому что автор достаточно органично вплетает в те вещи， которыми хочет поделиться， личный опыт и историю своей семьи за счёт чего это из ещё одного "посмотри как работает твой мозг" превращается в что-то похожее на личную， доверительную беседу。 Это круто。 А ещё есть много отсылок к Ремарку и Лао-Цзы。 Это круто следующего уровня。Е Очень уютная， ламповая книга про поведение человека в экстремальных ситуациях， какие шутки играет с нами мозг и почему они зачастую не очень смешные。Уютная и ламповая потому что автор достаточно органично вплетает в те вещи， которыми хочет поделиться， личный опыт и историю своей семьи за счёт чего это из ещё одного "посмотри как работает твой мозг" превращается в что-то похожее на личную， доверительную беседу。 Это круто。 А ещё есть много отсылок к Ремарку и Лао-Цзы。 Это круто следующего уровня。Если разбить книгу Гонсалеса на смысловые тезисы， получится приблизительно следующее:1。 Мозг - очень любит все оптимизировать， упрощать и отбрасывать лишнее， чтобы не сбивать нашего фокуса с того， что он считает нашей главной целью。 Хорошая новость - такие скрипты， доведённые до автоматизма действия， действительно могут помочь в типичной экстремальной ситуации。 Плохая новость - типичная экстремальная ситуация в дикой природе случается максимально редко и тогда эти скрипты могут из помощника превратиться в вашего убийцу。 Ну， вроде того， здесь всегда был знак что у меня главная， значит и сегодня здесь будет главная， можно ехать не глядя。 Похожие ошибочные модели описывал Николас Талеб в своём Черном лебеде - когда индюшку кормят 11 месяцев подряд， её мозг уверен， что и 12 месяц будет такой же。 Дальше приходит День Благодарения и события развиваются слишком быстро。 Доверяйте своему мозгу， но проверяйте те модели， которые он сам строит， будьте максимально в моменте。 Пользуйтесь им с умом。2。 Излишняя самоуверенность ускоряет доставку на тот свет。 Опять же， привет， мозг и "да я тут 10 лет на красный перебегаю， ни одна машина не сбивала"。 Это губит профессионалов。 У них слишком много автоматизированных моделей， которые глушат отслеживание ситуации "здесь и сейчас"。3。 В сложной ситуации хорошо помогает не унывать， шутить шуточки， держать внутренний стержень， как советовал Виктор Франкл и всякие стоики， держать себе в голове цель зачем вы вообще пытаетесь найти выход из ситуации - ради себя， семьи， пацанов со двора и т。д。 Даже если вы не верите ни во что очень помогает помолиться - потому что молитва независимо от того слышат вас или нет - это личная аффирмация ваших личных конкретных целей。 Например， выжить。 И это помогает。4。 Не надо подавлять эмоции- лучше попробуйте их принять и использовать их энергию для достижения целей。 Они лошадь， мозг - жокей。 С ними надо договариваться， если вы хотите куда-то доехать。5。 Любите здоровый фатализм （опять привет， стоики） - любую сложившуюся ситуацию нужно принять как свершившуюся， не тратить ресурсы на рефлексии о раньше было лучше。 Действуйте как человек， который уже принял свою смертность и что он может не выжить。 А раз может не выжить - то почему бы не рискнуть и попробовать сделать что всё в его силах。 Считайте свои достижения от нуля， а не так как когда-то было。6。 Ноги должны быть в тепле， а голова холодной。 Расходуйте все свои ресурсы эффективно - каждое действие должно быть маленькой， но микропобедой - будь-то физической или моральной。7。 Будьте настойчивы в решении выбраться из ситуаиии и достичь своей цели из пункта 2， как завещал дедушка Паланик - "Я бежал пока мышцы не начало жечь огнем， а кровь не стала едкой как кислота。。。 и тогда， я побежал дальше。。。"。Пунктов на самом деле можно набрать ещё раза в 3 больше и я надеюсь， что это послужит вам достаточной доказательной базой， чтобы её прочитать。Это необязательно， но оно того стоит。 。。。more
ALI
，
I thought—and still think—the concept of 'Deep Survival' is very interesting， but， unfortunately， found the execution a bit lacklustre。 I'll keep this brief anyway， but， in short: this book was just difficult to read。Gonzales jumps from story to story， glossing over any specific detail in favour of cramming in as many examples as he can fit， alongside some personal anecdotes and somewhat narcissistic retellings of his own "near-death" experiences （which inevitably pale alongside the others）。 It I thought—and still think—the concept of 'Deep Survival' is very interesting， but， unfortunately， found the execution a bit lacklustre。 I'll keep this brief anyway， but， in short: this book was just difficult to read。Gonzales jumps from story to story， glossing over any specific detail in favour of cramming in as many examples as he can fit， alongside some personal anecdotes and somewhat narcissistic retellings of his own "near-death" experiences （which inevitably pale alongside the others）。 It took me forever to get into 'Deep Survival，' and even then， I couldn't say I was really "invested"—the minute I thought I was following a story， Gonzales jumped to the next。 The entire book is incredibly disconnected， and while Gonzales summary of his rules of survival at the end of the book was helpful， half of them I don't even think he showed at all before that last chapter。All in all: great idea， bad execution。 。。。more
Anna Hawes
，
This was an interesting mix of survival stories and neuroscience。 I've read quite a bit in both areas but hadn't much considered the connection between the two so this was really interesting。 It was nice to have analysis and comparison of the survival stories; I had usually read the first person accounts which give lots of detail of what happened but don't always consider the bigger picture of why/how things happened。 Because he was often referencing stories that were written elsewhere， the auth This was an interesting mix of survival stories and neuroscience。 I've read quite a bit in both areas but hadn't much considered the connection between the two so this was really interesting。 It was nice to have analysis and comparison of the survival stories; I had usually read the first person accounts which give lots of detail of what happened but don't always consider the bigger picture of why/how things happened。 Because he was often referencing stories that were written elsewhere， the author had a tough task of giving enough detail of what happened for readers unfamiliar with the incident without boring readers who had read the other books。 For example， I had already read Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea so I skimmed some of the retelling included in this book。 It was nice that it was contrasted with a different shipwreck story that I wasn't familiar with so that there was some discussion unique to this work。 I was glad I hadn't already read Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival so that this coverage of the story was new to me。 Also， the author included many survival stories so even though I had heard some of them before， there were quite a few lesser-known ones that were still interesting， especially his father's story。 [It was fun to see that the NY Times just published a profile on Juliane Diller， the teenage girl who crash-landed in the jungle， about her scientific work as an adult and recognize many of the traits Gonzales had pointed out as survivor traits。]I'm not sure how helpful the neuroscience discussion/advice part of the book is。 The discussion of the snowmobilers as reasonable rather than reckless because of the way our brains are wired was intriguing but it also feels fatalistic。 He simultaneously made the argument that accidents are inevitable but you can make sure they don't happen to you， which doesn't make sense to me。 （I did appreciate his reminder that risk is inherent in adventurous activities and completely reducing risk is missing the point。） I could see how traits were similar in survivors but didn't necessarily see how one would go about cultivating those traits。 I'll have to ponder those ideas more。 。。。more
Kiley Graham
，
Pretty good， but some of the points are contradictory。 A little too much hero worship for the military for my taste。
Zendegi
，
I had high hopes for this book going in as it was recommended to me by multiple people。 However， it was a disappointment because it lacked scientific rigor， was mostly conclusory with no evidence to back it up its conclusions and ideas， and didn't have any footnote citations to references or studies。 It had some neat ideas， but without the evidence to back it up， I am cautious to put stock in them。 The most interesting idea to me was the concept that major failures are built into the system we u I had high hopes for this book going in as it was recommended to me by multiple people。 However， it was a disappointment because it lacked scientific rigor， was mostly conclusory with no evidence to back it up its conclusions and ideas， and didn't have any footnote citations to references or studies。 It had some neat ideas， but without the evidence to back it up， I am cautious to put stock in them。 The most interesting idea to me was the concept that major failures are built into the system we use， and that it's not a matter of if but when。 From my work in SAR and seeing the same types of accidents again and again， this seems to hold stock。 I did like that he quoted from "Lost Person Behavior，" a tome in the search and rescue world。The author could have done more to consult experts or participants in some of the sports discussed in his anecdotes。 For example， it was pretty clear he was not a diver or a climber。 From ignoring the potential effects of nitrogen narcosis to "pounding in" ice screws （hint: the action is right there in the name）。 Also didn't appreciate the glorifying of the military， which to me wasn't offset by the author's couple stories of military people having too much hubris。 I've been involved with several rescues of military people in the outdoors; many of them do seem to have the idea that they are so awesome they can do anything and are untouchable。 It was interesting how the author didn't directly touch on ideals and concepts of traditional American masculinity， and instead just danced around it。 。。。more
Chris Sheridan
，
I really enjoyed this book and have already reccomended it to several people。 Gonzales uses lots of stories of survival and mishap to exemplify the traits of those who survive。 Far from being a check list of unattainable thought processes people seem to be born with， Gonzales points out the trait， explains its importance and points out how to implement it。 If you absorb some of the points from this book and try to apply them as often as possible， they could help save your life one day。
Owen
，
Very interesting look at the choices people make when facing life and death situations。 What characteristics are most helpful。 Make the best of what you’ve got， and try to understand reality and not make your perception of reality bend to what you think it should fit。 When undertaking certain adventures， realize that accidents are typical， normal， and expected。 One might read the book normal accidents for a better understanding of this。 Also don’t hesitate to ask Park Rangers or local safety off Very interesting look at the choices people make when facing life and death situations。 What characteristics are most helpful。 Make the best of what you’ve got， and try to understand reality and not make your perception of reality bend to what you think it should fit。 When undertaking certain adventures， realize that accidents are typical， normal， and expected。 One might read the book normal accidents for a better understanding of this。 Also don’t hesitate to ask Park Rangers or local safety officials how people get injured or die in the activities that you’re taking part in。 。。。more
Taylor
，
Being written in 1998， the neuroscience has grown outdated。 Additionally， the author seems to be attempting to understand his relationship with his father， and feels the need to inject his own "cool" stories into the midst of the text。 Being written in 1998， the neuroscience has grown outdated。 Additionally， the author seems to be attempting to understand his relationship with his father， and feels the need to inject his own "cool" stories into the midst of the text。 。。。more
Ryan Shaffer
，
A great exploration of what "it" is that people who survive have that make them successful。 A book that points to the psychological gear that is required rather than the tactics or gadgets that many rely upon when they encounter hardship。 Not a book for those looking for a "life hack" to make things easy， but for those that are willing to forge their instincts by intentionally suffering the hardships that lead to true survival skills。 Wonderfully written and easy to read。 A great exploration of what "it" is that people who survive have that make them successful。 A book that points to the psychological gear that is required rather than the tactics or gadgets that many rely upon when they encounter hardship。 Not a book for those looking for a "life hack" to make things easy， but for those that are willing to forge their instincts by intentionally suffering the hardships that lead to true survival skills。 Wonderfully written and easy to read。 。。。more
Kendra Kammer
，
I’ve enjoyed other books by Gonzalez。 I was disappointed in this one， though。 The disaster stories are told as an afterthought， and the conclusions drawn from the stories about how we handle survival situations are disorganized。If you want to read a book that covers this topic with more interesting storytelling and more helpful science， try checking out “The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why” by Amanda Ripley。
Lia Engelsted
，
Good concept but the authors writing style was scattered。 He would start on one story and interject a few anecdotes along the way which was tiring to read。
Elizabeth
，
It was okay。 Felt like there was a lot of flexing on himself。 Read for book club。
Mikala
，
I rate so many non-fiction books low that I was beginning to question if I even liked NF。 This one restored my faith。 This book is not at all dry。 It has well documented and varied sources。 It weaves personal story and narratives in the right quantity with the appropriate amount of facts and explanation to keep the flow going。 This book is about so much more than survival。 Or perhaps， more accurately， it is exactly about surviving life。 From business， to family， to cliff faces with a broken leg， I rate so many non-fiction books low that I was beginning to question if I even liked NF。 This one restored my faith。 This book is not at all dry。 It has well documented and varied sources。 It weaves personal story and narratives in the right quantity with the appropriate amount of facts and explanation to keep the flow going。 This book is about so much more than survival。 Or perhaps， more accurately， it is exactly about surviving life。 From business， to family， to cliff faces with a broken leg， this book has practical and inspirational advice for getting the most life out of your remaining days。 。。。more
Jill
，
This book is full of interesting food-for-thought that can be helpful for both real survival situations （lost in the woods） and the challenges brought about by our day-to-day lives。 Here are some good takeaways:1。 See the beauty。 Gratitude and joy can be found during even the darkest hours。 Look for it。 2。 Be realistic and honest with yourself about your situation。 3。 Cultivate a positive attitude — survivors are by definition not fatalistic。 4。 The Stoics have it right。 Change the things you ca This book is full of interesting food-for-thought that can be helpful for both real survival situations （lost in the woods） and the challenges brought about by our day-to-day lives。 Here are some good takeaways:1。 See the beauty。 Gratitude and joy can be found during even the darkest hours。 Look for it。 2。 Be realistic and honest with yourself about your situation。 3。 Cultivate a positive attitude — survivors are by definition not fatalistic。 4。 The Stoics have it right。 Change the things you can， accept the things you can't。5。 Help others。 Gonzales wrote: "Helping someone else is the best way to ensure your own survival。 It takes you out of yourself。 It helps you to rise above your fears。 Now you’re a rescuer， not a victim。 And seeing how your leadership and skill buoy others up gives you more focus and energy to persevere。"6。 Don't dive into anything blind。 Know what you're doing ahead of time。 7。 Look back。 Hindsight is an important part of a full perspective。8。 Be wary of expectations。 Don't "bend the map" to meet your expectations。 Take the time to observe what's around you and draw a new map。9。 Know when to cut your losses。 Survivors aren't the ones who make it to the top of the mountain; they're the ones who make it down。 10。 Surrender。 Let go of a fear of dying （or failing） and accept it。 But never let this break your spirit。 Never give up。 。。。more
Adam K
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So good
Jaimie
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A little disjointed， but still overall enjoyable
Heather
，
Exhilarating and terrifying！It took me a bit to sink into the book， but when I realized what I was reading I couldn’t get enough。 Life is a risk， people get into dire and potentially fatal situations。 this book explains how some people survive the unsurvivable。 It also made me realize I should take a survival course。Even if you don’t think you would be in a situation like the people in the book， read it anyway since accidents happen every day。I’m going to read this again I have no doubt。
Samir Ghosh
，
Gonzales lets you come to your own important conclusions via his story / case studies。 Literally life saving lessons but very broadly applicable。
Scott
，
Laurence Gonzales Deep Survival is part psychological assessment and instruction manual for survival and part biography。 Running throughout the book a biographical sketch of his father， a World War 2 bomber pilot who was a sole survivor of a crashed bomber from 27000 feet over German held territory。 After surviving as a prisoner of war with devastating injury from the crash， Gonzalez Sr would go on to earn a PHD and work at several prestigious centers for academic medicine including Baylor Colle Laurence Gonzales Deep Survival is part psychological assessment and instruction manual for survival and part biography。 Running throughout the book a biographical sketch of his father， a World War 2 bomber pilot who was a sole survivor of a crashed bomber from 27000 feet over German held territory。 After surviving as a prisoner of war with devastating injury from the crash， Gonzalez Sr would go on to earn a PHD and work at several prestigious centers for academic medicine including Baylor College of Medicine in Houston Texas。 Laurence Gonzalez himself also a former fighter pilot and extremely skilled mountaineer。 Laurence meticulously narrates several examples of how some persons lived some calamity when others died similar or the very same misadventure。 Especially interesting the 12 characteristics of survival success。 If you have any interest in going into the outback or any fascination with survival skills ， this would be an outstanding book， maybe even for a teen。 This book much more about the mental agility and thought processes that resulted in surviving and how to prepare for this unplanned misadventures from a psychological perspective。 The book an outstanding read， and far more interesting than a Hollywood type pontificating on the latest social justice issue， while the extremely talented Bear Grylls teaches the movie star to eat something nasty or how to start a fire with a flint。 Laurence Gonzalez Deep Survival may be the most interesting storytelling survival manual in print。 More than a textbook of instructions also useful， Laurence really illustrates the characteristics of mental tenacity and thoughtfulness consistent with those who survived circumstances that many or most others died when encountering。 Any kid who once loved Percy Jackson would love this book。 。。。more
Olivia
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The first parts of this read very much like a psychology text book。。 it’s interesting， but I had to force myself to get about half way through。 Then， the sons love for his father really comes through and it is easier to continue。
Charlene Hardin
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The book is interesting with many valid points about survival and chaos theory/system dynamics。 I am not sure I agree with all of the arguments made， in particular， the one noting "frivolous lawsuits。" Safety culture is not silliness and mitigating risk is not a "sissy" pursuit。 Why not mitigate risks and hold accountable companies that know risks their patrons do not？ It's a bit too "MAGA" for me。 The prose is mostly well-written and evocative。 The writer is good at turning a phrase， if nothing The book is interesting with many valid points about survival and chaos theory/system dynamics。 I am not sure I agree with all of the arguments made， in particular， the one noting "frivolous lawsuits。" Safety culture is not silliness and mitigating risk is not a "sissy" pursuit。 Why not mitigate risks and hold accountable companies that know risks their patrons do not？ It's a bit too "MAGA" for me。 The prose is mostly well-written and evocative。 The writer is good at turning a phrase， if nothing else。 At times the author's relationship to his father comes off as pathological， but the man does sound like an impressive figure。 I am giving a rating of 4 only because it is a fascinating read， but I do agree with the author's reported ex-wives: I don't think this guy ever grew up。 To that I would add "。。。and not in a good way。" He also notes he has the job a 13 year old boy would dream of having。 There is a fine line in remaining curious/open and coming off as someone chasing after hedonistic or narcissistic goals。。。like a half baked teenager with too much testosterone and not enough sense。 。。。more
Ralph
，