Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why (edit title)

• Rated 4 stars

“Something for everyone in this work. You have your hero stories, your "doh" stories, your "doh" into a hero stories, brain science, sociology, psychology, and even a bit of natural history.

Only four out of five stars because the first quarter is a bit slow going before he starts building his cases. In the beginning he has a tendency to dwell on one or two subtopics and not get any deeper (until you want to say "go on already!"). But this book will get you to thinking about your own actions and follies, and your very lucky moments. Good for reflection, and for groundwork for personal self improvement in attitude and readiness.

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• Rated 4 stars

“Needs some editting. He has some real clunky sentences, but the research is first rate. Guy likes to namedrop.”

• Rated 5 stars

“I listened to this on tape. It exceeded my expectations and then some.. A blend of brain science stuff with the sensational tales of survival and death. Hard to believe, that a good deal of this read made me think about situations that we are all often put in, any in which we are put under stress. In the end I would almost stash this on the self-help shelf as it lead to a lot of internal soul searching. I could easily see myself picking this up again in a year or so to be reminded of this its important guided survival principals. The book is narrated by the author and it is a good listen to boot. It was one of those books that I regretted came to an end.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Deep survival is a fast-paced, well written, survey of the bad things that can happen to people who engage in risky behavior, like fighting in wars, rafting on flooded rivers, to climbing mountains.

Unfortunately, it suffers from the same disease that plagues the self-help genre (of which this is, but isn't). Namely, the author is looking for some kind of approval from his reader. To Gonzales' credit, we discover in the end that his search for what separates the survivors from those who just give up and die is really an elaborate cry for the admiration, acceptance, and approval of his father.

Don't get me wrong. The book has a lot of food for thought. I find myself going back again and again to this idea that "a plan is a memory of the future." And like memories, plans can lead us down false paths.

But it was truly a pleasure to read.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Very interesting, uses alot of stats and experiences from special forces and military, dives deep into the physics of it all and even how the human mind work and the universal instincts, and a sweet camp that teaches ridiculous patience and survival methods to the extreme.”

• Rated 3 stars

“This was not an easy one for me to read. I liked it and want to read it again. I am thinking the second time through will be easier.”