Surviving

 

If you enjoy the TV show "Survivorman" you will enjoy this book written by the same person that created the show.

Les Stroud has re-told a collection of extreme survival tales and put an interesting twist to them. As each story unfolds, Les assesses the situation and gives the reader his opinion on the decisions made, and the action taken. He is a bit of an expert on the subject and intersperses the stories with some of his own adventures in the world of survival.

After each episode, he gives a percentage grade in four vital areas of survival. Luck, kit, knowledge, and will to live. It is very informative and the reader cannot help but assess what he would do under the same circumstances. We cannot say with surety that we would live or die in a similar circumstance because each of these categories can work either for or against us.

My favourite story is the one about the Robertson family who sell the family farm in the UK, buy a boat, and attempt to sail around the world. After a very rapid and unexpected sinking, they find themselves adrift in the South Pacific in a life raft tethered to a small dingy. They eventually became so proficient at survival that they were not even that excited when they were finally rescued. But how they did it is absolutely fascinating.

I give this book 4 stars.