A journalist by trade, Mr. Sherwood drew on his investigative expertise to interview survivors of all shapes and sizes. Essentially, he asked them all one question: What does it take to survive? Their answers are as disparate as their experiences.
I loved how Mr. Sherwood addressed both the science and the stories of survival. And the stories are incredible. I’m still trying to decide which one’s my favorite. Is it the story of the young man who jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge and decided halfway down he didn’t want to die, or the story of the fighter pilot who punched out of his jet--which was traveling faster than the speed of sound--mere seconds before it slammed into the ocean? Hard to say. But Mr. Sherwood doesn’t stop there. As the subtitle implies (“The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life”), he also teaches you how to survive, say, hypothermia and which seats are safest on a plane. How useful.
If you like quirky, unexpected, unforgettable nonfiction along the lines of Malcolm Gladwell’s OUTLIERS or Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner’s FREAKONOMICS, you’ll love THE SURVIVORS CLUB. I highly recommend it.
11 comments:
iv heard about this book, and i want to read it. horray!
I've never read those other books, but this sounds fascinating! Thanks for adding it to my 'to read' pile!
My sister and my hubs would love this book. Thanks for the recommendation! I see it as a Christmas present in their futures. :)
Amy
This does sound interesting and oddly useful for a writer. I loved Gladwell's THE TIPPING POINT and the bits I've heard of OUTLIERS on the radio. And I like the FREAKONOMICS column, too. Thanks for the recommendation!
As always, thanks for dropping by, Read my books!
You're welcome, Suzanne! And it is fascinating. You'll have to let me know what you think...
Amy, if I can help someone out with Christmas shopping, then I've succeeded:) (Christmas shopping is so tough!)
You're welcome, Ben. I still need to check out THE TIPPING POINT. I've heard such good things about it, and since I loved OUTLIERS, I'm sure I'd love it, too.
I've heard so many good things about this book and have read snippets and excerpts that make me think it must be really good, but I have yet to pick it up myself. Thanks for the reminder!
Nisa, I'm always happy to provide reminders. I need plenty of those myself:)
Thanks for the recommendation, Krista. This looks like something my dad would like, and he's hard to shop for. Actually, I think I'd like it, too. :o)
Myrna, I think of this as a dad book, too:) If you end up reading it, you'll have to let me know what you think.
I really enjoyed Freakonomics and my husband just bought Outliers (I'm next in line to read it), and this one sounds really neat as well. I didn't think of it as a dad book until I read the other comments. This would make a great present for my dad(his birthday is coming up), so thanks!
Jess, if you decide to read it, you'll have to come back and tell us all what you thought.
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