Surviving the Extremes: What Happens to the Body and Mind at the Limits of Human Endurance [Paperback]

Kenneth Kamler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0143034510 | ISBN-13: 978-0143034513

A true-life scientific thriller no reader will forget, Surviving the Extremes takes us to the farthest reaches of the earth as well as into the uncharted territory within the human body, spirit, and brain. A vice president of the legendary Explorers Club, as well as surgeon, explorer, and masterful storyteller, Dr. Kenneth Kamler has spent years discovering what happens to the human body in extreme environmental conditions. Divided into six sections-jungle, high seas, desert, underwater, high altitude, and outer space-this book uses firsthand testimony and documented accounts to investigate the science of what a body goes through and explains why people survive-and why they sometimes don't.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Kenneth Kamler is a microsurgeon and the author of Doctor on Everest, his account of being the only physician on Mt. Everest during the Into Thin Air expedition. He has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, 48 Hours, and CNN and profiled in The New York Times and USA Today. He was named a "best doctor" by New York magazine and lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (December 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143034510
• ISBN-13: 978-0143034513
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,810 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Made me wish I had gone to med school, Oh yeah; and liked to hike., September 21, 2005

By 

Christy Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Surviving the Extremes: What Happens to the Body and Mind at the Limits of Human Endurance (Paperback)

After reading about Kenneth's' visits to the Amazon forest, underwater caves, and the top of Mount Everest, to name a few, you may be struck by the explorer bug too. Ken's main job on the excursions in this book is to act as main medical advisor, but thankfully, he is also a grade A writer. He recounts his trips; I will not spoil the book by recounting them here, from a mostly medical point of view. At heart Ken is a humanist seeking to find out how and why the few who choose to live in the extremes, (95% of the earth is uninhabitable by humans) do so. He goes into great depth describing the cultural and physical adaptations that people under-go. After many generations living a rough life natural selection has weeded the weak and stupid away leaving only the most suited for survival in any given "extreme" area of the world.

Don't let the title scare you off. This isn't a gimmick book that slathers its tile with the adjective "extreme", this is truly meant in a most literal fashion. If you are intrigued by the inner workings of the ER or even the TV show ER, then I would recommend this to you. If you have read the best seller "Into Thin-Air" by Jon Krakauer, you may be interested in the fact that Kenneth Kamler was the ill-fated expedition's doctor on the spot and he has recounted his point of view of the tragedy in one of the chapters.

Some of the places you'll visit and learn the many ways you can die (and the slim chances of your survival):
1. the Amazon jungle
2. lost at sea (above)
3. the heat of the desert
4. the pressure of the deep sea (below)
5. the top of Everest
6. and the vacuum of space

After you read this, you'll be able to amaze your friends with your knowledge of cannibalism and butt parasites.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Potent and stimulating throughout, October 9, 2005

By 

Bunny Bunsen, PhD (Boston, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Surviving the Extremes: What Happens to the Body and Mind at the Limits of Human Endurance (Paperback)

Kamler's "Surviving the Extremes" is a complex blend of physiology, biochemistry, survival guidance in extreme circumstances, adventure medicine, and personal reflection, all under an umbrella of behavioral neurology. It is a fascinating work that streamlines its many foci into a stimulating Darwinian read that perhaps does simplify, at times, certain brain processes but does capture the overall gist. His writing conjures up potent images varying from the edge of the macabre to the tenderness of humans during times of extreme environmental, emotional, and physical stressors. Truly recommended for anyone interested in science or adventure!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Hits the Mark..., October 28, 2006

By 

Mark "Bottom line only please..." (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Surviving the Extremes: What Happens to the Body and Mind at the Limits of Human Endurance (Paperback)

What a great read. Dr. Kamler uses his medical background and personal high adventure experiences to write a highly entertaining and informative read that covers the entire gamut of human survival experiences...covering everything from high altitude, exposure, dehydration and submersion, and veering slightly into the macabre...even survival cannabalism.

It's obvious Kamler did his homework, not only in the breadth of material covered, but also in producing a high quality read, remaining ever hopeful about the human experience. He even offers some medical explanations about the mysterious "X Factor"...when people survive despite overwhelming odds to the contrary.

Don't read Deep Survival, which is a well intentioned yet misinformed rant, read this book.