John Heatherly comes from a expert background that allows him to understand the psyche behind prisoner-of-war survivors and those in survival situations. The connection that he makes between their lives and yours is the absolute and primary importance of knowing what you want, and the process that lies between you and it. This is a point seemingly so obvious that in life it is overlooked. The Survival Template takes away the fluff of a dramatized and overly-mystical "do you want fame, money, and a good looking spouse" visualization. Instead, the process leaves you with the plan and forward mentality to produce a fulfilling life with the same model for motivation and meaning that say, a prisoner of war has used in their own circumstances. We learn in depth about how these people prioritized their challenges and persevered in situations far more complex than many reading may have ever handled -- and take away a simple and straightforward method to prioritize, and persevere in our own.