Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good book, but somewhat flawed, June 28, 2000
This is a very readable and enjoyable book, but I found it lacking in some respects. It presents some very good information. Its organization is readable, though not always as logical as it could be; often the captions repeat information found in the main text. Lack of space prevents the book from having large databases of edible plants, venomous animals, etc., so it only displays photos of a few; this seems rather random and unhelpful, especially since edible plants really should be identified by more than the memory of a single photograph. A better method would be to have smaller, more precise illustrations and descriptions of each plant, focusing on those that are commonest, most easily identifiable, and best sources of bulk food. (By the way, I have reason to believe that the book's description of the mock strawberry, or _Duchesnea_, as a deathly poisonous berry is an incorrect piece of folklore; _Duchesnea_ isn't even the complete species name.) Sometimes the book just wastes space on insignificant topics -- like mushrooms, which are a bit dangerous and not of great nutritional value; how to make a Jell-O dessert out of carrageen seaweed (really!); and various animals and their survival adaptions. Occasionally I disagree with the author's chosen method of doing something, or happen to know that there are other ways he doesn't mention. (He could have included the debris hut in his section on shelter, and shown specifically how to twist fibers into cord.) The photos and illustrations are excellent, but sometimes show more than they need to.I've spent a lot of space complaining about the book's shortcomings, but let me add that when I first got this book, towards the beginning of my interest in survival, I thoroughly enjoyed paging through it and learned quite a bit. It's good for beginners, who will be able to browse the book open-mindedly and learn many survival tips at their leisure.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
An overview of the subject-NOT a manual, July 25, 2006
You'll notice that other reviewers have described this book as a "good introduction" and I think that's probably an apt description. Yes, there are nice color photgraphs and drawings. The author's described background would indicate that he's qualified to comment at length on the subject. The editorial review states that the book is more international in scope, describing wilderness techniques in foreign lands. It's true that the book talks about survival on other continents, but I have to say that its treatment of those hostile (and likely even more unfamiliar to most of the book's readers)environments is more superficial than its treatment of general survival techniques. What this book does is give a very broad overview of the serious subject of survival. To be well learned and therefore genuinely useful, such techniques require in-depth, detailed study. This book, however, is sort of a coffee table book of survival. I am tempted to say that it is a survival book for people who might rather fantasize about wilderness ventures than actually go on them. I won't go so far as to say that it is a useless book; there is a fair bit of good information in it. But if I were to compile a list of survival books that I've read..which would number closer to 100 than 50...I would put this one near the bottom. It is most useful as a supplement to an established survival library. If you're looking for a good first book on survival I would recommend Wiseman's SAS Survival. I would also advise any novice contemplating a trip into remote areas to find a text dealing specifically with that environment, and to first get REAL experience with a seasoned group of outdoorsmen.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Source Book for Survival in Wilderness, September 3, 1998
By A Customer
This book is very good in that it shows exactly how to survive in the wild with illustrations, not just words. In fact, the book is full of illustrations covering everything from lashing to building shelters to catching fish--and more, showing exactly how it's done with illustrations and photographs along the way.
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