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Laurence Gonzales
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Surviving Survival: The Art and Science of Resilience Hardcover – September 10, 2012

by Laurence Gonzales (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 273 ratings
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You have survived the crisis―trauma, disease, accident, or war―now how do you get your life back?

The shark attacked while she was snorkeling, tearing through Micki Glenn’s breast and shredding her right arm. Her husband, a surgeon, saved her life on the spot, but when she was safely home she couldn’t just go on with her life. She had entered an even more profound survival journey: the aftermath.

The survival experience changes everything because it invalidates all your previous adaptations, and the old rules don’t apply. In some cases survivors suffer more in the aftermath than they did during the actual crisis. In all cases, they have to work hard to reinvent themselves. Drawing on gripping cases across a wide range of life-threatening experiences, Laurence Gonzales fashions a compelling argument about fear, courage, and the adaptability of the human spirit. Micki Glenn was later moved to say: “I don’t regret that this happened to me. [It] has been . . . probably the single most positive experience I’ve ever had.”
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  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    September 10, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1 x 9.6 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0393083187
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0393083187
  8. See all details
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The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Laurence Gonzales is the author of Surviving Survival, Flight 232, and the bestseller Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why. He has won two National Magazine Awards and is a scholar at the Sante Fe Institute. He divides his time between Evanston, Illinois, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition (September 10, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393083187
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393083187
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.18 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1 x 9.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 273 ratings

About the author

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Laurence Gonzales

Laurence Gonzales

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Laurence Gonzales is the author of the best-seller "Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why" (W.W. Norton 2003), which was released in a new edition by W.W. Norton in 2016.

The sequel, "Surviving Surival: The Art and Science of Resilience," was named one of the best books of 2012 by Kirkus Reviews.

He has won numerous awards for his books and essays, including two National Magazine Awards, the Carl Sandburg Literary Award, and the Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. He has won the Montaigne Medal and two Eric Hoffer Awards from the Eric Hoffer Society.

He began his association with the Santa Fe Institute in 2006, when he was first invited to visit there. He continued to visit and give talks there and was eventually named a Journalism Fellow in 2015. He was then appointed to be an SFI Miller Scholar in 2016 and enjoyed the appointment until 2020.

In 2014 he published the first complete reconstruction of a wide-bodied airliner crash, "Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival." (W.W. Norton)

Richard Rhodes, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for "The Making of the Atomic Bomb," called this book, "Intense, gripping, alive with knowledge and compassion, Flight 232 is a new masterpiece of calamity and courage."

More praise for "Flight 232"

"A ferocious close-up account..." Times of London

"Masterful reporting..." San Francisco Chronicle

"A masterful book!

--Budd Davisson, Editor-in-Chief Flight Journal magazine

"I couldn't put it down. What an incredible work Laurence Gonzales has created. I have never seen such a thorough and fascinating treatise about an aircraft accident. Too bad he wasn't around to do the same with the Hindenburg."

--Barry Schiff, Author of The Proficient Pilot.

"I think it's a masterpiece. I think of books like Hiroshima, Fate Is The Hunter, or A Night To Remember, or even Alive.  It's a classic, plain and simple."

- Tony Bill, winner of the Academy Award for "The Sting."

Praise for Surviving Survival

"Timely, realistic, and accessible self-help book on the potential of growth from suffering. Recommended"-Antoinette Brinkman, Library Journal

"Excellent... An education for those wishing to be of use in a stressful, often frightening world." - Kirkus Reviews, Best Nonfiction Books of 2012

"Gonzales reveals how recovery can be a transforming experience that not only moves us forward but also enriches our lives in ways we never could have imagined." - More Magazine

Praise for Deep Survival

"I tore through Deep Survival like I'd been waiting to read it my whole life. Gonzales's writing is effortless and compelling, and his research is first-rate. I can't imagine a better book on the topic." -Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm

"Far and away the best book on management, leadership and employment I have read this year...Anyone who has ever tried to understand the mind of the entrepreneur should read this book." -Rickard Donkin, Financial Times

"Riveting accounts of avalanches, mountain accidents, sailors lost at sea, and the man-made hell of 9/11." -Stephen Bodio, Sports Illustrated

"This book will help you should you ever find yourself pinned under a rock in a roaring white water river. But it will help you even more if you ever find yourself wondering why your brain works the way it does under the stress of everyday life. A fascinating look into why we are who we are." -Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and Enough

"Gonzales has masterfully woven together personal survival stories with the study of human perception to reach rock-bottom truths about how to live with risk." -Peter Stark, author of Last Breath: The Limits of Adventure

"[Gonzales's] science is accurate, accessible, up-to-date and insightful. An extremely good book." -Robert Sapolsky, author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers

"Deep Survival provides a new lens for looking at survival, risk taking, and life itself. Gonzales takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride that ends with rules of survival we can all stand to learn. Equally important, he answers the question: what is the value of taking risks? I love this book." -Jed Williamson, editor of Accidents in North American Mountaineering

"A fascinating, fast paced, and exciting adventure into survival, (including an excellent survey of the brain basis of fear)." -Joseph LeDoux, professor of neural science at New York University and author of The Emotional Brain and Synaptic Self

"Remarkable, unique, and compulsively readable." -David Roberts, author of Escape from Lucania: An Epic Story of Survival

"Deep Survival is by far the best book on the many insights into epic survival stories I have ever read." -Daryl Miller, chief of mountaineering, Denali National Park & Preserve

"Unique among survival books...stunning...enthralling. Deep Survival makes compelling, and chilling, reading." -Penelope Purdy, Denver Post

Praise for Everyday Survival

"Well-written and fascinating...this is the kind of book you want everyone to read." -Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Part scientific exploration, part poetic meditation, Everyday Survival is a book for everyone who cares about where we have come from, and where we may be going." -Bill Miller, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Santa Fe Institute

"The evidence Gonzales, a natural storyteller, cites is riveting...Each story is tightly told and convincingly deconstructed." -Santa Fe New Mexican

"Mixing psychology, sociology, and anthropology, Everyday Survival provides clear, cautionary lessons on the dangers of the world we live in." -Sacramento Book Review

"A plea for heightened awareness of our surroundings, and good reading for the how-things-work set." -Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Lucy

"[Gonzales has] Crichton's gift for page-turning storytelling, but also a vivid, literary-grade prose style, and a knack for getting inside his characters' heads." --Entertainment Weekly, Grade: A

"Gonzales's Lucy is an improbably delightful young lady. . . . Lucy pulls the reader in because of the sweet girl at its center, but the novel also makes one think about what it means to be human, and how love can be a bridge to understanding and acceptance." --BookPage

"Compelling. . . . Outstanding. . . . [Lucy] is beach reading with bite." --Chicago Tribune

"Timely and provocative. . . . Gonzales injects [his dialogue] with doses of frivolity, wit, and a youthful insight at once frightfully innocent and calculatingly wise to the power of media and technology." --The Boston Globe

"[A] coming-of-age-except-I'm-also-part-bonobo biotech thriller. . . . This is an enjoyable ride that makes you think about what it means to be human." --Outside

"The clever ending Mr. Gonzales has come up with for Lucy marks a complete departure from the Frankenstein template, and it's oddly satisfying on an emotional level." --The New York Times

"Lucy is more than a high-school drama, a fish-out-of-water novel about how a hybrid girl tries to fit in at a suburban Chicago high school. . . . This Lucy is an action-packed politically charged thriller that puts evolution forth as an unassailable fact, and raises ethical and moral questions about biotechnical science, government power and the morality of leadership." --Chicago Tribune

"Laurence Gonzales presents us with a captivating lead character. . . . Part science thriller, part tender novel, Lucy is written with a full awareness of the evil people are capable of. Gonzales, like Mary Shelley before him, shows us on the brink of a terrible knowledge." --The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA)

"Harks back to the science fiction of the mid-20th century. . . . Lucy [is] a likeable and thoroughly intriguing character with a unique perspective. . . . Reveals a generous spirit and a flair for suspense." --The Columbus Dispatch

"Love and loss are at the core of this unusual story that analyzes life, relationships and issues of evolution." --Woman's Day

"Gonzales excels at creating universal moments." --The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC)

"Shrewd social critique. . . . Gonzales raises profound questions about identity, family, animal and human rights, and genetic engineering without compromising the ever-escalating suspense. Lucy is irresistible, her predicament wrenching, and Gonzales's imaginative, sweet-natured, hard-charging, and deeply inquisitive thriller will be a catalyst for serious thought and debate." --Booklist

"A riveting, moving and informative survival story." --San Antonio Express-News

"Lucy is much more than an 'ape' and this novel is much more than just a summer beach book." --Curled Up With A Good Book

"Gonzales does a great job of keeping the action moving at a fast pace. . . . Gonzales comes back to the question of what it means to be human again and again. . . . Reading Lucy is an interesting way to confront this question and find your own answer." --The Advocate

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
273 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book insightful, useful, and practical. They describe it as an excellent, interesting read that is well-researched. Readers also praise the writing style as phenomenal, compassionate, and thought-provoking.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
InsightReadabilityWriting styleStory quality
41 customers mention "Insight"41 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides great insight into how to support survivors regain their sense of self. They say it provides valuable practical advice for living. Readers also mention the body-brain interaction is fascinating and well-researched.

"...It's written with compassion, grace and honesty. Bravo to Laurence Gonzales. This is destined to be a classic." Read more

"...It will help make you more resilient and show you some terrific strategies for dealing with the large and small incidents that everyone will face if..." Read more

"...were able to retake control of their lives is a psychological study of resilience...." Read more

"...I will quickly conclude that Surviving Survival provides valuable practical advice for living, but also provides spiritual and philosophical..." Read more

36 customers mention "Readability"36 positive0 negative

Customers find the book excellent, interesting, and well-written. They say it's an engaging page-turner that is educational and entertaining.

"...Definitely worth the time to read and indeed, so well written that it reads like a gripping thriller." Read more

"...However, all in all this is a book worth reading." Read more

"...have their lives destroyed by a single horrible experience, this well-written book is a good place to start...." Read more

"...It was an easy read; I finished reading the book and taking notes within a few hours. Each case study is analyzed and evaluated separately...." Read more

13 customers mention "Writing style"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style phenomenal, compassionate, and thought-provoking. They also describe the book as realistic and riveting.

"...It's written with compassion, grace and honesty. Bravo to Laurence Gonzales. This is destined to be a classic." Read more

"...Definitely worth the time to read and indeed, so well written that it reads like a gripping thriller." Read more

"This excellent, well-written, and informative book from the author of Deep Survival is a "must-read" for anyone who wants insight into one of life's..." Read more

"...Surviving Survival ia more visceral, more direct, and, at times, more painful to read...." Read more

8 customers mention "Story quality"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the stories amazing, compelling, and inspiring. They say the book doesn't sugarcoat the descriptions or events. Readers also mention it will help them become more resilient and show terrific strategies for dealing with trauma.

"...but make no mistake this is no dull science read, rather a compelling collection of tales from everyday people faced with situations that are beyond..." Read more

"...Recommended reading for every human on the planet. It will help make you more resilient and show you some terrific strategies for dealing with the..." Read more

"...is emotionally and physically eviscerated, but he does not sugar coat the descriptions or events. This is not Mary Poppins with a spoonful of sugar...." Read more

"I enjoyed this book immensely. Gonzales gives plenty of examples and stories to illustrate his principles and points...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

ltwriter
5.0 out of 5 stars A truly powerful read ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2012
Verified Purchase
I discovered "Deep Survival" when friends bought it for my husband. When I read of "Surviving Survival", I ordered it immediately. I can't begin to relate how profoundly "Surviving Survival" has impacted me. Two years ago, my dog died in my lap after two days of uncontrollable seizures. It's not a shark or croc attack, but it devastated me. I cried and then tried to put it away. It is in my DNA to think I must be tough. Last January, I learned my friend of 31 years had 6 mos to live -- she died in April. Last month, we lost my mom after two years of a downward spiral that began with what was supposed to be simple shoulder surgery. On top of it I am a reporter for a large daily and very frequently cover very dark stories. These past 8 months or so I have been in living hell. I was physically ill. I had panic attacks and overwhelming bouts of sheer dread. Fortunately for me, I long ago discovered the power of a good shrink, but even she wasn't helping nearly fast enough. In fact, I was getting sick just thinking of seeing her. I no longer knew myself. And then I picked up this book and I got it. Suddenly, everything made sense. I don't know how I managed to live 52 years and not know the information in this book, but knowing it now is truly a gift and one that will stay with me always.
This book is aptly titled -- it is about how we survive surviving -- but make no mistake this is no dull science read, rather a compelling collection of tales from everyday people faced with situations that are beyond horrifying. It's written with compassion, grace and honesty. Bravo to Laurence Gonzales. This is destined to be a classic.
57 people found this helpful
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Julian Talbot
5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended reading for anyone who would like to be (more) resilient
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2016
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Having read, Laurence Gonzalez earlier book Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why I had to wonder what more he could possibly have to say about survival but this book exceeded my expectations. He takes an in-depth look at what happens to people after they return to 'normal' life. It's one of the best books I've come across on the topic of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He in fact, suggests that using the word 'disorder' is misleading and that we should refer to it as simply "PTS".

Combining a scientists view of the research data and the abilities of a gifted storyteller, he walks us through several case studies and suggests that the response to a life threatening situation is simply the normal development of what he called a 'secondary emotional reaction'. Not that it is always a good thing. Burning your hand on a stove top develops a mild secondary emotional reaction which creates an aversion to touching hot objects without protection. One of his case studies however was a woman who survived (barely) a horrific shark attack and it covers her journey to health (physical and mental) including her return to scuba diving.

Recommended reading for every human on the planet. It will help make you more resilient and show you some terrific strategies for dealing with the large and small incidents that everyone will face if we live long enough. Definitely worth the time to read and indeed, so well written that it reads like a gripping thriller.
12 people found this helpful
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Marina Oppenheimer
4.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Book About Survival
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2020
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I read the book by Laurence Gonzales with deep interest, especially because he writes about real people who went through real ordeals and survived. The terrible experiences these people suffered made me once again compare my life to other peoples’ lives, whose fate was much more tragic than mine. The description of how these survivors were able to retake control of their lives is a psychological study of resilience. But if there is one thing that I thought was unnecessary it’s the long neurological explanations of the body reactions in critical situations. Describing them briefly would have been enough. However, all in all this is a book worth reading.
One person found this helpful
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JR
5.0 out of 5 stars Another Practical and Life Enriching book by Laurence Gonzales
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2015
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Laurence Gonzales has hit it out of the park with another great book. This one leaves off where "Deep Survival" left off by discussing how people were able to overcome the emotional aftermath of their survival stories.

The book Surviving Survival is NOT a rehash of his previous book Deep Survival despite the erroneous description by some reviewers. Surviving Survival reviews and then discusses the aftermath of some of the survival stories of Deep Survival but explores how those survivors overcame their trauma. Furthermore, ;Surviving Survival introduces many new survival stories not discussed in Deep Survival.

Laurence has a terrific conclusion to his book Surviving Survival with not just one but two chapters on the lessons to be learned from the survivors overcoming the trauma of their survival. Chapter 14 discusses the conclusions made by the Terman Grant Study. Chapter 15 then discusses Laurence's strategies of overcoming the trauma of survival.

I will quickly summarize the lessons learned from the Terman Study because another reviewer does a great job of summarizing Chapter 15. The Study offered the following steps to overcome trauma of:

1. Acknowledge fear, rage, sadness, but then use those emotions to move into a seeking mode.
2. Think, analyze, and plan.
3. Know what you have and what you want.
4. Act on you plan.
5. Celebrate your successes.
6. Count you blessing
7. Play and have fun.
8. See the beauty in life.
9. Believe that you can influence events to a certain extent and not adopt a victim mentality.
10. Let go of your fears, move forward, and trust the process.
11. Do whatever I necessary to make that move happen.
12. Never give up.

I will quickly conclude that Surviving Survival provides valuable practical advice for living, but also provides spiritual and philosophical satisfaction to the reader. Laurence again provides a book to enrich and ensure your life.
23 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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FN
5.0 out of 5 stars Bellissimo
Reviewed in Italy on March 21, 2020
Verified Purchase
Dopo aver letto deep survival, ho trovato meravigliosa la lettura di questo libro. Sopravvivere all’esser sopravvissuti. Come quando nelle favole da bambino si conclude con “e vissero per sempre felici e contenti”. Ho sempre pensato che fosse una fine frettolosa. Sempre curiosa di mantenere lo sguardo anche dopo. Il libro parla del dopo, che dura una vita intera. E vale per tutti, perché la dimensione del trauma e del dolore in qualche misura appartiene a ciascuno di noi.
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Nick
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on January 14, 2016
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Really! interesting reading!
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Queenie
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, well written
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 21, 2015
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Good quality book, well packaged and arrived in good time. The book itself is a thumping good read. Laurence Gonzales is a really descriptive author - I was imaginatively 'with' the people enduring the horrific and compelling events and the description of the aftermaths were insightful and genuine . It lifted me above humdrum life to how the extraordinary can affect us - and how people carry on living. Would thoroughly recommend.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars If you are interested in growth mindsets then this is great reading.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2022
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How your brain should be wired to meet life.
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Rubyrebel
4.0 out of 5 stars Survivors should read with caution.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 22, 2014
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In some ways this is a great book, but if you read it after surviving something, be aware it might not be what you are looking for. It will certainly give you a lot to think about, and is definitely worth reading at some point, but if you are still suffering, it might not help with the fear. In the end it certainly tells you how others have gotten on with their lives, and there are a variety of strategies offered. If you are still suffering, I wouldn't read this unless you have a good supportive friend or two, or can afford some time to think. If any person's story alarms you, it isn't necessary to read it to get what he tries to say. Skip the story and go to the coping strategy. The coping strategies are good and worth knowing for anyone.
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