Surviving Survival: The Art and Science of Resilience

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.

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.

This book was a decent follow up to what is still Gonzeles' best work, Deep Survival. Gonzales examines the after effects of survival and illustrates, through stories, strategies of moving forward. Beginning with the premise that the survival wiring for the body/brain actually labels trauma memory as valuable (i.e. useful for survival, don't do that again), he illustrates that the body/brain actually does it too well. So well, in fact, that it becomes debilitating for some. He also points out that traumatic memory can't be erased or talked away, but can only be overwritten. His stories illustrate the successful, and sometimes unsuccessful, strategies survivors have used to move onward. It is a good book that focuses on a neurological basis for some of the problems or issues survivors have. PTSD is not an individual failing, it is the neurological culmination of our evolution. How one deals with that, that is the key. And here is where the book loses a star, imho. Perhaps I expected something with laser organization and focus at the level of Deep Survival. At least it wasn't Everyday Survival. It flew somewhere in the middle. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in post trauma recovery. Understanding a warrior's silence, a car accident survivor's fears, or the family dynamics in the wake of a family member's chronic eating disorder - this book is useful.

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.

The predecessor book to this one, Deep Survival, draws the attentive reader into it with its spiral structure and its wisdom. Surviving Survival ia more visceral, more direct, and, at times, more painful to read. It is a measure of the book's strength and integrity that it avoids cliches, avoids moralizing, and presents the stories of survivors in harrowing detail not to serve voyeurs but to serve the honesty of his or her experience and the struggles to survive with memories so raw that you taste their fear, their wounds, and their battle to recover. Some of these survivors learn how to survive, how to live effervescent lives in the aftermath of personal disasters and savage losses. Some follow a very long road, become sidetracked, falter, collapse, try again, collapse, and completely succumb to the event that changed their lives forever. Those who do manage to succeed do not succeed as the same person but as someone who discovers that they themselves had to change, to adapt to the new world map where they now live. Gonzales couples detailed but comprehensible neuroscience with the psychology of survivors and explains how our hard wired brain chemistry can undo and unmake us after a trauma. He also explains how many survivors literally rewire themselves to become fully present to themselves and others. Readers who have queasy stomachs should approach this book with caution. The writer does not relish the moment when a body 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. It is life in all its dazzling potential to both rend and heal.

This book offers insightful, thoughtful, incredibly well-researched analysis of how numerous victims of great tragedies were able to return to a stasis in their lives--or not. Gonzales delves into each person's story of recovery from tragedy and analyzes what forces the survivor was up against in their recovery, and what mechanisms they employed to right the ship of their lives. The lessons are thought-provoking, but tangible and usable. At the end of the book, Gonzales synthesizes all of the information into a series of steps and tactics, which the reader can employ in their own lives. The book is equal parts science, philosophy, and how-to, although the reader must be paying attention to grasp the latter. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, especially after reading "Deep Survival".

We ordered a few books off of Amazon that were sold by other sources. We did this for the cost effectiveness. Albeit they were cheaper, we had to wait more than a week for each arrival. That's the "price" we pay for going cheap.

I enjoyed this book immensely. Gonzales gives plenty of examples and stories to illustrate his principles and points. I also found it very helpful that he describes the impact on our body chemistry and brain function when we go through trauma...and then relive it again and again. Working with trauma victims myself, I found his summaries very helpful, with strategies for coping and healing that I will be introducing to others. I enjoyed reading his book Deep Survival. This is an excellent follow-up read. (I love how I can highlight in the Kindle version, and then print up my highlights!)