The Survivor's Club

Title: The Survivor's Club - The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life
Author: Ben Sherwood
Pub Date: 2010
Pages: 373
Genre: Non Fiction, Sociology, Science
Disclosure: Received from LT Early Review

"Survival is also a lens, a way of perceiving the world around you." (8)

How many of ya'll loved some MacGyver? (Am I totally dated myself on this one?) I try to think of a man more versatile - or even relatively close - to the handyman god that is MacGyver, but alas nothing comes to mind. I mean, who else could manage to make an escape plan with a paper clip, a piece of twine, some duct tape (duct tape really is a lifesaver, yes?) and a lighter? I swear, he was the man all men strove to be - ya'know, *that* guy.

That's what this book sorta reminds me of, but for laypeeps like myself who wanna know the best chances I've got surviving a plane crash (did you know first class is not the way to go?) or exactly how low can my body temperature drop before I bite the big one (91 degrees you're gonna be hallucinating and seeing white rabbis; 88 degrees you won't even shiver any more; 80 degrees you're gonna meet your maker).

The books is set up nicely, with relatively short chapters interspersed with tales of survival from a wide variety of individuals. Some famous (Elie Wiesel and Trisha Meili) as well as just normal folk like you and me caught in real messed up situations. There are stories of POWs and why some made it and others didn't; questions of faith and how that affects your lifeline; and what happens to our brains when those stressors hit.

Seriously. There's a bit of everything for everyone.

What's pretty nice also is the language of the book. Folks, it didn't make me feel stupid. You know, how there are some books out there, and you might really dig the topic but then they go way over your head or the writing is super cerebral and untouchable? This book isn't! It's as down home as southern grits. Plus there were so many possibilities that the book brought up, my brain was able to take all of these nifty turns in discovery at a nice speed.

The only downside? Some chapters had too many stories and not enough details of the narration. I would have liked more in depth development rather than three or four narratives thrown in the mix. Still, that's not much to gripe about.

Oh, oh, and OH! You can also take this fabulous analysis online (and have your information used for studies, which I'm all about) to find out what your Survival Profile is (you know, when in a crisis, what's your asset).

I'm a Connector which means: "You overcome incredible adversity by harnessing and mobilizing the power of your relationships and bonds with other people." And my top three survivor tools? Empathy, Love, and Hope. I knew my Pollyanna spirit could help me. Er, Pollyanna with a touch of sarcasm sure, but I'm comfortable with that.

And finally, I leave you with something that I'd like to eventually memorize. It's the Rule of Three.

You cannot survive

• 3 seconds without spirit and hope
• 3 minutes without air
• 3 hours without shelter in extreme conditions
• 3 days without water
• 3 weeks without food
• 3 months without companionship or love (128)

Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream by Jennifer Ackermann

Title: Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream

Author: Jennifer Ackerman

Country: US (2007)

Pages: 194 (253 including all the end notes!)

Genre: Non Fiction - Science

Challenges:

Grade: ****

I read a review of this book right before the winter holiday and immediately put it on my TBR list. Science, specifically A&P and neuroscience, is a big interest to me. (Neuroscience is a relatively new interest, acquired mid-master degree). Ackerman, a woman who had been intrigued with the human body for years, finally decided to research it intensely and write a book revealing the "in's and out's" of your body in a 24 hour period. From the moment your body wakes until the end of the day when the body finally finds sleep Ackerman tells the body's story.

Overall, it was very enjoyable. The book was under 200 pages and the chapters were easily labeled, first by their major heading (Morning, Midday, Afternoon, Evening, Night) and then sub-headings under each (for example, under morning: arousal, making sense, wit). This allowed for perfect bookmarking spots, which was a very good thing for me. I find that if I read material rich with studies, facts, and statistics, I have to set the material aside for x-amount of time to process all of the new information. The only downside that I had with this novel is shared with a review in The New York Times - there were aspects when Ackermann incorporated personal stories or digressed on topics that only loosely tied in with the current theme. Also, there were areas that disappointed me because I was intrigued and yet the information seemed rushed. Still, I learned a lot of fun and intriguing facts, such as:

• "the brain's performance in the first half hour after waking is worse than it is if you've been up for twenty-four hours" (5)
• evidence that you really can't/shouldn't attempt to multi-task (29) Although, this is interesting to me because I remember reading a study last year some time that states the up and coming generations can multi-task due to the reprogramming (evolution?) of their brain based on their high-input environment.
  
• we are the "sharpest two and a half to four hours" after waking (36) I guess I always knew that from my own experience, it's just been proven now!
• the grumble of a hungry tummy is called a borborygmus.(45) isn't that just too much fun?!
• "in one slow kiss, partners swap more than five million bacteria" (57) unromantically ewww!
• they did some crazy experiments to prove whether cold weather actually causes colds - everything from sticking one group of subjects in a large freezer and another group in a room set at 60 degrees in their underwear, then expose them to the cold virus to see who would get it...putting the rhinovirus directly in the noses of prisoners and then exposing them to extreme cold (146-47)
• the doctor who promoted the training of interns to include working exhausting hours at hospitals and even encouraging them to live there in order to observe a wide variety of patients was actually addicted to cocaine

Overall, this would be a great book for anyone to read.