BREAKING NEWS

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Review and Giveaway of The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood

The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood (Rated: C)
Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-446-69885-6
Publication date: Feb 3, 2010
Trade paperback, 400 pages

Which is the safest seat on an airplane? Where is the best place to have a heart attack? Why does religious observance add years to your life? How can birthdays be hazardous to your health? Find out with:

THE SURVIVORS CLUB by Ben Sherwood

Synopsis:
Each second of the day, someone in America faces a crisis, whether it's a car accident, violent crime, serious illness, or financial trouble. Given the inevitability of adversity, we all wonder: Who beats the odds and who surrenders? Why do some people bound back and others give up? How can I become the kind of person who survives and thrives?

The fascinating, hopeful answers to these questions are found in THE SURVIVORS CLUB. In the tradition of Freakonomics and The Tipping Point, this book reveals the hidden side of survival by combining astonishing true stories, gripping scientific research, and the author's adventures inside the U.S. military's elite survival schools and the government's airplane crash evacuation course.

With THE SURVIVORS CLUB, you can also discover your own Survivor IQ through a powerful Internet-based test called the Survivor Profiler. Developed exclusively for this book, the test analyzes your personality and generates a customized report on your top survivor strengths.

There is no escaping life's inevitable struggles. But THE SURVIVORS CLUB can give you an edge when adversity strikes.

My thoughts:

I began reading the first pages of this book out of simple curiosity since I didn’t know what to expect from this book. I found myself unable to put it down. Even when I had to pick up my kids from school, I brought the book with me, parked the van, read some more until the bell rang signalling me I should get out to meet the children. It’s a good thing it was Friday, leftover night, so I kept on reading once I returned home.

So what’s so interesting about this non-fiction book? Firstly, author Ben Sherwood writes so well he’s an absolute pleasure to read. I now use his work in my Creative Writing workshop as an excellent example of how to write non-fiction creatively. Secondly, I love the science of psychology and the physical, mental and emotional workings of the human brain.

This book explores this through the fascinating look at how humans survive all types of crises, such as car and plane crashes, violent crimes, serious illness, the horrors of war and natural disasters. It attempts to answer the following questions as revealed in gripping true stories, astonishing scientific research and the author’s own adventures with survival tests: (1) What does it really take to survive? And (2) What kind of survivor are you?

When I say gripping true stories, I mean it. They will leave you awed and shaking your head in disbelief. Among many of the findings, one that caught my interest (as well as the author’s) is the role that faith plays in one’s survival. He states that faith is the most universal survival tool, if not the most powerful. I wasn’t surprised to learn this, but it was great to see it on paper. This book is so jam-packed with interesting information that the word interesting doesn’t do it justice. I learned many things reading this book and I will pick it up again in the future. This is one of the best and intellectually stimulating non-fiction books I have read, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn a thing or two.




Here's your chance to win this book thanks to Anna of Hachette Book Group who is giving away 5 copies! Here are the rules: GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED

1- Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win.
2- No P.O. Boxes
3- Please leave a separate comment for each of the entries.
4- Leave a comment with your email address. You may write it this way to avoid spam: laura(at)aol(dot)com
5- For an extra entry become a follower by clicking on Google Connect or state if you are already following.
6- For a bonus entry post about this giveaway on your blog or post on the sidebar and send me the link.
7- Deadline February 17, 2010.

Disclosure: Thanks to Anna of Hachette Book Group for sending this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Share this:

21 comments :

  1. I love this book too! I agree the stories were of the edge of the seat variety (even though I read this nearly a year ago I still can't forget several of the survivor's stories). I also always try to sit within 5 rows of an exit b.c you never know!

    ReplyDelete
  2. this looks just wonderful thanks for the giveaway minsthins at optonline dot net

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your review has left me very interested in this book. Thanks for having this giveaway!

    lag110@mchsi.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am a new follower.

    lag110@mchsi.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love to read to hear stories of survival.

    chipdip2010(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  6. This looks like a great book.

    choateorama(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  7. OK - I'll bite. Your synopsis hooked me in and I would love to read this book too. Put me down for the giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity. rayna(ninety-nine)(at)sympatico(dot)ca

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'd LOVE to read this book. I do enjoy survivor stories. Thanks so much for having this give-away.

    Sandra
    waosao@sympatico.ca

    ReplyDelete
  9. This sounds very interesting!!

    kristencalsbeck@hotmail.com

    I am also a new follower :)

    Thanks for all the great suggestions! Makes the grey winter days passable!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I would love to get a copy. katiecrews111 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. When I saw the title of your blog I just had to come and visit! Thanks for being a new resource for me!

    derekannette (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I would love to be entered in your draw. Thanks.
    wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I just became a follower of your blog.
    wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sounds like a very thought provoking book. Thanks for the giveaway

    sharr1226 (at) yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am a follower. Thanks for the giveaway

    sharr1226 (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks for the chance!
    mannasweeps (at) gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I would love to win!

    jeffintennessee at gmail dot com

    THANKS!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sounds good

    deborah150 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  19. I follow

    deborah150 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for commenting! I appreciate your feedback.

Visit Us Today

Visit Us Today
iRead: getting your book in the hands of readers
 
Back To Top
Copyright © 2009-2017 Laura Fabiani Library of Clean Reads . Designed by OddThemes OddThemes