Bear Grylls offers survival techniques we all might need
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In this photo released by Hyperion shows the cover "MAN VS. WILD: Survival Techniques From the Most Dangerous Places on Earth," by Bear Grylls. (AP Photo/Hyperion)
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May 13, 4:12 PM EDT
By MARY FOSTER
Associated Press Writer"Man vs. Wild: Survival Techniques for the Most Dangerous Places on Earth" (Hyperion, 256 pages, $25.95), by Bear Grylls: In these days of global warming, rising oceans, monsoons, hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires, the most dangerous place on earth could be right were you are. Bear Grylls, a former British Special Forces member, lives life on the edge, climbing Mount Everest, crossing the Arctic Ocean in a small inflatable boat, surviving trips into the jungle and across deserts. Now he wants to help you do the same. Grylls hopes his book could save your life one day if you end up in any of the situations he's survived. Just remembering the priorities of survival he lists - protection, rescue, water and food - could make a big difference if you are one day dumped in a circumstance in which your wits will mean the difference between survival or perishing. The book is full of practical advice on making fires, finding your direction by using a stick or wristwatch, predicting weather and tying knots. It covers a variety of terrain, from mountains to the ocean. It lists such dangers as snakes and sunstroke. Finding food includes such things as edible plants, insects and grubs as well as fish and small game. In the section on finding water you will learn about everything from catching rain water to consuming elephant dung, which is a useful source of water. The book is interesting reading and will no doubt do nothing more for most people than provoke dreams of high adventure and survival in dire circumstances. But as natural disasters spring up around us, having a passing acquaintance with what it takes to survive is not a bad idea. The most important bit of advice, although Grylls list it as fourth in his elements of a survivor behind skills, physical fitness and good fortune, is the will to survive. "Ultimately your survival depends on this," Grylls writes. "How much do you want it? How deep is your well of determination?" © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy. | 
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