Strange Luck and 34

I actually have 34 and 33 done, but I can't remember the title specifically off-hand. It's under the couch or something.... I'll tack it on next week. No worries.

The Survivor's Club: Ben Sherwood -I have a morbid streak to me I feed often. I like books about people barely surviving or maybe not surviving disasters both personal and global. Keeping it together, enduring, outlasting means something to me. I don't know if these stories give me some sort of nourishment or if I'm hoarding them up for when the shit really hits the fan or if I just need something to compare my own small-scale tragedies to.

I like 'em. This book takes a leisurely look at how and why people survive all kinds of traumas and gives tips on what the average person can do to increase their odds of surviving. Some of it is obvious: healthier, younger people tend to do better in airline crashes. It also helps if you pay attention, have a good attitude, but are realistic.

Some of it is funny: Want to know where the best place to have a heart attack is? It's Vegas. They have defibrillators on the floor of most major casinos and the staff are trained to use them. Your odds of surviving there are much better pulling the one-armed bandit than if your heart seizes up while you're at the mall. Also it doesn't hurt to have a little faith in something: God is fine, but latching onto your kids needing you can be reason enough to keep going.

There are stories about amazing, even seemingly impossible, survivals and recoveries from traumas most of us will be lucky enough to never know. It's cool stuff.