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98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alivex$10.48
  (43 reviews)
Best Price: $16.95 $10.48
$14.95 gatefold paper * 1-58685-234-5 * May 6 x 9 in, 192 pp, 70 Line Drawings, 16 Color Photo Pages Rights: W, Survival/Nature "If you breathe and have a pulse, you NEED this book." -Cody Lundin Cody Lundin, director of the Aboriginal Living Skills School in Prescott, Arizona, shares his own brand of wilderness wisdom in this highly anticipated new book on commonsense, modern survival skills for the backcountry, the backyard, or the highway. It is the ultimate book on how to stay alive-based on the principal of keeping the body's core temperature at a lively 98.6 degrees. In his entertaining and informative style, Cody stresses that a human can live without food for weeks, and without water for about three days or so. But if the body's core temperature dips much below or above the 98.6 degree mark, a person can literally die within hours. It is a concept that many don't take seriously or even consider, but knowing what to do to maintain a safe core temperature when lost in a blizzard or in the desert could save your life. Lundin delivers the message with wit, rebellious humor, and plenty of backcountry expertise. Cody Lundin and his Aboriginal Living Skills School have been featured in dozens of national and international media sources, including Dateline NBC, CBS News, USA Today, The Donny and Marie Show, and CBC Radio One in Canada, as well as on the cover of Backpacker magazine. When not teaching for his own school, he is an adjunct faculty member at Yavapai College and a faculty member at the Ecosa Institute. Cody is the only person in Arizona licensed to catch fish with his hands, and lives in a passive solar earth home sixty miles from Prescott, Arizona.
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Customer Reviews
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Much better titles out there
By A1QMZRNGZWAXRR on 2006-05-18
Besides the dedication to "all Beings of Light," living "within a conscious understanding of our true Selves" and his gratitude for "all the Ascended and Cosmic Ones, to all the Archangels, Archeia, and angels, elementals, and Elohim"... and his characters "Elvis Parsley, Willy Nilly" and others, by the time you weed through all his flakey or cutesie fluff content, the meat on the bone is practical and useful, but lost. By three chapters in, I truly felt like I had wasted my time.
The title suggests "How to survive Fear, Panic, ad the Biggest Outdoor Killers," but my initial survival was against falling asleep while reading this kum-by-yah, lets all hold hands and thank mother earth tripe.
Just read page 209, and you've saved yourself $16.95 and the time spent reading it... OR...
Watch your core temp, adequate water, stay dry, tell people where you are going, check your transportation, take a survival kit, know how to signal for rescue, don't take unnecessary chances, rest. DONE.
Reality at its best
By A1XT50WF3BCI12 on 2004-08-03
Excellent book on survival. I am glad someone finally divides "SURVIVAL" from "Wilderness Living Skills" I would venture to say that most people that provide bad reviews of this book are looking for texts in Wilderness Living Skills. There are other books for that. I use 98.6 for a text book in our Search and Rescue Team training. In reality most victims succumb to hypothermia in survival situations other than trying to catch fish with a shoe string and a safety pin. It is reality at its best, presented in a humorous fashion.
Ted Fisher, Vermilion County Search and Rescue
A Fresh New Look at Survival
By AFRQATWO78WK9 on 2004-08-27
It's about time I pick up a book that has more than a list of survival skills. In fact, this book doesn't make any attempt to teach you how to trap animals or construct log furniture in the wilderness. Instead, you learn how to idetify potential survival situations and avoid getting into them if possible. If you do, backcountry knowledge will be helpful but it will be even better if you know how to take care of the basics such as controling fear and focusing on keeping your body at a comfy 98.6 degrees. I absolutely loved this book. There is discussion of psychology, biology, and physiology, all in a basic easy to understand format. Lundin's writing style is as if he were there talking to you. One of my personal favorites of the book is the chapter on survival kits, complete with color photographs. I thought I had a pretty good kit but after reading this, I need to make a few changes. If you spend any time in the world, anywhere, I recommend this book. If you want to know how to build monster solar stills, trap wild animals, and spear fish, look elsewhere. This book rocks!
Terrible book
By AY8BJJLG687EL on 2003-10-15
This book was a complete waste of my money. Way too much philosophy and theory on why/how the body gets hypothermic and so on with hardly any skills on how to survive. The author's ego was a little too much at times as well. Can't believe he rattled on for hundreds of pages to the point of utter redundancy. Not to mention the sexist drawings of buxom women which were offensive. Ridiculous book!
98.6 serves up lukewarm
By A2XY7LDLJ67B3M on 2003-09-24
I had high hopes for this book but was very dismayed after reading it. Despite the author's attempt at over-the-top humor and cute buzzwords, much of the information seems derivative like it was cut and pasted from other survival books I've read before. Having worked as a lead instructor for many years for NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School), I was rather disappointed to see another book that will fill the reader with bad information. I would recommend Davenport's books on survival or any by Ray Mears- both of whom have real-life experience with the skills they write about.
- It kept my ass alive!
By A1IY17HUVAE2NI on 2005-05-12
Prior to embarking on a rugged solo day hike in AZ's Superstition Wilderness, I read this book cover to cover. (I'm a middle-aged, East Coast trail hiker who hasn't hiked recently, so survival was a major consideration.) My desert day hike turned into an overnight stay on a canyon ledge far from the trailhead. Thanks to Cody Lundin's book, I maintained a "party on" attitude, was fully prepared (both with equipment and mentally), and spent a fabulous night watching the stars. The right attitude is everything! Enjoyed the humor and common sense approach of his writing. His examples stick with you when you need them. Great tips on putting together a practical, personal survival kit that will work anywhere. There's now one in my pack and one in my car. Lots of useful information on how to overcome fear and keep your head.
- should be required reading for EVERYONE
By A37JUB3BPD1XAU on 2005-01-25
Cody Lundin has presented all the information one needs to survive in any situation. What he suggests for a survial kit has already saved two lives, mine included. I no longer travel anywhere without it. I have taught his methods to the Boy Scouts and they are amazed that they didn't write this book themselves. It is now a required handbook for my "Wilderness Survial" merit badge course, and if 12-14 year old boys can actually learn things from a book...it has to be amazing. No fluff, just the facts...and a whole lot of them, presented in a non-factual entertaining way.
- Skewers Many a Sacred Cow About Wilderness Survival...
By A36BP1MYV2B1PR on 2007-02-24
This book works for many reasons:
1. Unlike alot of wilderness survival books that are cut and paste jobs from military manuals, Cody's book is funny, entertaining, and highly readable while remaining on topic-hence the info conveyed will stay with you.
But don't be fooled by the gonzo approach. Cody knows what he's talking about. The first few chapters about maintaining core body temperature should probably be read more than once.
2. Cody covers the base essentials: wear proper clothing, maintain core body temperature, and prepare for the 72-hour survival window. Learning how to snare a deer, while fun, with your boot string probably won't come into play during most wilderness survival ordeals. (I did actually learn how to do this at a survival course in Virginia.)
And here's the statistical bottomline of Cody's overall philosophy: if you aren't located in the first 72 hours, your chance of survival and rescue drops to 3%. Of course this doesn't mean you give up, but that's the statistical reality.
3. Cody devotes a substantial part of the book on how to build a personal survival kit. I really like his approach: the kit should be portable and cheap; hence, you can build several, test them beforehand, easily replace items, and become intimately familiar with them. No need to buy a $120 Doug Ritter Survival Knife or $150 Delta Life Capsule unless you have money to burn or are a survival gear junkie like me.
4. And let me say one last thing...military manuals written about survival should be taken with a grain of salt; in a survival situation, your goal should be to stay loud and visible until found; in the military, even in a survival situation, our goal is to remain invisible and undetected until rescued; usually with the aid of radio and satellite.
- You cannot go wrong with this book.
By AYG53DV7KD6ME on 2006-03-02
If you are involved in *any* outdoor activity, even if you just walk to your mailbox and back, this is a book you should have.
Filled with all kinds of insightful tips, tricks, and Cody's personal take on the survival kit, it stands up better than many of the other books in the field.
What I like most is Cody's survival kit, a core to the book. It is small (fits in a fanny pack), lightweight (under 5 lbs), and inexpensive (no costs given, but I priced it out at well under $50 and that is buying much of the pieces at a regular retailer, as opposed to a discount store).
Go ahead, pick up a copy, you can't go wrong.
- Lots of valuable information and easy to understand
By A1DMY6MZVYKHV2 on 2006-02-10
The goal of Lundin's book is to teach you how to survive until help arrives. As such, he doesn't attempt to teach primitive living skills. As he points out, it's not that they're without value, but the most common wilderness emergency situation is being stranded in the middle of nowhere for a few days. His in-depth explanations of how the body succumbs to hypothermia and hyperthermia are well written and serve to drive home his points regarding proper clothing and hydration. Lundin also stresses the importance of keeping your head and offers useful advice for doing so. The section on survival kits is highly informative with good logical explanations for each item included. The author provides valuable, easy-to-follow instructions in other areas as well (such as fire starting and signaling rescuers). There isn't much at all on land navigation, but then again that's not the subject Lundin is dealing with. The book, while well written and often humorous, frequently uses language that's unnecessarily raw, but given the excellent information presented, it's easily overlooked. This is a well written text that provides a great deal of information in a format that is easily understood.
- Just the facts...
By A7JKIVX4QE77K on 2006-01-30
And you will get more than that in this gem of a book. This book is not about long term survival but is focused on how to avoid injury or death in a far more common scenario - backcountry emergency, the trip gone bad, etc...Well researched information on what the body requires to get out alive. I especially enjoyed the survial kit photos (well done) and descriptions. I would have to say this is one of the most useful books on the subject and from a man who has real experience to share.
- A great guide to getting out of a survival situation.
By AA2FOFB0S2YWG on 2006-10-09
Unless something is wrong with you, your goal when thrust into a survival situation is to get out of it as fast as you can. That is the premise of this book. You won't find detailed instructions on building and using a fire bow. You won't find recomendations on the biggest, baddest knife. The one used in the book has about a 4 inch blade and retails for less than $20. You will find practicle suggestions for fire. You will also find suggestions on assembling a survival kit that's thorough but not enormous. There is scientific discussion on the human body's reaction to the environment. All of this is presented in a humorous style. The book focuses on preparation for a survival situation and how to get out of it. Not learning flint knapping, snare building, dead falls, etc. I found the book informative and easy to read. Those offended by the few cartoon characters should get a life.
- Great...
By A2S0GAG2ASXZOK on 2003-09-08
I haven't completely read this book to give it a total recommendation, but then again, I don't think I have too...Throw out all the dry & aged military and boy scout books...this is the one to read AND remember... Great illustrations and layout enable readers to actually remember the important parts of this book (which by the way is ALL OF IT, since we're dealing with YOUR life here...) Don't this let book pass you by...even if your just a simple day-hiker....
- Give this book to someone you love
By AVBEXG2VC6MDH on 2004-02-27
I just got back from spending some time with Cody and others out in Arizona at a primative skills gathering and picked up his book there. I attended a class he taught and my wife attended two others. I read his book on the way back home and found it to be a refreshing presentation on a age old problem, survival. Now I am picking out what things must stay in my survival kit and what must go. Living in the middle of the country it is hard to not pick up at least some of the items at "the evil Store" luckily I still wear shoes so they don't stop me at the door. Party On Cody
- Highly Recommend Reading It
By A2MKV0BZKTWMF7 on 2005-05-17
I liked this book very much. Its a no nonsense approach to a topic that many writers pretend they are experts in. The proof is in the pudding. The author is an excellent teacher. He makes a hard subject easy to grasp and understand, versus the many teachers I have had in various subjects, who make an easy topic hard to understand. . . .
- Survival
By A3TWNE9XY8QKAQ on 2006-03-09
If you haven't read any survival books before this one will help you keep alive. I can't say it is the best book, or changed my life like some of the other reviewers, but it is a solid "OK" book.
- DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY OR TIME!
By A3LM4DEUC01Y9H on 2008-01-25
Not detailed or specific. Not very informative for the size of the book.
With this book and a lighter you can stay warm. To show how off track the book is look at the title....All that to tell you this book is about survival. Save your money on this one.
- Finally, everything in a book.
By on 2003-09-11
Great to have all this information contained in a book one can refer back to, rather than scattered notes and handouts. Highly recommended by many survival experts, both "primitive" and modern philosophies.
- 98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive
By ANR3CRO0LUHG0 on 2003-09-26
There are hundreds of survival books out there. HEY - Buy them all but read this one 1st. Its Fun loving , but no nonsense approach to that first 78 hour of a crisis is great. As a outdoor skills trainer and all around outdoor knock about , I'm going to steal a lot of the advice in this book. Well it won't be stealing cuz I know it all anyway. Get this Book!!!!!!!
Budd Mac
Iron Pine Outfitters
- It's good
By A369TDVVS9Y8NP on 2005-02-14
This is a good book that tells you how to stay alive. It also tells about what your body would do in certain situations, and how to prevent the bad situations from happening. Also, it tells you how to make things. It tells you a little about how to clean animals so you can eat them. So, over all I would get this book if you don't know a lot about how to survive, and you want to learn how.
- 98.6 Rates a 100%
By A1HPW0PT4XTV08 on 2006-08-28
Down to earth, straight forward, factual, No BS here.
Excellent. Might be too "earthy" for the pansies.
Will probably save some lives.
- This book is survival 101. It makes Sense
By A201XTNM9QTEAJ on 2007-02-16
I Read some of the reviews and got a bit hesitant at first about buying the book. But I decided to buy anyway, and I am so glad I did. Initially, I wanted a book that would teache me the skills of "Rambo". In my humble yet wise opinion, This book is simply, a must, not only for survival, but for the fun stuff as well; At least I know what clothes to shop for, or wear when I go skiing(I simply did not have a clue, serious). Not only did I read the whole book but I will also keep it as a reference, and you should too. The Rambo books are nice, but this is what you really need. it is survival 101. Read it, read the whole thing.
- gotta read before you backpack
By A1OR6BZI9KC9LC on 2007-03-08
I've backpacked and hiked for some years now. Nothing dramatic like Mt. Hood in the Winter but big enough to get in trouble a few times. So a lot of what the author says is not new to me. It was worth re-thinking some of these things, though. A lot of things, however, were new and extremely useful. I feel I am a creative person but a number of times the author had a way better idea of how to deal with some issues. Let me just mention the yellow tape wrapping - remember how often you can not find something at low light? Well, invest 30 seconds at home and wrap the handle with yellow tape and you'll see how little light you'll need to find it. That's the kind of advice Cody gives. He is not trying to make me a 18th century fur trapper in Alaska. He just provides core info on survival and a lot of pointers on how to AVOID getting into unwanted situations. I loved his advice and I actually re-read the book recently after 3 years.
Thanks Cody.
KSK
- A must-read for any hiker, hunter, camper, etc.
By A1RF9YK4BK5TRH on 2007-08-25
If you believe the TV drama crap in the show "Man vs. Wild" where Grylls is scaling cliffs and jumping into freezing rivers, this book isn't for you because Cody Lundin actually wants you to live. The book 98.6 Degrees tells you statistically that most people who die in the wilderness die from hypothermia and hypothermia -- not from avalanches, bear attacks, etc. But most people don't want to hear this maybe because it isn't exciting enough.
I think of this book as the foundation from which all survivalism studies should start. The book really goes into great detail into the "whys" of exposure and other conditions one commonly faces in the wild. You need this information so that you can adapt and think on your own for the unique situation you may face. Cody challenges traditional survivalism manuals and has the personal experience to back up what he writes. One reviewer labeled this book as a kum-bay-ya book, but the book is exactly the opposite. The book speaks with life saving frankness and flat out tells you that you will be worm food if you make certain wrong decisions.
The book has some great color photos and diagrams as well and has perhaps the best and most thorough advice on assembling a survival kit I've seen (the book explains why store bought kits are seriously lacking). The only reason I didn't give it five stars is that I felt the book, at times, spends a little too much time on trivia knowledge (e.g., history of the match) at the expense of more knowledge on shelter building strategies, how to build a fire, etc. I want more info on how to put the survival kit to use. I suppose that might be in a sequel to this wonderful book. Despite minor shortcomings, this book has completely changed how I look at preparing for and handling survival situations. Highly recommended!
- My new reference book
By A31OY1IHN2AH2P on 2007-02-19
I believe Cody gives great advise in this book. A must read for "newbies". Most of the book was a "review" of things I believe are common sense, but again, I learned (and "refreshed") some critical information. One example: Page 157 states butane lighters don't work when they are cold. In the past, I would test the lighter at home and it worked fine. I would get to camp, pull one out of the "cold" backpack, and the thing wasn't working. Now I know I should keep it warm in my pocket. That one sentence changed my view of the lighter. Read this book with an open mind and you might just learn something. It will be my reference book until I find something better. That's my 2cents. Party on!
- Not Bad
By A3IBRL9HQ6I2ET on 2007-02-15
This is a fun read, and has a lot of good information in it. The approach is right on the mark, the things you really need to know when the unexpected happens, and being prepared for it.
- Great book...
By A3GJ1CZ04D06UV on 2007-03-25
I have been reviewing survival books for my local library and find this one to be one of the best. It is geared toward the average person who does not often need to worry about survival, camps out of their trunk, and does not go out in the wild all that often. It is a manual that shows you how to stay alive for 72 hours (the time in which most rescues are done) although I am sure if you practiced these arts you would stay alive much longer.
The idea is to keep yourself from not panicking, not over heating or freezing, keeping hydrated, letting rescuers know how to save you, and using your survival kit to keep you alive in the mean time.
The book is funny, light hearted, serious when it needs to be and filled with good advice and pictures.
I think, for the average joe - this is a great book and introduction into survival. If you want something more in depth - try the SAS Survival Handbook - but that type of depth was not the purpose of 98.6 Degrees.
- Solid Experience
By AGX8YI8CKXZCC on 2007-04-11
This is a book written from solid experience, the greatest teacher in a back woods situation. After having spent two years guiding in one of the harshest climates on the East Coast, I can say I greatly appreciate Thor-Hippy's book. Read this book. Buy it used. Borrow it from a friend. Join a library. Steal it from Borders. But read this book!
- You can stay alive with items that fit in a sandwich bag. The list is here.
By A2OS6YIX72OI85 on 2007-08-15
Buy the book. Your life, your family's life may be saved by it. Buy it for your friends.
- Outdoorsman's Must Read
By A21T1T52N9ZX30 on 2007-01-15
This book is easy to read, entertaining, and practical. Anyone who hunts, fishes, camps, or is into any other form of outfoor adventure must read this book.
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