Hi All,
A two in one book review for you....
Cody Lundin’s books, 98.6 Degrees, The Art Of Keeping Your bottom Alive! & When All Hell Breaks Loose, Stuff You Need When Disaster Strikes.
I heard about Cody Lundin a fair while ago and he was recently brought back to my attention via the Dual Survival program in conjunction with Dave Canterbury of The Pathfinder School and the Discovery series – Dual Survivor. Having visited Cody’s website, I found his information to be down-to-earth, practical and easy to understand and follow.
I was sent his two books, "98.6 Degrees, The Art Of Keeping Your bottom Alive!" and “When All Hell Breaks Loose, Stuff You Need When Disaster Strikes!” for review on BCUK.
No sooner had I announced that I had these books coming for review, it seemed that everybody who was anybody had already read them and was happy to pass comment. "98.6" was a humorous book with good and useful information, whereas "WAHBL" was written more in the style of a collection of magazine articles and seemed to be a repeat of many other books but hidden amongst a good helping of waffle.
98.6 Degrees,
In the forward, Cody makes no excuses for repeating himself throughout the book and points out that repetition helps the human brain to learn. His concepts are beyond simple, discussing the reasons why shelter, warmth and water are so important for even short term survival.
The book takes the simple yet serious beginnings of a survival situation and explains how and why the human body reacts as it does to stress and panic within the first few seconds of that situation playing out. It goes on to explain that by recognising that a given situation is beginning to turn against you, you have the forsight and ability to rectify it before it becomes a full blown survival scenario - negating the need to enter into a "survival" mindset at all - kind of an "Anti-Survival" book! The concept is developed even more in explaining that very simple changes in everyday behaviour contribute greatly to avoiding the "survival scenario" even before it begins, stock rotation techniques and simply date-marking of sensitive products so they are used before expiring - easy peasy!
The main content of the book deals with the very basic requirements of the needs of the human body to cope with a short term (and often, High Stress) survival situation. Many of us are aware of the concepts of “The Five Basic Needs” or the “Rule of Three’s” – well, Cody’s book looks at the foundation upon which these basic principles are laid. If you cannot maintain your core body temperature, you are putting your continued survival at grave risk. He studies the sliding scales of threats of increasing and decreasing body temperature that we know as Hyper and Hypo - thermia – the symptoms and effects. After all, if you are suffering from any of the notable effects yourself, it is highly unlikely that you’ll be capable of heeding any meaningful outcome from your own diagnosis, though you might be able to recognise these same effects within other members of a group if you yourself can remain conscious and alert.
Cody goes on to discuss some suggested contents of a survival kit, but is careful to point out that if your ideas or your situation differs from the standard, by all means, change your kit. It’s your kit and if you are not comfortable or confident in its abilities or content, then you are less likely to carry it with you and hence putting yourself at greater risk by carrying nothing. He is careful to mention that quality kit is worth owning, but self made or modified kit is equally as valid for the same reasons of carrying something rather than nothing.
98.6 is a book that, I believe, can be read quite quickly and its information absorbed reasonably well and it fits with anything you are likely to have learned before.
When All Hell Breaks Loose is almost a repeat of 98.6 in that it contains some very similar (and some extra) information – however the layout is somewhat different – certainly written in a different style and I can see why some people think that it is a collection of magazine articles. It is more a book that becomes a “Coffee Table” volume, something that can be read a few pages at a time and the smaller packets of information assimilated together with research from other sources before returning at a later date to take in a different packet of knowledge. Extra information under the headings of firearms and self defence are included for those times when law and order break down and society takes a nosedive.
In closing, I believe that either of these books would make a valuable addition to a survival/bush-craft/wilderness living library, however the concepts discussed might be a little too deep for the younger reader or a newcomer looking for information on the “craft” element of bush-craft. It would sit very well amongst other author’s offerings as they do so much to provide a foundation upon which more commonly regarded information can be built.
“98.6 Degrees, The Art of Keeping Your bottom Alive” and “When All Hell Breaks Loose, Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes”, are available from the authors own website “ALSS, The Aboriginal Living Skills School” priced at $16.99 and $19.99 respectively. Other sources for both books are likely to be available.
Thanks for reading
Ogri the trog
A two in one book review for you....
Cody Lundin’s books, 98.6 Degrees, The Art Of Keeping Your bottom Alive! & When All Hell Breaks Loose, Stuff You Need When Disaster Strikes.
I heard about Cody Lundin a fair while ago and he was recently brought back to my attention via the Dual Survival program in conjunction with Dave Canterbury of The Pathfinder School and the Discovery series – Dual Survivor. Having visited Cody’s website, I found his information to be down-to-earth, practical and easy to understand and follow.
I was sent his two books, "98.6 Degrees, The Art Of Keeping Your bottom Alive!" and “When All Hell Breaks Loose, Stuff You Need When Disaster Strikes!” for review on BCUK.
No sooner had I announced that I had these books coming for review, it seemed that everybody who was anybody had already read them and was happy to pass comment. "98.6" was a humorous book with good and useful information, whereas "WAHBL" was written more in the style of a collection of magazine articles and seemed to be a repeat of many other books but hidden amongst a good helping of waffle.
98.6 Degrees,
In the forward, Cody makes no excuses for repeating himself throughout the book and points out that repetition helps the human brain to learn. His concepts are beyond simple, discussing the reasons why shelter, warmth and water are so important for even short term survival.
The book takes the simple yet serious beginnings of a survival situation and explains how and why the human body reacts as it does to stress and panic within the first few seconds of that situation playing out. It goes on to explain that by recognising that a given situation is beginning to turn against you, you have the forsight and ability to rectify it before it becomes a full blown survival scenario - negating the need to enter into a "survival" mindset at all - kind of an "Anti-Survival" book! The concept is developed even more in explaining that very simple changes in everyday behaviour contribute greatly to avoiding the "survival scenario" even before it begins, stock rotation techniques and simply date-marking of sensitive products so they are used before expiring - easy peasy!
The main content of the book deals with the very basic requirements of the needs of the human body to cope with a short term (and often, High Stress) survival situation. Many of us are aware of the concepts of “The Five Basic Needs” or the “Rule of Three’s” – well, Cody’s book looks at the foundation upon which these basic principles are laid. If you cannot maintain your core body temperature, you are putting your continued survival at grave risk. He studies the sliding scales of threats of increasing and decreasing body temperature that we know as Hyper and Hypo - thermia – the symptoms and effects. After all, if you are suffering from any of the notable effects yourself, it is highly unlikely that you’ll be capable of heeding any meaningful outcome from your own diagnosis, though you might be able to recognise these same effects within other members of a group if you yourself can remain conscious and alert.
Cody goes on to discuss some suggested contents of a survival kit, but is careful to point out that if your ideas or your situation differs from the standard, by all means, change your kit. It’s your kit and if you are not comfortable or confident in its abilities or content, then you are less likely to carry it with you and hence putting yourself at greater risk by carrying nothing. He is careful to mention that quality kit is worth owning, but self made or modified kit is equally as valid for the same reasons of carrying something rather than nothing.
98.6 is a book that, I believe, can be read quite quickly and its information absorbed reasonably well and it fits with anything you are likely to have learned before.
When All Hell Breaks Loose is almost a repeat of 98.6 in that it contains some very similar (and some extra) information – however the layout is somewhat different – certainly written in a different style and I can see why some people think that it is a collection of magazine articles. It is more a book that becomes a “Coffee Table” volume, something that can be read a few pages at a time and the smaller packets of information assimilated together with research from other sources before returning at a later date to take in a different packet of knowledge. Extra information under the headings of firearms and self defence are included for those times when law and order break down and society takes a nosedive.
In closing, I believe that either of these books would make a valuable addition to a survival/bush-craft/wilderness living library, however the concepts discussed might be a little too deep for the younger reader or a newcomer looking for information on the “craft” element of bush-craft. It would sit very well amongst other author’s offerings as they do so much to provide a foundation upon which more commonly regarded information can be built.
“98.6 Degrees, The Art of Keeping Your bottom Alive” and “When All Hell Breaks Loose, Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes”, are available from the authors own website “ALSS, The Aboriginal Living Skills School” priced at $16.99 and $19.99 respectively. Other sources for both books are likely to be available.
Thanks for reading
Ogri the trog
Last edited by a moderator:
