SEAL Survival Guide by Cade Courtley

Seal Survival Guide: A Navy SEAL’s Secrets to Surviving Any Disaster by Cade Courtley, host of “Surviving Disaster,” is a good general book on survival. Courtley provides tips and suggestions for surviving many dangerous situations, some of which include active shooters, animal attacks, bombs, earthquakes, fires, floods, highjackings, hurricanes, going to jail, wilderness survival, riots, stalkers, torture, and more. However, I think the most important parts of this book are when he talks about the SEAL mindset and survival psychology.  Mindset is so important and Courtley does a good job of stressing the kind of mindset needed to survive.

Because this is a “general” book on survival, some topics are not as in depth as some may like, and one would be wise to seek out additional information on topics that one may be more prone to experience.  For example, the chapter on fighting is very brief, and while the book has some tips, there are many other resources that provide more information on fighting.  Same can go for other topics too.  For instance, the last two parts of the book contain brief chapters on gear, firearms, improvised weapons and survival medicine.  There are entire books on these topics, so if you need more information, add to your library or take some classes.

With that said, for a general book on survival, this is a good one.  It is an easy read, contains some good advice and tips, and has some interesting stories from Courtley’s time in the service.  As someone who studies and teaches survival measures too, I liked reading this book.  It reminded me of things, reinforced others, and gave me another view on some topics.  It is one of many resources I have, and I’m glad I added it to my survival resource library.  Because when things go bad, you need to be prepared, and this book is one step toward being more prepared and ready for whatever comes your way.  Read it and others, be prepared, and stay safe.