How To Survive Against The Odds: Tales & Tips for Animal Attacks and Natural Disasters isn’t a typical travel novel, retelling stories from people’s experiences exploring the world. It serves more as a warning — an alarm, highlighting the dangerous and harrowing encounters that real people have come face-to-face with, proving that wildlife and Mother Nature can bring upon the most extreme scenarios.
Written by seasoned journalist and editorial leader Sean Evans, the book was released on June 3 by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins. It also acts as a guide on how to navigate ordeals like getting lost in the desert in over 100-degree heat, being stranded in the middle of the Arctic, or surviving an animal attack even when it appears the odds aren’t in your favor. It’s comprised of real tales from outdoor extremists and ordinary folks who’ve experienced dangers most of us have only read about or seen in our nightmares.
The Psychology of Survival
However, Evans was always fascinated by the physiological elements, particularly the science behind “how humans are hardcoded to activate survival instincts,” and mind over matter is truly the key to overcoming extreme trauma, which he shared in an interview.
“From positive thinking to dissociating to shock to releasing hormones, endorphins, and other neurotransmitters in milliseconds, your mind will do everything it can to keep you alive,” the author learned through his research and interactions with multiple medical experts for the survival advice shared in the book.
A Podcast Collaboration
Evans isn’t the only one enamored with the way the body responds to stress in dire situations. The book was inspired by Wondery’s hit podcast Against The Odds, hosted by Mike Corey and Cassie DePecol, who share thrilling survival stories such as a family of four being shipwrecked on an Alaskan island, four American rock climbers abducted by rebel militants one week into their expedition, and a group of survivors whose plane crashed in the Canadian wilderness.
The weekly podcast is a passion of Corey’s, who himself is an adventurer and world traveler, and he documents his experiences on his YouTube channel, which has over 3 million subscribers. Corey is also the voice behind the How To Survive Against The Odds audiobook, also recently released.
The podcast host boasted about the project in an Instagram post (@fearlessandfar) in May, noting his helping hand in its development and further ignited excitement about its launch. Listeners might recall some of the stories regurgitated in the book, as they were also featured on the podcast. However, much of the print is new material covering three main themes: animal attacks, natural disasters, and extreme environments.
“We started with the stories already featured on the podcast and then filled in the gaps,” Evans explained about the process, emphasizing that animal encounters were a significant focus to find the perfect fit. Evans also revealed that he connected with the subjects due to his personal experiences, as he’s survived two brushes with death while on the road.
Harrowing First-Hand Experiences
Evans recounted his near-death experiences in an interview, detailing one instance that occurred over a decade ago in South Africa during an ATV accident in the Kalahari Desert. Evans underwent emergency surgery after breaking his arm, six ribs, and wrist when the vehicle he was driving flipped over and fell on top of him. His extensive injuries resulted in needing three additional surgeries over the next five years in the United States to stabilize him.
The second incident happened in 2020 when he was a passenger in a supercar that was accidentally driven off a mountain in California, going at a speed of 65 miles per hour. Evans, who worked with a NASA rocket scientist to create the physics of the crash, later determined that if the trajectory had been one or two inches different, it would’ve been fatal. Luckily, he and the driver both walked away uninjured.
“These close calls helped me relate to the surges of adrenaline and other heightened emotions that the book’s subjects experienced when facing their challenges,” he said, pointing out that he particularly related to several of the animal attack chapters, as each of the victims struggled to get medical assistance in time, something he dealt with in South Africa. “It’s a lot easier to understand and place yourself in someone else’s shoes when you’ve lived through something equally harrowing,” Evans added.
Real Life Stories
The stories told in How To Survive Against The Odds are high on the anxiety scale, as the subjects narrowly escape death during their respective journeys. Take, for example, Chris, whose terrifying experience of being sucked out of a tornado during a storm in Dallas, Texas, all because of a pizza craving made the book’s pages.
Or Jeremy from South Texas, whose wife’s quick action upon him getting bit by a Western diamondback rattlesnake (the most lethal of the species) allowed him to live to tell the tale.
Then there’s Kevin, who overcame being swept down waterfalls, sheltering in a cave, and enduring pesky fire ants among other jungle creatures after a trip through the rapids in Northern Bolivia turned awry. Each story includes diagrams and expert tips to help others who might end up in similar positions — or avoid them altogether.
Survival Tips
Some of these referenced in the book include creating a plan to follow during a natural disaster (i.e., an earthquake or flash flood), understanding the best options for shelter depending on the scenario, and breathing deeply to prevent shock from taking over so you can think clearly and act accordingly. In the event of an animal attack, Evans suggests fighting off the aggressor by attacking its vulnerabilities (i.e., eyes or a shark’s gills). He also advises using the extra adrenaline as a survival guide, as well as protecting the head and neck, which, if injured, could result in irreparable damage.
About the Author
Before writing How To Survive Against The Odds, Evans contributed to and edited content for well-known publications such as Fast Company, GQ, New York, Robb Report, Condé Nast Traveler, Men’s Journal, Gear Patrol, and Sports Illustrated, among others. While this is his first published book, he already has another in the pipeline, centering on spirits, one of his other journalism interests alongside speed and adventure.
Evans chronicles much of his work on Instagram (@angryinparadise), including his travels sampling various whiskies and covering new cars for numerous magazines. How To Survive Against the Odds is available for purchase online. The latest season of Against the Odds podcast is available to stream anywhere you get your podcasts.