100 Deadly Skills: Survival Edition: The SEAL Operative's Guide to Surviving in the Wild and Being Prepared for Any Disaster

by Clint Emerson

From national bestselling author and retired Navy SEAL Clint Emerson comes the essential guide for surviving today’s emergencies—from navigating in the wild to staying alive in any disaster.

These 100 skills, adapted for civilians from actual field experiences of special forces operations, offer a complete hands-on and practical guide to help you survive in the wild no matter the climate or terrain; be prepared for any crisis; and have the critical life-saving knowledge for staying safe in any hostile environment or disaster.

Yesterday’s survival guide is no longer relevant. 100 Deadly Skills: Survival Edition is what you need for today’s world, combining survival hacks developed on the battlefield with the low-tech tools you have on hand. This book is your essential prep manual, from securing shelter, building fire, finding food, and navigating back to civilization no matter the environment to thinking like a special forces solider so that you can survive a hostage situation, an active shooter, a suicide bomber, or a terrorist threat on the subway, and even apply trauma medicine as a first responder.

Full of specific scenarios to help you get in the mindset of survival, 100 Deadly Skills: Survival Edition is better than a Swiss Army knife whether you’re lost at sea, forced to land a plane, fighting off a bear, or deciding whether to run, hide, or fight. Next to each skill are easy-to-grasp detailed illustrations, because when you need to survive the apocalypse, you don’t have time for complicated instructions.

Genres: Survival, Nonfiction, Self Help, Reference, Military Fiction, Self Reliance, Personal Development

272 pages, Paperback

First published October 18, 2016

Reviews

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Everything the guy could find online or at the local library is thrown in here. Wetlands, tropics or malls. Every nut preparing for Armageddon can find something interesting. But I bet you won't remember what to do when under stress. So take it as a pulp romance or a sudoku magazine. It is for making the time pass.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few months ago I bought a book that is amazing for an aspiring crime/thriller writer liked myself. Titled 100 Deady Skills and penned by an ex-SEAL, Clint Emerson, it was like a tome of forbidden knowledge. Want your character to escape from handcuffs, cable ties, the boot of car after being handcuffed? 100 Deadly Skills had it all. And there was more. Who knew, for example, that one could build a makeshift TASER from a disposable camera?

So you can imagine my excitement when a sequel hit the virtual shelves of review site NetGalley. I immediately put in my request and received a review copy of 100 Deadly Skills: Survival Edition. As its name suggests the second book focuses more on survival, survival in the wilderness, the desert, the mountains, etc. For sure there is much to recommend this tome, some great nuggets both for real life and, for the writers like myself, for fictional characters and the tales they find themselves in.

The problem is that by moving to a survival manual, Clint Emerson is shifting into an already very crowded field. There are many, many survival and field craft books out there. Shelves of them. I should know, I have quite a few of them. What made 100 Deadly Skills so unique was its originality. Not very many books teach you how to make a makeshift cosh for example. Another problem is that there is more generalised advice in this tome, whereas in the original there was much more specific examples. This is not to say that this latest offering isn't a good book, it is. Would I buy it? Would I recommend it to a friend? Probably. But I would recommend the original first.

[Patrick Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thankfully goodreads has been tracking it and after a year and 4 days of this sitting on the back of my toilet I've finally completed the book! Some of the skills were valuable and interesting but others related to situations I don't think I'll ever be in and were tough to get through. If there's a zombie apocalypse or some other dystopian future on the horizon I'm going to make sure to keep this on me. Hopefully my life works out in a way that the most useful aspect of this book will be that the chapters were generally a good poop length.

[Josh Buhler · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun one that could easily be finished in a single sitting. At least half the book is pictures describing the "Deadly Skill", so it's pretty quick read. Not exactly what I'd call a reference book, and it's no substitute for any sort of actual training. But to be perfectly honest… it's a great toilet tank book. Something you can easily pickup and read a few pages of while taking care of other business, and not feel like you have to finish a chapter or remember where you left off.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike its predecessor, there were more tips in this book that were more practical to the layman, particularly in the back half of this book. The early entries pertained to survival in various types out outdoor environments (jungles, deserts, arctic, wetlands, etc) for those who are expecting to go to these places (vs. waking up and discovering yourself lost in one of them).

Later chapters dealt with how to keep your home safe (while present and while on vacation/away for any extended period), how to survive fires, a protest getting out of control, applying splints to fractures, burn care, wound care, and the always-anxiety-inducing "how to perform a Cricothyroidotomy" (punching a hold below a victims Adam's apple to get them breathing through a substitute tube).

I hope some of the tips in this book will take in my head, even though, like martial arts training, I hope I'll never actually have to use any of them.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding.

[Taj]

Twas a lit book.

[Brian Nwokedi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Introduction
I will start this review by saying this book is actually very challenging to review, given the content it covers. On one hand Clint Emerson is clearly a subject matter expert on the art of surviving given his background as a Navy SEAL. On the other hand, an average person like myself will likely not face the same obstacles that Clint has faced in his life. Consequently, 100 Deadly Skills Survival Edition is a crash course into the skills that SEAL Operatives spend a lifetime mastering, and thus gives the average reader a bit more than they can chew. After finishing this book if you are like me, you may be very overwhelmed, but hopefully better prepared.

Why You Should Read Some Of This Book?
The portion of this book I found most valuable and would recommend everyone read/memorize is Part 1 which is a section on personal preparedness and Part 4 which is a section on defending your home and domain.

For Part 1, Clint Emerson breaks this down into four important sections: (1) Become Crisis Proof (2) Build a Personal EDC Kit (3) Train to Survive (4) Prepare a Vehicle Go-Bag. The main theme of this section is very easy to get behind: Never assume anything bad won’t happen to you because complacency is only identified after consequences are served.Part 1 strives to get you mentally and physically prepared to survive. You don’t know if you are ever going to actually need your vehicle go-bag or your EDC kit but you sure will wish you had one should the time come.

For Part 4, Clint Emerson emphasizes the importance of deterring bunglers upfront. By taking the steps laid out in this section on fortifying your home security you will be more likely to keep most bad guys away. The major key to surviving home invasions is making your home very unappealing to the potential attackers in the first place.Investing in upgraded home lighting, cameras, and a robust security system will dramatically reduce your likelihood of attack.

Aside from the skills mentioned in Part 1 & Part 4 the rest of this book discusses skills that characters like Sam Fisher and Jack Ryan would use. Legitimately, Emerson teaches his readers how to survive long-term captivity, defend a ship against pirates, survive a tsunami, and treat foreign object impalements to name a few. These skills are clearly valuable in the right place. But for me, The rest of the book is just an overwhelming amount of tactics that are applicable to a very small percentage of most people’s lives. And this is the main reason why I rate this book low overall.

Final Thoughts
The New York Times wrote that “Emerson is the kind of individual who cannot visit a restaurant without scanning the landscape for threats, canvassing exits, and cataloging potential improvised weapons, like a tabletop salt shaker.”

Reading this book has definitely helped shift my mindset to a more prepared and observant mindset... one that doesn’t naively assume bad things won’t happen. Emerson has also given me a good sense for the types of tools and supplies one might need in order to increase their odds of survival during a myriad of disaster scenarios. Couple this with the section on home security and I’d say that alone was worth the time spent reading this book... Plus this was a birthday gift!

Easy to Read: (4/5) 80%
Deep Content: (5/5) 100%
Overall Rating: (2/5) 40%

Direct link to his website: https://clintemerson.com/

[Paul Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Great set of tips for getting along (and helping others get along) in hazardous situations. I learned some of these in Boy Scouts or other reading, but I enjoy that he brings them together in one compact book. The book is organized in nine sections by subject or setting. Not that you would carry this with you to consult when you are stranded in a jungle or trapped under rubble, but the sections help focus your mind on options and things to consider in different scenarios. (The binding and covers do seem to be more durable than typical paperbacks. So you might bring it with you . . .)

Each idea is a page (sometimes two) of explanation and an illustration/drawing: very helpful for navigating by the sun or emergency rock climbing techniques.

I got the book with two purposes (in addition to the pure fun of reading). First, maybe I'll remember ideas about filtering water or how to secure a door if the need ever arises. Second, I gleaned a few things to add to my EDC (Every Day Carry kit).
If I were really serious, I'd go over a few pages or a section, wait a few days, then have someone quiz me on them and review what I didn't remember. That would help fix the ideas in my mind for future access.

I got this for my birthday, but let it sit on the shelf while I read other books on "assignment". I finally decided to start this and read a few pages at a time. Thanks, Mr. Emerson!

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is more like what I expected the non-survival edition version of 100 Deadly Skills to be like; i.e., a nice combination of outdoor survival skills and real-world, practical skills. I mean you need to know how to start a fire and survive bear or shark attacks, but you also need to know how to avoid getting smooshed in a human stampede or making yourself a target for thieves. Given many recent events, the last section about dealing with terrorist attacks, active shooters, etc. seems much more relevant than it should.

The illustrations are wonderful and sometimes, unintentionally comical. Sometimes the advice is, as well; e.g., when surviving a shark attack, being able to swim faster than your buddy is a big advantage!

[Justyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

257 pages
Advises on:
* how to dress
* how to find food, water, shelter, EDC bag, and how to dress for the jungle, rain forest, arctic, swamp, mountain, maritime, and desert environments
*fight off boar, bear, and shark attach
* how to secure your home
*basics of how to handle threats outside of home and at home
*many more

[Lex Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great information laid out in a way that’s easy to access and mentally categorize. I learned a lot of valuable life-saving tricks, and hopefully will be rereading soon to cement that knowledge in for when it’s needed the most.

[Kaja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very American.
Mostly a compilation of either common knowledge and tips that seem absurd to my non-American self, such as having a bullet proof west. That would make you insane where I'm from, but in the US the insane thing would be sending your child to school without a bulletproof backpack.
Still, it's a short book, and it does contain some useful tips.

[Christopher Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only The Strong Survive. Only The Knowledgeable Prosper

First of all, note that the skills advertised in the book are deadly--but not for the reasons you might think. The skills documented here are not actually intended to kill anyone; rather, they are designed to keep you alive. The author, Clint Emerson, is a retired Navy SEAL who specializes in security. He was even on the elite SEAL Team Six.

If you know any SEALs, or have read about their training, then you know they are the toughest of the tough. In other words, these 100 Deadly Skills are not the theories of some guy sitting at a desk--they are methods used by the author in deadly serious circumstances.

Clint makes it clear right off the bat that your own preparation is the key: "The only elements of crisis under our control are our own preparation and response." (When I read that, I immediately thought of the famous Douglas MacArthur adage, "Preparation is the Key to Success and Victory.") So, while the points are termed "Skills," they are just as much about preparation.

You might be tempted to dismiss the ideas here as too extreme, or even silly. I did NOT think the ideas were silly (well, okay, I skipped #14, "Escaping a Wild Boar Attack,) Of course, many of the ideas won't apply to many people. If you don't take cruises, you can also skip #44, "Defend a Ship against Pirates."

Some of the ideas, however, hit close to home, and really got me thinking. Idea #3, "Prepare a Vehicle Go-Bag" suggests you have a personal survival kit in my car: "Gather everyday carry items that promote safety and survival...A basement full of emergency supplies is an excellent starting point for disaster preparation, but the trunk of your car is an underutilized resource." I thought the points in this sections were excellent. Why not put my car trunk to good use?

Each of the 100 Ideas includes a discussion of the concept, detailed, instructions, and illustrations. For each deadly idea, there is also a succinct summary of the points.

For example, here's the summary for # 22 "Locate Drinking Water in an Arid Desert."
+ Follow the signs of water.
+ Get to high ground, carefully observe surroundings.
+ Locate dry streams and Locate animals and river-beds: dig for water. their tracks.
+ Locate vegetation: water loving, broad-leaved plants and trees.
+ Look for swarms of flies, mosquitos, and bees.
+ Dig in dry riverbeds and under vegetation.

I found these summary points to be a valuable wrap-up of each idea.

To make my reading more efficient, I found it most useful to scan the Table of Contents for ideas that are relevant to me. So, for example, I skipped #14, "Escape a Wild Boar Attack." I hardly ever see wild boars in San Francisco. And honestly, I seriously doubt I could skin and eat a snake (Idea #24, "Skin from head to tail. Cook thoroughly.") But others, I spent a lot of time studying--like the ones about home security and home invasions.

Just about everyone can benefit from the deadly skills on protecting your home. For example, "Building rapport with your neighbors is one of the most important things you can do to protect your home." Honestly, that point never occurred to me. Here's another one: If you have a surveillance camera, make sure it's focused properly: "A camera narrowly focused on a walkway or door will have a much better chance of delivering results." Good point. It didn't occur to me that too broad of a focus would make it hard to identify the crooks.

Finally, here's a great idea, to use if you're lost and the police on looking for you. On your Smartphone, you probably have "Location Services" turned Off. Well, if you do, that makes it harder for the police to find you. So, "Turn on location services in your general settings to enable law enforcement authorities to track your phone." Wow. Probably other readers already thought about this, but I confess I didn't.

All in all, I found 100 DEADLY SKILLS to be a fun, helpful book. I enjoyed scouring through the many ideas. Whilst many of the skills don't apply to me, there were many that did, and the suggestions offered were valuable. Some fit my circumstances, and others--well, no. I just can't see myself skinning that snake.

Advance Review Copy courtesy of Edelweiss.

[Jbussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intended Audience, City Slickers and Big City Barbarians.
Jeez, these reviewers must be ex-Navy Seals like the author to give such low star reviews. I was once referred to as a "Big City Barbarian". Sure I can navigate my life fine, but what the hell should I do if my ship sinks and I find myself on a life raft in the open ocean? Just think about that one thing please. You are stranded in a different environment than what you know? Did everyone get boy scout training? Did everyone grow up next to the woods? If not it is a good idea how to get water and build a fire no? My Island (Oahu) is pretty much one giant city. Even if you got lost in the forest, how are you going to die? Just keep walking and you'll hit the ocean. You may be a little uncomfortable, however. Don't have a mirror to signal for help? What now. This book is not for survivalists (unless they want to see if they know more than the author). It is for people like me who have never ever had to even think about survival. (Unless you count how to be homeless in an urban setting)
SUMMARY
"Interesting book that tells you things to survive everything from an active shooter in your workplace to being lost in the woods. How to build a fire and find food and shelter in different environments. Very informative." 1 day read or great BR Reader.

[Jeff Huang · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read.

Issues:
-For the section on improvised restraints, the paracord cuffs take ages to prepare. Not exactly something you want when handling a bad guy.
-Improvising a seatbelt on trains and buses is kind of impractical. You could always argue "safety first" but when you are getting close to your stop you will have to take the seatbelt off at some point. And it is at that exact moment that you are vulnerable to being ejected.
-There is a discrepancy between the EDC tips offered in the first book and those offered here. I suppose combine them? (Of course, you should tailor your EDC to your personal needs)
-It is odd that the author would find someone using concealed carry concerning if he advises his readers to do the same.
-The section on spotting the suicide bomber would not work during winter. Ie, during boxing day, Christmas, New Year's, etc.

Other than the issues mentioned I would say it is a good book but I have never tested his stuff in a jungle, desert, arctic, etc, so I would never know for sure.

[Nate Morse · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was an advance reader copy that I read on the kindle. The format for this was absolutely horrific. No page numbers (Everything was referred to as page 000), pictures constantly in the wrong places, and for some reason all instances of the letters "fi" and "fl" were removed from the book which made reading about fire particularly annoying. I understand it wasn't a finished version, but this was just sloppy.

For the actual information in the book.. it is pretty generic. Except for a few sections about celestial navigation and first aid, it is generally common knowledge. (drink lots of water if it is hot, be aware of surroundings and avoid dangerous areas). If you were going to keep a copy of this book in a storage area as a guide, probably something more in depth would be helpful, such as a boy scout handbook.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must say as much as this was a good book most of what was in this book was information that I had already knew. Being raised by a former Paratrooper, a Vet from WWII a Korea he taught me to read maps, survive in the desert, mountains with snow, build shelter, find water, and also read the terrain that you were in. also how to find your way with the vegetation of the forest. I also learned which cactus will sustain you and which ones you should stay away from.
This book was good in the fact that I was not prepared with items in my cars and that I had stopped doing so. So, I have gotten back into that. Overall a book everyone should read especially if they are traveling. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at
www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Wyldrabbit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome. Pure and simple. I want a paper copy to keep in my house and another in the car. Maybe one in the garage. I want to give it out as Christmas presents and for birthdays. Everyone should have this book. It was so through in explanations and methods. All well thought out and portrayed. Excellent descriptions and drawings also. A must for everyone.

I was given this ebook (Thannk Youuuu!! ) in exchange for an honest review.

[Kelly Knapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great general understanding of prepping for unexpected incidents. Beginning with the difference between defensive prepping for survival and offensive actions during survival situation and every imaginable situation in between, ending with understanding that you might not survive and making sure that you leave a DNA trail to help catch your own killer, this book touches on everything. The very final chapter touches on first aid.

[Rachel V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book that tells you things to survive everything from an active shooter in your workplace to being lost in the woods. How to build a fire and find food and shelter in different environments. Very informative.

I received this as an advanced readers copy through Eidelweiss and the publisher for an honest review.

[Deny Watanabe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mostly obvious stuff presented in a pretentious manner

The first few chapters contain some useful stuff, but as I progressed through the book I realized that most of the content is shamelessly obvious. Mght be mildly useful if you are oblivious to your surroundings and clueless about taking quick decisions. To be honest I'm disappointed, expected more from a seal.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book overall. The pictures actually pertain to the text and there are keys for the pictures that point to certain things the text is talking about to help one visualize what they are reading. I also like how well it and in depth it explains all the things talked about in the book. Overall, 10/10.

[Sotiris Makrygiannis · Rating 3 out of 5]

....in case of airplane highjack, jettison the captured terrorist.... OK :)
Is ok book but no one can have all those things with you all the time.
The worrying part is the profiling mentioned inside the book, if everyone knows how CIA, Police is doing profiling then they should observe the "normal" not the abnormal

[Gregory Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a fascinating read with illustrations and very useful information. A few chapters in and I knew that I wouldn't be keeping it on my regular bookshelf, but in the place I keep all of my emergency preparedness material. It is a valuable tool.

[Erik]

Interesting, not really something which I read cover to cover. More like a reference book. Noticed the writers for TV's MacGyver used one of the techniques mentioned in this book.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It won't make you Jason Bourne (I'm pretty sure you need a camera for that), but this was pretty fun.

[James Holt · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a fun read, with some practical tips. Though I won't retain *all* the information, I do feel more prepared for certain dangerous situations should they arise.

[Alexander Fontana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off with some creative tips and then got into standard basic boy scout training.

[Dakota Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a fan of camping, survival, and tactical things but I did enjoy the first book a bit more.