Life in the wild teaches us invaluable lessons. Extreme situations force us to seize opportunities, face up to dangers and rely on our instincts. But living a purpose-driven, impactful life can be an even greater challenge…

In “A Survival Guide for Life”, Bear Grylls shares the hard-earned lessons he's learned from some of the harshest environments on earth. How do you keep going when all the odds are stacked against you? How can you inspire a team to follow you in spite of obvious danger? What are the most important skills to learn if you really want to achieve your maximum potential?

Bear's instantly inspiring tales from his adventures in all four corners of the globe include his personal life lessons you will never forget. We're all capable of living life more boldly and of having more fun along the way. Here's to your own great adventure!

Reader Review

"…On the basis of its title `A Survival Guide for Life' seemed to be a perfect Christmas present for my grandson (coming up 11 years old), and certainly it is inspiring and inspirational – but it is not what I expected – it does urge venturing outdoors, adoption of practical skills and tackling mountains, and Bears refers to Scouting and to SAS/Commando experiences, but `A Survival Guide for Life' is more about firing readers with enthusiasm as a form of treatise on life challenges and motivation.

Topics covered include commitment, courage, perseverance, tenacity, working hard, overcoming hurdles, kindness and caring with emphasis on fun and laughing at oneself. In the first chapter Bears encourages readers to think big and find their dream – their own personal Everest. He goes on to warn of `dream-stealers' and to beware of obstacles – but to make the first step, be passionate and positive, and to follow goals wholeheartedly. He employs numerous metaphors linked to mountaineering – taking things a step at a time, leadership and team spirit, assessing the risk:reward ratio, not carrying unnecessary baggage, acknowledging retreat is not failure etc. In giving advice about how to cope when things aren't going well he also relies on homilies and stories concerning family and friends plus Biblical quotes and comments from his heroes including Winston Churchill, Edmund Hillary and Neil Armstrong.

The final chapter is on humanity and humility and there can be no doubting Bear Grylls as genuine. His writing endorses him as a likeable person with narrative that oozes enthusiasm and humour, and I credit him with speaking from the heart and having genuine faith – but his book is for older children and adults – at Christmas I'll be giving my copy of `A Survival Guide for Life' to my grandson's dad!" D. Elliott

Author Biography

Bear Grylls' prime-time TV adventure series is one of the most watched shows on the planet, reaching an estimated 1.2 billion viewers in over 200 countries. Bear has authored eleven books and, as a former member of the UK Special Forces, was made an honorary Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy. He continues to lead record-breaking expeditions to the world's extremes, and these missions have raised over GBP1.5 million for children's cha­rities. In 2009, Bear took over as the youngest ever Chief Scout to the Scouting Association, acting as the figurehead to 28 million Scouts around the globe. He lives with his wife, Shara, and their three sons, Jesse, Marmaduke and Huckleberry, on a Dutch barge in London and on a small remote island off the coast of Wales.

CONTENTS

1. Have a dream
2. Don’t listen to the dream-stealers
3. Just begin…
4. Chase the goal, not the money
5. Be the most enthusiastic person you know
6. Say yes
7. To be brave, you first must be afraid
8. ‘Them that stick it out are them that win’
9. That little bit extra
10. Never give up
11. There is no education like adversity
12. Know yourself
13. You can’t become a horseman until you’ve fallen off a horse
14. Pack light
15. Shedding the heavy unnecessary
16. Worry worries
17. Tents don’t repair themselves
18. Paddle your own canoe
19. Don’t assume
20. Dreams require sacrifice
21. Failure isn’t failure
22. Commit to ‘fail’
23. Honour the journey, not the destination
24. Beware the three Gs
25. Seek out the five Fs
26. The wind and the sun
27. To get, you have first to give
28. Experts should be on tap, not on top
29. Instinct is the nose of the mind – trust it
30. Storms make you stronger
31. Humility is everything
32. Laugh at yourself
33. Keep good company
34. Find a good guide
35. Seek out motivation
36. We all struggle with motivation sometimes
37. Be kind
38. No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care
39. Money is like a river: it has to flow
40. From those to whom much is given, much is expected
41. Never work again!
42. Stop ‘trying’!
43. Change your vocabulary, change your attitude
44. Let the mountain give you strength
45. No plan survives first contact with the enemy
46. Three key qualities …
47. Be a volunteer
48. Ask a busy person!
49. Go to Fiji … every day!
50. Keep grounded
51. Scouting principles to live by
52. Learning courage
53. Use time wisely
54. Take care of your possessions
55. The risk : reward ratio
56. Tentative is no power
57. Every time you surprise yourself … you inspire yourself
58. Do not judge someone by their status
59. Creature comforts are only temporary
60. Don’t dwell on mistakes
61. Get out of your comfort pit
62. Two ears, one mouth
63. Let others shine
64. Lead by example
65. Fuel well, train regularly
66. The will to win means nothing without the will to train
67. Give it away!
68. Cheerfulness in adversity
69. When you’re going through hell, keep going
70. Sometimes an ember is all you need
71. How you speak about others speaks loudest about yourself
72. Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude
73. When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade
74. Crisis = danger + opportunity
75. Light can only shine through broken vessels

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