Review: Leach, Survival Psychology

Survival Psychology by John Leach

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


[library]

This is a dry (occasionally dryly funny) textbook-ish discussion of the psychology of survival. Leach defines all his terms, talks through them carefully, considers all angles. It is the exact opposite of The Survivors Club, in terms of attitude and realism. Leach is clinical (he does not shy away from the word "victim") and starkly realistic (i.e., not handing out little badges that say SURVIVOR to everyone who wants one); interestingly, he, too, ends with the observation that some people survive disasters and come out stronger and happier on the other side--this comes, however, after a considerably longer discussion of PTSD and psychological upheaval. Obviously I prefer this approach, even though it is a little uncomfortable, especially when he's talking about the prevalence of denial and inactivity among people who know a disaster could be or outright is coming. I look at my own failures in tornado preparedness (when tornadoes do happen where I live) and cringe. "Denial and inactivity," says Leach, "prepare people well for the roles of victim and corpse."

If you're interested in how people behave during disasters and why some people survive and others don't, this is definitely the place to start.



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