Dare to Survive:

Book excerpt: With its towering mountains, sun-scorched deserts, fierce wildlife, and hard-to-predict weather, the American West ranks among the most forbidding places on Earth. Yet many are drawn to the beauty of this wild and rugged region. Some are daredevils. . .some are athletes. . .and some are outdoors enthusiasts who find themselves in a chilling battle for survival. In their extraordinary, heart-stopping true stories, you will discover how much can go wrong when people find themselves caught in the cross-hairs of nature's power. . . Dare To Survive Flash floods, plane crashes, animal attacks, avalanches, landslides--these devastating phenomena all too often claim the lives of men, women, and children in the American West. But some beat the odds, living to tell about their terrifying ordeals. There are inspirational stories of extreme survival and tremendous bravery. Of the hiker who--though armed with only a knife--survived a 30-minute nightmare with a cougar. . .of the backcountry snowboarder buried alive by an avalanche, saved with only minutes to spare. . .of the outdoorsman pinned by an 800-pound boulder who freed himself by amputating his own arm. And there are the unexplainable, senseless tragedies--the little girl whose mysterious disappearance at a national park was never solved. . . the inexperienced charter pilot who crashed trying to beat curfew in a snowstorm. . .and the veteran backwoods camper who, despite every precaution, fell victim to a fatal bear attack. What does it take to endure the impossible? Dare to Survive tackles that question as it vividly reminds us that when danger strikes, survival becomes the ultimate human challenge. "This frightening but enjoyable book reveals that Mother Nature has more ways to kill than even the toughest Mafia godfather." --Ted Schwarz, author of Hollywood Confidential: How the Studios Beat the Mob at Their Own Game Rick Rinehart is a publisher, writer, and former Colorado Humanities Scholar whose honors include recognition by the National Park Service for contributions to wolf recovery in Yellowstone National Park. His wife, Amy Rinehart, is a former publisher of endurance sports books who consults with outdoor retail and environmental organizations in the development of publishing programs. Rick and Amy live in Lafayette, Colorado.