Surviving Survival

In 2001, Micki Glenn was attacked by a shark while snorkeling off the coast of Honduras. The shark tore through her breast and shredded her right arm before coming to a stop when it bit down on the steel plate in her leg. Her husband, who was a surgeon, arrived at the scene and saved her life on the spot. However, she would have to work hard to go on with her life. She had entered an even more profound survival journey: the aftermath. Surviving a life-threatening experience can change everything because it invalidates all your previous adaptations and changes your point of view. This can create issues as you try to return to your normal life; some survivors suffer more in the aftermath than they did during their actual crisis. All people have to find ways to reinvent themselves. Drawing on gripping cases across a wide range of life-threatening experiences, Laurence Gonzales fashions a compelling argument about fear, courage, and the adaptability of the human spirit. Micki Glenn said: “I don't regret that this happened to me… [It has been] probably the single most positive experience I've ever had. ”