Alive!    by Reader's Digest Order:  USA  Can Readers Digest, 2014 (2014) Hardcover, e-Book     Reviewed by Bob Walch Over twenty stories describe the precarious situations that ordinary individuals found themselves in and how they managed to survive or were rescued from danger they encountered. The editors of Reader's Digest selected some of the most memorable of these tales and grouped them together under four general headings. Facing Mother Nature's Fury offers true accounts of seven people who had to deal with the unexpected and deadly problems caused by a tornado, flash flood, blizzard, forest fire, and scuba diving mishap. The focus of Courting Disaster is what type of danger individuals encountered while mountain climbing or hiking, trekking at the South Pole, or surfing. Then, following this exciting section are more survival stories that appear in The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time. The adventures here include one about a tragic jet crash in Peru, a dam break that washed away a family's campsite, an outing to Yosemite National Park that nearly cost a student her life, and the story about two boys trapped in a collapsed ice cave in the Cascade Mountains. In the collection's concluding section, At the Mercy of a Wild Animal, we meet individuals who come face to face with bears, a very determined mountain lion, a seven foot shark and a swarm of wasps. These captivating accounts of real life mishaps are not only fascinating but they also offer ample proof that when threatened we can do some really extraordinary things to save ourselves and others. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews