98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive

98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive is an outdoor survival guide that focuses on maintaining core body temperature as the key to staying alive in emergency situations. Author Cody Lundin draws from his extensive wilderness experience to present survival tactics and mental preparation strategies. The book covers essential survival skills including fire-making, shelter building, and water procurement. Lundin emphasizes practical methods that work in real emergencies, stripping away common survival myths and replacing them with proven techniques. The content combines technical instruction with psychological insights about handling fear and panic in life-threatening scenarios. Illustrations and diagrams complement the text, providing visual guides for critical survival procedures. Through its direct approach and focus on core temperature regulation, the book reframes wilderness survival as a manageable challenge rather than an insurmountable obstacle. The work stands apart from traditional survival manuals by prioritizing the body's most crucial physiological needs and the mental fortitude required to meet them.

Readers value the no-nonsense, humorous approach to survival basics. The book focuses on core temperature regulation rather than complex bushcraft skills, which many found refreshing. The cartoon illustrations and straightforward explanations make concepts memorable. Liked: - Clear focus on preventing survival situations - Emphasis on mindset and psychology - Practical information about clothing and shelter - Amusing writing style keeps serious topics engaging Disliked: - Some found the humor distracting or juvenile - Too basic for experienced outdoors people - Repetitive points about body temperature - Limited scope beyond temperature regulation Multiple readers noted the book helped them recognize and avoid dangerous situations before they developed. One reader said "it taught me to pack better gear and make smarter decisions." Ratings: Amazon: 4.6/5 (1,200+ reviews) Goodreads: 4.1/5 (2,800+ ratings) The most common criticism is that the book could cover the same material in half the length.

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🌲 Author Cody Lundin spent two years living in a self-made brush shelter with no electricity or running water to hone his primitive survival skills. 🔥 The book's title refers to the critical importance of maintaining normal body temperature (98.6°F/37°C), as even small variations can severely impact survival chances. 🎓 Lundin founded the Aboriginal Living Skills School in Arizona in 1991, where he teaches both modern and ancient survival techniques. 📺 The author later gained wider recognition as co-host of Discovery Channel's "Dual Survival" for four seasons, where he famously refused to wear shoes in any climate. 🧠 The book emphasizes that psychological preparedness and maintaining a calm mindset are more crucial to survival than knowing complex wilderness skills - Lundin estimates survival is 90% psychology and 10% methodology.