The only book that I can honestly recommend has already been mentioned. It is:

"98.6 Degrees: The Art of Keeping Your [censored] Alive" by Cody Lundin

The reason is, the Army Guide and the SAS Guide all have almost too much information in them.

There is a big difference being prepared to survive a "Modern Day Survial" situation and learning/practicing "Primative Living and Bushcraft." Cody's book helps you understand the difference between the two, and prepares you for a modern day survival scenario.

Here are a couple examples. All the other books guaranteed, tell you how to build a solar still and how to make traps. In a modern day survival situation lasting on average 72 hours or less, do you really need food? Most people could go a couple weeks without food, and more likely more depending on conditions. Are you sure want to start your learning focused on building traps?

Same goes for the solar still. Cody claims that he teaches building a still in his survival classes, but with a different spin. He has the document how much effort, and how much sweat and time they put into it, and the compare that to the amount of water collected from it. His claim is that you would have been better off being lazy in the shade because you wasted more than you gain in that situation. Just some things to think about.

I am not putting down any of the other books. I am just saying that I believe most people should try to focus their efforts on the most probable situation. Once you gain confidence in your ability to survive a modern day situation of being "lost" then by all means, work on bushcraft. Build traps, and spend hours on shelters and learn how to make a spoon.

Just my 2 cents, so take it for what it is worth <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Brian