The Third Man Factor: Surviving the Impossible

Hardwired to survive

I read a review in the Wall Street that caught my interest and I'm glad I followed my instinct and ordered the book.

John Geiger has written a thought provoking and intriguing book that asks more questions than it answers. The one big question that went through my mind while I read the book was; "Why are our brains hardwired to support a notion of a third man in times of danger?" Is it as simple as evolution or have we been hardwired to survive the most difficult of challengers? If you like a book that is researched, full of details and good stories of survival in the desperate of conditions then this is a book to read.
What I really liked was that Mr. Geiger has walked neutral ground neither claiming biology nor the supernatural for the third man factor but, has presented facts with tales of unbelievable heroism in conditions that only a fraction of humans will ever experience.

It is the type of book that an Atheist will read and call it simple biology, a book that a Spiritual person will read and call it wired for God. There was one quote in the book from an Angus MacKinnon about his experience; "Why should skepticism narrow down our cognition to exclude fields of knowledge that we are simply too uneducated to understand?" Shakespeare put it another way; "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Angels or Gray Matter?

Geiger is the editorial board editor at the Globe and Mail and author of Frozen in Time: The Fate of the Franklin Expedition. What he is not is a scientist I didn't expect nor receive an in-depth review of the scientific side of this phenomenon. Geiger does give us an intelligent tour of Third Man visitations. This tour includes a serious look at the scientific aspects along with the spiritual elements.

While Geiger never says, I suspect that he comes down on the side of the spiritual aspect. At the end of several of the `laboratory' discussions, he pointed out the flaws and natural short-comings of their investigation. While many were going through extreme physical distress, this does not explain the mass experiences and sightings nor does it explain the vast differences in many of the stress factor situations - i.e., Oxygen deprivation vs sea level events.

The blending of anecdotes and science is never achieved in a smooth fashion. They are of two vastly different worlds. Whether you want to call the phenomenon Guardian Angels or hallucinations will depend on your own personal view of the world. Regardless, this book is a very exciting read and will make you thankful that you are in a warm house with a glass of tea.

I would recommend this book to anyone that is drawn to mountaineering, survival skills or wishes to explore the divine side of life.

I would also recommend: Fingerprints of God: The Search for the Science of Spirituality, The Crystal Horizon: Everest - The First Solo Ascentand Surviving the Extremes: What Happens to the Body and Mind at the Limits of Human Endurance.

Great book.

Michael L. Gooch
Author of Wingtips with Spurs

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Invisible presence

Really well written book concernng the knowledge of an invisible presence felt under strenuous activites. Well researched,thought provoking. May answer questions you were afraid to ask.Spritual in nature and inspiring

Spiritual awareness

Ever felt the presence of another , yet no one was there. This book enlightens about a spritual "guidance" felt in the form of an invisible presence when pressed to maximum activity. This book will stretch your mind and maybe explain a spritual awareness you may have felt

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