When Your Life Depends on It: Extreme Decision Making Lessons from the Antarctic

by Brad Borkan, David Hirzel

Overview

"A remarkable book," Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the greatest Polar explorer in our lifetime.

Winner of multiple book and audiobook awards.

Here is the story of the life-and-death decisions made by the early Antarctic explorers. Historically accurate, complete with jaw-dropping storytelling, this book explains the mind-set of the explorers who risked life and limb in the Antarctic for science, discovery and being first to the South Pole.

Their lives depended on mutual respect, resilience, camaraderie, loyalty, determination, the ability to resolve conflict, moving forward against all odds, leadership and effective decision-making. All that can be summarised in one word - teamwork!

Teamwork was the foundation on which Antarctic exploration was built.

Businesses large or small are no different (although obviously less frostbite risk). Brad Borkan and David Hirzel demonstrate, in this thrill-a-minute read, how effective great periods in history can be in teaching teamwork and decisive resilience - skills as essential today as they were in the time of Shackleton.

Buy When Your Life Depends on It.

Immediately gain useful skills for your life, career, business and well-being today!

★★★★★ "Absolutely inspiring. To me this should be required life reading." Jean Bartlett, columnist.

★★★★★ "Excellent and compelling." Geoff Hudson-Searle, Executive and best-selling author

★★★★★ "Clever, informative and extremely well researched." Baz Gray, CEO, explorer and mountaineer

Awards for When Your Life Depends on It:

Winner: First Place: Chanticleer International Book Awards I&I Non-Fiction

Winner: Best Decision Making Books of All Time

Winner: Wishing Shelf Awards: Best Audiobook

Finalist: Voice Arts Awards: Best Audiobook: History

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781945312052
Publisher:	Terra Nova Press
Publication date:	02/23/2017
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.44(d)

About the Author

Brad Borkan's interest in polar history started when he picked up an Antarctic book at the age of 8, at the local Public Library. He has a graduate degree in Decision Sciences from the University of Pennsylvania, and a fascination in how people and businesses can make better decisions. Brad has presented at Antarctic conferences in Norway, Ireland and the UK and appeared on cable TV in the US, and on internet radio talk programs. He also has given keynote presentations at business conferences and recently conducted a webinar to 500 top employees of a Fortune 100 company using the ideas in the book. His talks focus on leadership, teamwork, resilience, and improving one's personal and business decision making, all set in the exciting context of Polar exploration.

David Hirzel, a Californian native, is an author, historian and small business owner. He has written a three-part polar biography of the Irish explorer Tom Crean, a key player in Scott's and Shackleton's expeditions. The final book of this series, Antarctic Voyager, was launched at the South-Polesium conference in Scotland (May 2015). David's book, Sailor on Ice: Tom Crean with Scott in the Antarctic, has been optioned for a documentary.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Dr. David M. Wilson, Antarctic historian, grand-nephew of Antarctic explorer and scientist, Dr. Edward Wilson

It’s your call. Opening story

1 When your life depends on it. Decision making in extreme environments. It's not like crossing the street.

2 How strong is your will to survive? Where does inspiration come from?

3 What do you do when luck runs out? Crushing disappointments and the durability of the human spirit.

4 How well have you prepared? The art of knowing your needs before they arise.

5 Who is in charge? The surprising importance of the deputy leader

6 Who is on your team? Choosing the best from the best available.

7 Three biscuits and thirty-five miles to go. Would you do it?

8 Promises, promises: How good are you at keeping yours?

9 Do you agree all is fair in love, war and polar exploration?

10 Will the results be worth the effort? Going the distance to find out.

11 All or nothing: When do you take the big risk? Sometimes you just have to plunge ahead.

12 What’s your higher purpose? Why go?

Postscript: Applying Extreme Decision-Making Lessons from the Antarctic to improve your own decision making.

Editorial Reviews

"A remarkable book."

Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the greatest Polar explorer in our lifetime

"The Polar book of the year"

Jonathan Shackleton, descendant of Sir Ernest Shackleton

"A page-turner with true stories that will sear you to the depth of your soul. It brings to life a time when ordinary people faced extraordinary challenges as they pushed forward the boundaries of human knowledge against powerful forces in a hostile environment. The stories and the decision making lessons derived from them will stay with you for the rest of your life."

David Wilson, world-renowned Antarctic historian and descendant of Antarctic explorer Dr. Edward Wilson

"Absolutely inspiring. To me this should be required life reading."

Jean Bartlett, long-time Arts and Features Correspondent, Pacifica Tribune, Oakland Tribune, San Jose Mercury

From the Publisher