Ben Sherwood knows survival. The L.A. Times writer and author of the Man Who Ate the 747 has interviewed people from all over the world to find out just how people survived the most harrowing experiences a human can endure—from the Holocaust to mountain lion attacks.

Sherwood uses two important questions to frame each worst-case scenario: What does it really take to survive a catastrophic event? and What kind of survivor are you? He highlights the different types of strategies people have used to survive through life’s toughest (and most bizarre) challenges but also stresses that it’s often pure gut instinct that helps many people make it through these ordeals alive. Read more about The Survivor’s Club: The Secrets and Science That Could Save Your Life