Its hard to imagine how one would survive such an ordeal.
438 Days, by author Jonathan Franklin, is about the true life story of how one man did just that.
Note: This description contains only minor spoilers, like those that you would read from the description on the back of the book. That being said if you wanted to go in completely blind to this book with no information about it whatsoever, then I would avoid this part. Personally, I think your safe.
While fishing off the coast of Mexico in the open pacific, Salvador Alvarenga and his partner get caught in a major storm which sends them drifting endlessly into the open ocean. With not much food and water and very little supplies, the two men are forced to overcome countless obstacles that we normally take for granted, like how to get food and water, and basic shelter.
This book was a very interesting read and another one of those true testaments about human survival in extreme conditions.
I read this book very quickly (for me), over the course of about three days. The weather was cold and frosty and I was warm on the couch curled up with the book. There is nothing better than reading a book by the fire on a cold day.
Anyway, what I found most inspiring was Alvarengas attitude during the whole ordeal. He remained very positive throughout his time on the ocean, even despite the severe conditions. The challenges (both physical and mental) that he went through were mind boggling. I found that part to be very inspirational.
This book was similar to a book i read last year called Adrift by Steven Callahan. He survived 76 days at sea and experienced a lot of the same thing in this book, though he had more supplies and gear. Both books were similar and very good but I think I preferred 438 Days slightly more. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes the true survival story genre.
