Preserving our livelihoods, finding a competitive edge, and making life and death decisions- we all push our limits to survive these situations.
Cory and Julie Shrum
Cory and Julie Shrum work hard on their family farm, but they also play hard when they get the chance. Farming is in their blood. Believe it or not, so are combine demolition derbies – which provide an opportunity to engineer massive combines that are cobbled together from discarded and rusted parts, and a lot of hard work.
On the farm they rise to the challenge of surviving with their multi-generational family enterprise, in the face of ever-decreasing water supplies. In the derby competitions, they try to survive through the play-offs in an effort to bring home the trophy for their team. They push their own personal limits as well as the limits of physics and material science, to win competitions and to survive the never-ending need to maintain their farm’s expensive machinery.
On the farm they rise to the challenge of surviving with their multi-generational family enterprise, in the face of ever-decreasing water supplies. In the derby competitions, they try to survive through the play-offs in an effort to bring home the trophy for their team. They push their own personal limits as well as the limits of physics and material science, to win competitions and to survive the never-ending need to maintain their farm’s expensive machinery.
SCIENCE IN EVERYDAY LIFE
FEATURED BOOK: ARCTIC DRIFT
In Arctic Drift, Clive Cussler keeps readers transfixed while weaving marine technologies into a high-stakes adventure. The book’s heroes fight for their lives, while keeping life-changing technology out of the hands of the bad guys. The consequences of their actions have implications for the very survival of humankind!
Fans know Clive Cussler’s character Dirk Pitt as a seagoing engineer and adventurer, but not all of them know that Cussler himself is a real-life marine archeologist. Cussler’s works often depict his hero in extreme conditions, such as stranded on an arctic ice flow or trapped in a sunken shipwreck. His attention to detail and scientific knowledge play a big role creating stories that hold the interest of his readers.
Fans know Clive Cussler’s character Dirk Pitt as a seagoing engineer and adventurer, but not all of them know that Cussler himself is a real-life marine archeologist. Cussler’s works often depict his hero in extreme conditions, such as stranded on an arctic ice flow or trapped in a sunken shipwreck. His attention to detail and scientific knowledge play a big role creating stories that hold the interest of his readers.
Author Interview
RECOMMENDED BOOKS AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Consider these additional titles for your Survival theme book selection. Full descriptions of each book and suggested discussion questions can be found in the download file at the bottom of the page.
The Limit: Life and Death on the 1961 Grand Prix, by Michael Cannell (Non-fiction)
The story of Phil Hill-a lowly California mechanic who would become the first American-born driver to win the Grand Prix.
Down River, by Will Hobbs (Fiction-teen and Young Adult)
Rebellious teenagers hijack boats, and try to run the dangerous white water at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster, by Jon Krakauer (Non-fiction)
A harrowing true story of the perils of high-altitude climbing, filled with tragedy and heroism.
I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson (Fiction)
Named the best vampire novel of the century by the Horror Writers Association and the Bram Stoker Estate… adapted to film in 1964 as The Last Man on Earth, in 1971 as Omega Man, and in 2007 as I am Legend.
Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen (Fiction-teen and Young Adult)
An award-winning contemporary survival story against which all others are compared. A page-turning, heart-stopping adventure.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick (Non-fiction)
The story of the whaleship Essex, which in 1820 was rammed and sunk by an angry sperm whale, leaving the desperate crew to drift for more than ninety days in three tiny boats.
The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge, by Michael Punke (Fiction)
Now a major motion picture. A thrilling tale of betrayal and revenge set against the nineteenth-century American frontier.
The story of Phil Hill-a lowly California mechanic who would become the first American-born driver to win the Grand Prix.
Down River, by Will Hobbs (Fiction-teen and Young Adult)
Rebellious teenagers hijack boats, and try to run the dangerous white water at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster, by Jon Krakauer (Non-fiction)
A harrowing true story of the perils of high-altitude climbing, filled with tragedy and heroism.
I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson (Fiction)
Named the best vampire novel of the century by the Horror Writers Association and the Bram Stoker Estate… adapted to film in 1964 as The Last Man on Earth, in 1971 as Omega Man, and in 2007 as I am Legend.
Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen (Fiction-teen and Young Adult)
An award-winning contemporary survival story against which all others are compared. A page-turning, heart-stopping adventure.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick (Non-fiction)
The story of the whaleship Essex, which in 1820 was rammed and sunk by an angry sperm whale, leaving the desperate crew to drift for more than ninety days in three tiny boats.
The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge, by Michael Punke (Fiction)
Now a major motion picture. A thrilling tale of betrayal and revenge set against the nineteenth-century American frontier.