Extreme ─ Why Some People Thrive at the Limits

Why do some people risk their lives regularly by placing themselves in extreme and challenging situations? For some, such as astronauts, the extreme environments are part of the job. For others, they involve the thrill and competition of extreme sports, or the achievement of goals such as being the first to reach the South Pole or climb Everest. Whether for sport or employment, all these people have made the personal choice to put themselves in environments in which there is significant risk. What drives such people? And what skills and personality traits enable the best to succeed? What abilities are shared by the successful mountaineer, astronaut, caver, or long-distance solo sailer? And are there lessons the rest of us can learn from them?

The psychology of those who have to cope with extreme conditions has been a matter of much research. It is important, for example to those planning manned space programmes or the makeup of teams who will spend months in an isolated or hostile environment such as Antarctica, to understand the psychological pressures involved, and to recognize those best equipped to handle them. In Extreme, Emma Barrett and Paul Martin explore the challenges that people in extreme environments face, including pain, physical hardship, loneliness, and friction between individuals, and the approaches taken to overcome them. Using many fascinating examples and personal accounts, they argue that we can all benefit from the insights gained.

Emma Barrett,Paul Martin

Emma Barrett and Paul Martin are fascinated by the complexities of human lives, and passionate about communicating scientific research that may help to make lives better. They both have a solid track record in behavioural science research and many years' experience of making behavioural science research accessible to a non-specialist readership. Emma Barrett was awarded the OBE in 2010, partly in recognition of her achievements in translating research findings into practical advice and guidance for non-specialist audiences. Paul Martin is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at Imperial College London. Paul is the author of more than twenty academic papers and co-author of a student textbook of animal behaviour. Paul Martin is the author of several popular science books, includingThe Sickening Mind (Harper Collins) and Making Happy People (Fourth Estate).