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[Event listing courtesy of the Friends of the Goodnow Library]
Author Michael Tougias will be giving a slide presentation on his book Extreme Survival: Lessons From Those Who Have Triumphed Against All Odds. This event will be held at Sudbury Grange, 326 Concord Road, Sudbury on Wednesday evening, May 6, 2026, at 7 PM. This free program is being presented by the Friends of the Goodnow Library and is made possible by a generous bequest from Stella and Frank Ricciardi to the Friends of the Goodnow Library. Free parking is available behind Sudbury Town Hall, and the venue is handicapped accessible.
In his book, Extreme Survival, Tougias shares what he has learned about decision making under pressure and the mindsets and techniques survivors used to channel their energy into proactive decisions that saved their lives. He demonstrates that the same techniques can help anyone be more resilient when feeling overwhelmed or facing a seemingly insurmountable challenge in their personal or professional life. The methods shared can also be used by anyone who has an important goal. They provide inspiration and step by step practices to overcome obstacles and achieve a person’s full potential.
Tougias uses slides from some of the survival events to give the audience an edge-of-your-seat experience that also provides useful techniques that we can all use when faced with adversity or aspire to achieve a difficult goal.
The author has interviewed over 100 people who survived against all odds, and has researched many historical figures who have achieved the near-impossible. He supplements their stories with a handful of first person accounts from some of the toughest survivors in history. Some of the survivors from history include John McCain, Mary Rowlandson (captive during King Philip’s Indian War), Howard Blackburn, Captain Bligh, Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, mountainman Hugh Glass, Admiral Byrd, Shackleton, WWII pilot James Whittaker, Teddy Roosevelt, JFK (PT109), USS Indianapolis survivors, and many more from mountain climbers to early explorers of the new world.
Tougias has written seven survival and rescue books and Extreme Survival is the culmination of his life’s work of interviewing and researching the toughest survivors over the past three decades. He has earned critical acclaim and literary awards for his 30 bestselling non-fiction narratives. Some of his books include The Finest Hours (now a Disney movie), A Storm Too Soon, Overboard and The Waters Between Us. He is also author of books for middle readers in his “True Rescue Series” with MacMillan Publishing. www.michaeltougias.com