Jungle Travel & Survival

American book buyers, among the richest and safest people anywhere, can't get enough of survival literature. Where else would we learn to handle wild dogs, jaguars or parasitic catfish dangers from which no cell phone can save us? Jungle Travel and Survival, by medical doctor John Walden, who has visited the Amazon Basin 75 times, explains ""how to survive in the jungle and get out alive."" Walden helps the reader navigate tropical landscapes from rain forests to mangrove swamps, avoid horrible diseases like malaria, build fires and cope with perils both physical (typhoid fever, spine-bearing plants) and psychological (culture shock). He also offers tips on appropriate gear (headlamps, machetes) and appropriate interactions with tribal peoples, who may not appreciate trespassing Westerners. ( Aug.)