Frank, Survival guides can be roughly divided into a few basic categories. Military texts cover escape and evasion. the 'primative movement' replicates older skills and there are inumerable regional volumes on desert,arboreal,marine climes. The only questionable guides are older texts with outdated medical advice ( cutter snakebite kits and rubbing frostbite with snow). Sometimes one author can effectively explain something or give a small insight others do not. reading several authors also gives a consensus on what works; but with the caveat of 'fossilized facts' in the literature ( improperly illustrated snares and deadfalls are legion). Doug has a good list. I personally enjoyed Mors Kochanski's Bushcraft and David Alloway's book on desert survival.