Book excerpt: Brace yourself. If you’re the squeamish type, turn back now. If you’re afraid of a little blood, read no further. But if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be struck by lightning, swallowed by quicksand, or stung by a jellyfish, then fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a wild ride. Extreme Encounters offers blow-by-blow accounts of life’s most dangerous experiences in thrilling “you-are-there” second person—so you chill to the numbing effects of frostbite, you hear the ear-splitting roar of a tornado, and you feel the stomach-lurching drop of an elevator freefall. Full of harrowing adventure and surprising scientific insights, Extreme Encounters is a journey you’ll never forget.