Deep Survival is one of the best wilderness books I've ever read. There is a wealth of information and good advice to be mined, and as Illusion says, the book bears repeated reading. Ditto most of the original sources listed in the Selected Bibliography.

Mistakes are, indeed, inevitable. However, the hopeful note in DS is that humility and a little knowledge can go a long way in helping one to avoid them, or at least to minimize the collateral damage when they occur. In this respect, a little knowledge, while perhaps dangerous, sure beats stumbling around totally clueless.

Furthermore, although accidents do happen all the time, they don't necessarily have to happen to you. Things like cold shock, or getting caught on the summit of Gotta Late Start Tower in Yosemite when the afternoon thunderstorm rolls through are not inevitable occurrences, at least not on an individual level.