Defying Gravity: Land Divers, Roller Coasters, Gravity Bums, and the Human Obsession with FallingDefying Gravity tells the astonishing story of how gravity pioneers transformed an ancient terror'he sensation of falling'nto the modern thrill that powers extreme sports, monstrous amusement rides, and a youth culture obsessed with "getting air." It's a hair-raising tour, with nineteenth-century parachutists plummeting to their deaths before thousands, British lords tumbling from Alpine peaks, Hollywood stuntmen dropping from biplanes to freight trains, drunken carousers outrunning police to make the world's first bungee jump, and X Games athletes such as stunt bike rider Mat Hoffman explaining their bone-breaking passion. Garrett Soden follows the evolutionary trail back to our acrobatic primate ancestors and delves deep into the psychology of sensation seekers. 12 illustrations. Originally published in hardcover under the title Falling. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION Birth of the Bungee Jump | 9 |
The Gravity Century | 19 |
CHAPTER 2 | 43 |
CHAPTER 4 | 97 |
CHAPTER 5 | 111 |
Wall Rats | 187 |
The Arborealists | 205 |
Got Air? | 221 |
Sensation Seekers | 257 |
The Metaphor of Falling | 275 |
Falling Today and Tomorrow | 289 |
Acknowledgments | 307 |
Notes | 311 |
| 325 | |
| 329 | |
Falling for All | 239 |
Common terms and phrases
Annie balloon Balmat barrel BASE jumping Beach became began bike Blondin body brain Bridge Brodie bungee jumping called chute circus cited August cliff climb climbers cord crowd dangerous Dangerous Sports Club DAREDEVIL death DEFYING GRAVITY dive drop ESPN face Farini feel fell flip flying Games Garnerin Golden Gate Bridge gravity hero hanging hard human hundred feet idea invented jumpers knew Kurz land later leap legs looked metaphor Mike miles an hour mountain movie nearly Niagara NOBLE DAREDEVIL parachute parachutists parks Patch Pentecost Islanders performers pitons pole primates pulled quoted ride riders risk rock roller coaster rope route Royal Robbins Sam Patch SENSATION SEEKERS skateboarders skydiving slope spin stop stunt suicide Superman surfboard surfers surfing there's thought thousand feet thrill Tony trapeze trees trick turned vert ramp walk WALL RATS Wallenda wave Whymper wire wirewalkers X Games
Popular passages
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