Defying Gravity: Land Divers, Roller Coasters, Gravity Bums, and the Human Obsession with Falling

Defying Gravity tells the astonishing story of how gravity pioneers transformed an ancient terror—the sensation of falling—into 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.