Falling: How Our Greatest Fear Became Our Greatest Thrill--A History - Hardcover

Soden, Garrett

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0393054136 ISBN 13: 9780393054132

Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc, 2003

Synopsis

A historical look at the concept of free-fall, from its origination by drunken British brawlers to the thrill seekers of today, describes how the sport has taken the world by storm, revealing the psychological significance of its performers, the future of the sport in the athletic forum, and the impact on our daredevil society through extreme sports and virtual reality technology.

About this title

About the Author:

Garrett Soden lives in Pasadena, California.

From Publishers Weekly:

Soden's study of the allure falling has in Western culture is fun, informative, provocative and filled with enthusiasm. According to Soden (Hook Spin Buzz), falling became a sensation in the 18th century when the stunts of "gravity performers" offered a form of mass entertainment; since then, our preoccupation has only grown. Soden's exploration of gravity heroes and antiheroes is encyclopedic, ranging from trapeze inventor Jules L‚otard to the great Wallendas and skateboarding legend Tony Hawke. Similarly, Soden's consideration of gravity sports extends widely and includes mountaineering, rock climbing, 19th-century high diving, surfing, bungee jumping, ESPN's X Games and roller coasters. On the darker side, he takes time to study the "siren call" to suicide of the Golden Gate Bridge. Some of the exploits described, especially those in mountaineering and rock climbing, are awe inspiring, demanding equal parts arrogance, foolishness, daring, fortitude, physical dexterity and courage. Elsewhere, Soden devotes his attention to the psychological and cultural questions that underlie our fascination with falling. His eclectic inquiry touches on evolutionary biology, Freud, Joseph Campbell and the work of Antonio Damasio, whose analysis of emotions Soden uses to explain the attraction of falling. The author's look at the religious and linguistic implications of our conception of what it means to fall is equally inventive and insightful. By the end, Soden makes an intriguing case that the human psyche has a fundamental and complex relationship with falling, one well worth contemplating. 14 illus.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0393054136
• ISBN 13: 9780393054132
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224