Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero | 
 enlarge | Author: E. Paul Zehr
Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
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Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 28119
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 328
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 5.9 x 1.2
ISBN: 0801890632
Dewey Decimal Number: 613.7
EAN: 9780801890635
ASIN: 0801890632
Publication Date: November 7, 2008
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Product Description
PBattling bad guys. High-tech hideouts. The gratitude of the masses. Who at some point in their life hasn't dreamed of being a superhero? Impossible, right? Or is it?/PPPossessing no supernatural powers, Batman is the most realistic of all the superheroes. His feats are achieved through rigorous training and mental discipline, and with the aid of fantastic gadgets. Drawing on his training as a neuroscientist, kinesiologist, and martial artist, E. Paul Zehr explores the question: Could a mortal ever become Batman? /PPZehr discusses the physical training necessary to maintain bad-guy-fighting readiness while relating the science underlying this process, from strength conditioning to the cognitive changes a person would endure in undertaking such a regimen. In probing what a real-life Batman could achieve, Zehr considers the level of punishment a consummately fit and trained person could handle, how hard and fast such a person could punch and kick, and the number of adversaries that individual could dispatch. He also tells us what it would be like to fight while wearing a batsuit and the amount of food we'd need to consume each day to maintain vigilance as Gotham City's guardian./PPA fun foray of escapism grounded in sound science, Becoming Batman provides the background for attaining the realizable -- though extreme -- level of human performance that would allow you to be a superhero./P
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| Customer Reviews:
Everything you need to know, plus... January 3, 2009
rick33 (Sydney, Australia)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
...a whole lot you don't! I almost gave this book three stars due to it being (slightly) disappointingly dry, but added the extra one just for the sheer AMOUNT of detail in the book. br / br /Really, it is too much, though. Admittedly, I haven't read it from cover to cover yet, but then again, I don't think I've ever read a text book from cover to cover. And that's what a lot of this is. Granted, the device of using the idea of "becoming Batman" is a great hook and one that I think can keep true fans (of Batman AND biology) on the line. And even though the focus of the book is on the effect of extensive training and the consequences of living the life of The Bat, Zehr does touch on TYPES of training Batman would most likely be realistically engaged in. br / br /The book contains five Parts and a total of 16 Chapters. Since there is no "Look Inside" for this book yet, I've listed these below: br / br /Part 1 - Bat-Building Blocks br /Chapter 1 - The "Before" Batman: How Buff was Bruce? br /Chapter 2 - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner: Bruce's Twin Brother, and the Human Genome br /Chapter 3 - The Stress of Life: Holy Hormones, Batman! br / br /Part 2 - Basic Batbody Training br /Chapter 4 - Gaining Strength and Power: Does the Bat That Flies the br /Fastest or the Highest Get the Worm? br /Chapter 5 - Building the Batbones: Brittle is Bad, But is Bigger Better? br /Chapter 6 - Batmetabolism: What's for Dinner on the Dark Knight Diet? br / br /Part 3 - Training the Batbrain br /Chapter 7 - From Bruce Wayne to Bruce Lee: Mastering Martial Moves in the Batcave br /Chapter 8 - Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting: But What Was Batman Doing? br /Chapter 9 - The Caped Crusader in Combat: Can You Kayo Without Killing? br / br /Part 4 - Batman In Action br /Chapter 10 - Batman Bashes and Is Bashed by Bad Boys (and Girls): What can he break without getting broken? br /Chapter 11 - Hardening the Batbody: Can sticks and stones break his bones? br /Chapter 12 - Gotham by Twilight: Working the Night Shift br / br /Part 5 - A Mixed Bag br /Chapter 13 - Injury and Recovery: How much Banging Until the Batback Goes Bonk? br /Chapter 14 - Battle of the Bats: Could Batgirl Beat Batman? br /Chapter 15 - The Aging Avenger: Could the Caped Crusader Become the Caped Codger? br /Chapter 16 - The Reign of the Bat: Can You Really Become Batman and Remain Batman? br / br /APPENDIX br /BIBLIOGRAPHY br /INDEX br / br /Now don't let these zippy and fun chapter titles fool you. If you get this book you're in for some serious science. There's a lot of molecular biology, chemistry and good ol' fashioned science text book jargon. I'm not sure if the average person who is interested in "Becoming Batman" needs, or even wants, to know how the Cortical bone is made up of Osteon which apparently has something to do with the Haversian canal, but it's all in figure 5.1 on page 68 if you DO need it. I get the feeling the scientist in Batman would love this book. br / br /Or, you could just pop in your "The Dark Knight" dvd again and scarf down some popcorn.
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