Customer Reviews

The Physics of Superheroes: Spectacular Second Edition

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"Back-of-the-envelope" calculations are near and dear to scientists' - and physicists' in particular - hearts. These are arithmatically simple estimations to give a feel for the right answer. James Kakalios takes this idea to a whole new level in this book, using simplifications and estimations to determine such widely diverse phenomena as the density of the planet Krypton (Superman's home world) to the strength of Spider-man's webbing. There is, of course, a healthy dose of physics, but it's very palatable, and not at all required for understanding the points made or conclusions drawn. In fact, this book derives from a course at the University of Minnesota that uses superheroes to demonstrate physics, rather than a course to verify (or vilify) the physical realities/possibilities of the characters in the comic books.

This distinction is important - Kakalios obviously has a great affection for both comics and physics, and refuses to automatically denigrate the efforts of the comic book writers. His modus operandi is to grant each hero a "one-time miracle exception" to the laws of physics, which is generally used to account for the superhero's powers. For example, it's granted that Superman can fly, or that Sue Richards (of the Fantastic 4) can turn herself invisible. Given the miracle of the superpowers, Kakalios then delves into the details or consequences of the power. What force of lift does Superman require to get himself into the air? Could Sue Richards see while invisible? (Answer: not in the visible region of the spectrum, but perhaps her eyes change to see in the UV or IR regions of the spectrum.) This method is very welcome - we all know that superheroes are absurd (yes, even Batman and others that don't technically have superpowers), so what's the point of dwelling on it?

Instead, we learn a little physics and a lot of comic book history. (Well, that was the division for me - being too young to remember the Silver Age of comics, and having taken three university-level physics courses.) It's written in the style of your favourite high-school science teacher: the one that knew what s/he was talking about but was prone to making extremely goofy (and geeky) science-related jokes. These teachers are obviously enthusiastic and made it fun to be in class, and you learned the material (perhaps in spite of yourself!). An added bonus: if you are a science teacher/professor, this book will likely give you some good ideas for new and fun examples in your classes.

I have searched for a book that would help me and my ten year old son learn about physics - and thisbook certainly hits the mark. The author's lighthearted approach and his linking the principles to comic book heroes makes for a brilliant read. Okay, so my boy might not get the whole picture first off - neither does his dad - but the examples Kakalios uses help to visualise the concepts and therefore help you to understand sometimes quite difficult concepts. Also makes for some interesting "mind-bending" musings 'twixt boy and man :)

Well Done Mr. Kakalios!

By the way - all the equations are in an appendix for those that need 'em

Physics for Superheroes is hilarious and funny. It puts the abuses and uses of Physics of super heroes in context. I assigned this to my Physics class and they loved it.

It is an easy read and will leave you smiling.

I've been absolutely addicted to this book. I love physics! This book makes learning about physics fun and entertaining. It also gives real-life examples of physics principles which makes it easy to understand, and even makes for conversation material!

This book was hilarious! I laughed a lot while reading it and contemplating on the wide spread of concepts that were brought up with a Kakalios perspective on their suits. One of the most interesting examples he used were about the comic superhero Flash. He discussed how it was possible for flash to run on water, run up buildings, create a sonic -boom, hear things at ridiculously high frequencies, smack the bad guys in the face with a wave front and even run faster than the words he says. If that was not enough to satisfy your curiosity, he also explains how it might be possible for flash to speed through walls with no effect on him or the wall and to vibrate so fast to be able to melt a huge amount of ice. But, the real question we should be asking ourselves is how many big-mac's would Flash have to eat to supply him with enough energy to accomplish these feats? If you want to be able to calculate such a feat, you should read this book!

What a wonderful book! Very informative and interesting. A great way to brush up on your physics and learn about about the lives of comic book heros as well. Came on time and in good condition.

"The Physics Of Superheroes" by Jim Kakalios superbly explains the understanding of physics in a fun and new way. This terrific book demonstrates a number of important points. Physics is not an easy subject, but Jim Kakalios helps people have a better understanding of the book. It is not a book just for comic book lovers, but it is a book for people who do not understand comic books also. Who doesn't want to be a superhero? This book realizes the aspects of superheroes and other comic book characters. The author has written a book by combining his love for physics with his love of comic books. He has written a book for the general reader covering all of the basic points in a first-level college physics course and is difficult to put down. Kakalios also helps explain that gravity is at least 15 times greater on Krypton than here on Earth. He also explains the bad things about Spidey's web and how it cannot save people because of the abrupt stop and roughness of the web. Kakalios covers many topics such as electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, string theory and thermodynamics. He keeps you interested and sometimes even laughing throughout the book. I am not a comic book fan or physics fan, but this book is much more than that.

I enjoyed this book very much. James Kakalios has a special way of explaining physics principles in a simple way. By using examples from comic books, he makes physics fun. Unfortunately, he does use formulas and mathematics to supplement his explanations. I wish someone could explain physics without the math, but I have yet to see such a book. I recommend this for anyone who wants to confirm his/her previous understanding of physics principles.

For those who still raise their children on books that are made out of papre, this is a great way to keep their time on the video games and away from T.V. to a minimum.

Hard to read for a preteen. Aimed at an educated adult.

On the first page of the foreword I encountered "Sisyphean" and decided NOT to give it to my eleven-year-old grandson, who is an avid reader. I'll hold it until Christmas, I guess. It is a good book IF you know your comics and IF you have a liberal arts education.