Battling 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?
Possessing 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? Zehr 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. A 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.
By:
E. Paul Zehr (University of Victoria)
Imprint: Publish My Book
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 216mm,
Width: 140mm,
Spine: 26mm
Weight: 499g
ISBN: 9780801890635
ISBN 10: 0801890632
Pages: 320
Publication Date: 15 November 2008
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
"Foreword, by James Kakalios Preface Part I: Bat-Building Blocks 1. The ""Before"" Batman: How Buff Was Bruce? 2. Guess Who's Coming for Dinner: Bruce's Twin Brother, Bob, and the Human Genome 3. The Stress of Life: Holy Hormones, Batman! Part II: Basic Batbody Training 4. Gaining Strength and Power: Does the Bat That Flies the Highest or the Fastest Get the Worm? 5. Building the Batbones: Brittle Is Bad, But Is Bigger Better? 6. Batmetabolism: What's for Dinner on the Dark Knight Diet Part III: Training the Batbrain 7. From Bruce Wayne to Bruce Lee: Mastering Martial Moves in the Batcave 101 8. Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting: But What Was Batman Doing? 9. The Caped Crusader in Combat: Can You Kayo without Killing? Part IV: Batman in Action 10. Batman Bashes and Is Bashed by Bad Boys (and Girls): What Can He Break without Getting Broken? 11. Hardening the Batbody: Can Sticks and Stones Break His Bones? 12. Gotham by Twilight: Working the Knight Shift Part V: A Mixed Batbag 13. Injury and Recovery: How Much Banging until the Batback Goes Bonk? 14. Battle of the Bats: Could Batgirl Beat Batman? 15. The Aging Avenger: Could the Caped Crusader Become the Caped Codger? 16. The Reign of the Bat: Can You Really Become Batman and Remain Batman? Appendix: Batman's Training Milestones Bibliography Index"
E. Paul Zehr is a professor of neuroscience and kinesiology at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, where he is also a biomedical research scholar. He holds black belts in both empty hand and armed martial arts. For more information about finding your inner superhero, visit www.becomingbatman.com.
Reviews for Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero
As a kid, I wanted to be Batman but always ended up more like the Joker. I only wish I could have read Dr. Zehr's fascinating book then, so that I would know exactly what it took to become a real superhero. - Bradford W. Wright, author of Comic Book Nation Dr. Zehr's thoroughly researched and thoughtfully imagined exploration into the real-life rigors of costumed crime-fighting shows just how DC Comics' Dark Knight - the original self-made hero - could realistically transform a mere human body into something no less than superhuman. Consider it required reading for anyone seriously contemplating donning cape and cowl. - Scott Beatty, author of The Batman Handbook
