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Product Description
Review
"Back in the sixties, when I first dreamed up the concept of Iron Man, I thought, 'What if a man had a suit of armor, like the knights of old - but modern armor that housed all sorts of miniaturized, technical weaponry? Such a man would seem to be the ultimate superhero.' At first, I didn't give much thought to what that suit of armor might mean to the man inside - how it might affect his body and/or his brain and subtly blur the line between human and machine. But now, almost 40 years later, E. Paul Zehr has tackled that very subject. Inventing Iron Man is his fascinating vision of the real life implications of my original concept." (Stan Lee, comic icon and creator of Iron Man) "E. Paul Zehr, surely one of the coolest of professors, has done something interesting, enlightening, and maybe just a bit quixotic; he has built a bridge between the fantasy science of superhero comics and the eyes-front innovations of real-life technological innovators." (Dennis O'Neil, Iron Man writer and editor)"
Product Description
Tony Stark has been battling bad guys and protecting innocent civilians since he first donned his mechanized armor in the 1963 debut of Iron Man in Marvel Comics. Over the years, Stark's suit has allowed him to smash through walls, fly through the air like a human jet, control a bewildering array of weaponry by thought alone, and perform an uncountable number of other fantastic feats. The man who showed us all what it would take to become Batman probes whether science-and humankind-is up to the task of inventing a real-life Iron Man. E. Paul Zehr physically deconstructs Iron Man to find out how we could use modern-day technology to create a suit of armor similar to the one Stark made. Applying scientific principles and an incredibly creative mind to the question, Zehr looks at how Iron Man's suit allows Stark to become a superhero. He discusses the mind-boggling and body-straining feats Iron Man performed to defeat villains like Crimson Dynamo, Iron Monger, and Whiplash and how such acts would play out in the real world. Zehr finds that science is nearing the point where a suit like Iron Man's could be made. But superherodom is not just about technology. Zehr also discusses our own physical limitations and asks whether an extremely well-conditioned person could use Iron Man's armor and do what he does. A scientifically sound look at brain-machine interfaces and the outer limits where neuroscience and neural plasticity meet, Inventing Iron Man is a fun comparison between comic book science fiction and modern science. If you've ever wondered whether you have what it takes to be the ultimate human-machine hero, then this book is for you.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.6 out of 5 stars (25 customer reviews)
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
From WhatIsTechnoAgain.com Blog, Sep 26 2011
By Stephanie - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Inventing Iron Man: The Possibility of a Human Machine (Hardcover)
A couple of years ago, I read and reviewed a book called Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero. Unlike many other superhero-meets-something topics (usually that "something" is philosophy related), this one interested me on two fundamental levels: it talked about Batman from the appreciative standpoint of specific comic book issues, and it showed me with rock hard, scientific proof which aspects of my favorite caped crusader were possible to achieve by way of body and mind and which were not.Now the author of that book is back with another investigation into the possible and impossible, and this time he's adding another layer to the inquiry: human and machine. E. Paul Zehr, who so kindly provided me a review copy of his latest work (on sale October 1), has chosen Iron Man as his sophomore course of study, and he follows through with as much curiosity and passion as his first. Inventing Iron Man: The Possibility of a Human Machine uses Tony Stark's original and remodeled suits as a launch point to answer countless questions about man and his capability to connect with complicated machines and to investigate how close to current technology those wondrous armors are.
The questions lead the reader down paths of neuroscience and kinesiology (the study of human movement) to possibilities of flight, the myth of multi-tasking, the effects of substance abuse, the damage sustained by prolonged biological interface with a machine, to the long-lasting effects of subjecting the human body to a second exoskeleton that does all the major work for you. As with Becoming Batman, the most fascinating parts of Inventing Iron Man are the avenues of discussion most comic book fans never consider: like how wearing the Iron Man suit would expose Tony to the same gravitational issues that astronauts face when they return to Earth, or what realistic explanation could be offered in replacement of Stark's fictional origin story.
Like a true costumed hero, Zehr masks learning in the guise of pop culture enthusiasm--the language and life blood of comic book nerds. Readers will forget they're being taught real-world information and that at the book's center--and Iron Man's heart--is the same science and technology they were exposed to in school. The techno-speak weighs down the occasional chapter, but most of the time the author has a good handle on making the language accessible and easily understood. I wish Zehr had written all my biology textbooks.
Inventing Iron Man: The Possibility of a Human Machine is a perfect source to learn about the history of Iron Man and the strength and limits of the human body and brain. If you're already a genius-level Iron Man fan, then you're bound to discover a new facet of your beloved hero. Take it from a girl who knows her Batman ever better now than before.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Is Our Fantasy A Possible Reality? It Just Might Be!, Oct 19 2011
By Shawn Kovacich "Shawn Kovacich" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Inventing Iron Man: The Possibility of a Human Machine (Hardcover)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
This was really a quite fascinating book that takes a look at the fantasy of the Marvel Comic Books superhero "Ironman" and asks the question, "Is this really possible?" And the answer to that question just may very well surprise you.The author really puts a lot of thought into this question and gives scientific proof of what is and what is not possible. Just like he did in his previous work, Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero, which I also highly recommend that you read.
I realize that this review is rather brief, but there really isn't a whole lot more that I can add after reading some of the earlier reviews.
Shawn Kovacich
Creator of numerous books and DVDs.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fun look at the possibility of Iron Man in the real world, Sep 30 2011
By Louis Coniglio - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Inventing Iron Man: The Possibility of a Human Machine (Hardcover)
Pre-release customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program
I like this book. I'd considered buying a copy of Becoming Batman: The Possibility of a Superhero, because I am intrigued by the plausibility of a fictional character existing in the real world. To me, Iron Man is an even more interesting character to explore, because there is so much more to Iron Man's suit (propulsion, protection, weaponry, strength, etc.) that can be looked at. Truthfully, I am all about all things superhero, so some real world looks at characters, or the philosophy behind them is pretty interesting.The author does a good job of simplifying complex concepts like robotics, human anatomy and how the two interface; it is all done in such a way that while dealing with advanced concepts, he never talks down to the reader. He seems to have a feel that someone reading this book is going into with an open mind and a desire to learn something, and he delivers. He's also clearly a fan of the genre, and treats it with a great deal of care and respect. His love for the character, from the detailed citations from nearly 50 years of the character's history, to the decent black and white reproductions of comic art, deliver that message loud and clear. Overall, not your typical comic book fare- it's high level nerdiness, and great for it.
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