Rising Force: The Magic of Magnetic Levitation
This book is an extensive compendium of everything you might want to know about levitation of things both animate and inanimate. James Livingston is a master of this genre in that he presents quite difficult concepts with humor, history, and detail while always maintaining technical accuracy. (Fred Fickett, Chief, NIST Magnetic Technology Division (Ret.))A well-written, factual account of magnetic levitation and accompanying lore over the ages,Rising Forceis a welcome addition to Livingston's previous books on magnetics. (Ralph Hollis, Research Professor, The Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University)No, MIT professor Livingston writes, the magnetically levitated island inGulliver's Travels(or its homage inAvatar) is not possible...But while Jonathan Swift's version of levitation is science fiction, it and other cultural examples dot this accessible illustration of the physics that allow for real-life wonders like maglev trains. (Discover2011-05-01)Further proof that physics can be fun...Think of Peter Pan, David Copperfield, and Harry Potter. Livingston, a physicist and lecturer at MIT who writes songs about physics, looks at the historical fascination with levitation, both real and fake, and explores the use of magnetic forces to overcome gravity and friction in flying frogs, implanted heart pumps, and high-speed trains. (Jan GardnerBoston Globe2011-05-08)Giving a new meaning to literary suspense, physicist James Livingston devotes his book to the science of magnetic levitation. From laboratory demonstrations of floating magnets, flying frogs and suspended sumo wrestlers to the realities of urban maglev trains, he uncovers humanity's fascination with the magic of defying gravity, as well as the physics of magnetic fields and superconductivity. (Nature2011-05-05)General science and technology buffs will find this accessible book fascinating and might be tempted to try a little levitation themselves. (Publishers Weekly2011-08-12)If you thought magnetic levitation was mostly about flying trains, then readRising Force. Former physicist at GE and lecturer at MIT, James D. Livingston can barely conceal his excitement, and dry sense of humor, as he takes his readers on a whistle-stop tour of everything "maglev." (Rebecca PoolEngineering & Technology2011-09-01)I can easily recommend this title. It's a good insight into an aspect of much of modern technology, with enough surrounding material to keep it entertaining to read. (Matt ChorleyPopular Science2011-12-01)