The Science of Superman

Rating:
Summary: Popular science with an entertaining hook
Review: A brief (256 pages, but the print is fairly large and there are a few pictures from the comics) and entertaining analysis of the powers and characteristics of Superman through the lens of real science. The author does not puncture the fantasy but weighs the possibilities and outlines the obstacles while explaining a fair amount of physics, mechanics, and biology along the way. Lois Gresh's "The Science of Superheroes" covers similar-but-broader territory in perhaps a more concise manner, but this book covers what it does with a bit more depth.

Rating:
Summary: PRETTY COOL!
Review: i JUST FINISHED READING THIS BOOK AND i MUST SAY I AM IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY THE AUTHOR TRIES TO GROUND "THE LAST SON OF KRYPTON"INTO REAL WORLD SCIENCE.TRUE,SOME OF THEORIES TAKE YOU TO THE OUTER REALMS OF BELIEVEBILITY,BUT IT WOULDN'T BE AS MUCH FUN IF IT DIDN'T.WHILE THE "MAN OF STEEL" IS MY PERSONEL FAVORITE(I'M MORE OF A "DARK NIGHT" MY SELF HINT,HINT!)I THINK HE DID A GOOD JOB WITH WHAT HE HAD TO WORK WITH.AND FOR ALL YOU HARDCORE FANS WHO HAVE TO NIT-PICK OVER EVERY LITTLE DETAIL I HAVE THIS TO SAY:GET OUT OF YOUR PARENT'S BASEMENT,GO FIND A GIRLFRIEND,AND GET A LIFE!

Rating:
Summary: PRETTY COOL!
Review: i JUST FINISHED READING THIS BOOK AND i MUST SAY I AM IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY THE AUTHOR TRIES TO GROUND "THE LAST SON OF KRYPTON"INTO REAL WORLD SCIENCE.TRUE,SOME OF THEORIES TAKE YOU TO THE OUTER REALMS OF BELIEVEBILITY,BUT IT WOULDN'T BE AS MUCH FUN IF IT DIDN'T.WHILE THE "MAN OF STEEL" IS MY PERSONEL FAVORITE(I'M MORE OF A "DARK NIGHT" MY SELF HINT,HINT!)I THINK HE DID A GOOD JOB WITH WHAT HE HAD TO WORK WITH.AND FOR ALL YOU HARDCORE FANS WHO HAVE TO NIT-PICK OVER EVERY LITTLE DETAIL I HAVE THIS TO SAY:GET OUT OF YOUR PARENT'S BASEMENT,GO FIND A GIRLFRIEND,AND GET A LIFE!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful look at science and super powers!!
Review: I rushed out to get this book and was not disappointed. Science of Superman takes a very "real World" look at the scientific theories and laws that would govern superman's abilities. Anyone who complains about the book having "too much science and too little Superman" obviously did not get the point of the title!! The scientific aspect of the book, featuring all the theories, laws etc. was well explained in case you have never heard of any of it before, and it is all applied to Superman and how he would function in real life.
Great Read for any Superman fan :)

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful look at science and super powers!!
Review: I rushed out to get this book and was not disappointed. Science of Superman takes a very "real World" look at the scientific theories and laws that would govern superman's abilities. Anyone who complains about the book having "too much science and too little Superman" obviously did not get the point of the title!! The scientific aspect of the book, featuring all the theories, laws etc. was well explained in case you have never heard of any of it before, and it is all applied to Superman and how he would function in real life.
Great Read for any Superman fan :)

Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable synthesis of real science and real fiction
Review: Mark Wolverton takes the techniques he developed from writing science history and fact articles for periodicals like "American Heritage" and applies them to arguably the most well-known character in American popular fiction, Superman. Through research and conversations with real scientists, Mr. Wolverton successfully culls actual data and theories necessary to explain how Superman's powers could (and could not) work. The tone is light but never tongue-in-cheek, and while the subjects discussed would not be out of place in a "Scientific American" article, Mr. Wolverton's style is never dry and will certainly keep even a non-technically oriented reader happy and involved. Also some of the revelations concerning Superman's powers portend interesting actual developments for us ordinary men and women.
The book bears the imprimatur of DC comics, so we can assume that the work will be the official explanation of why and how Superman works. It's not every day that a legend get rewritten, and the book will doubtlessly help serve as the foundation for a whole new set of adventures for the Man of Steel (or perhaps more correctly the Man with a Bioelectric Force Field...?).

Rating:
Summary: An enjoyable synthesis of real science and real fiction
Review: Mark Wolverton takes the techniques he developed from writing science history and fact articles for periodicals like "American Heritage" and applies them to arguably the most well-known character in American popular fiction, Superman. Through research and conversations with real scientists, Mr. Wolverton successfully culls actual data and theories necessary to explain how Superman's powers could (and could not) work. The tone is light but never tongue-in-cheek, and while the subjects discussed would not be out of place in a "Scientific American" article, Mr. Wolverton's style is never dry and will certainly keep even a non-technically oriented reader happy and involved. Also some of the revelations concerning Superman's powers portend interesting actual developments for us ordinary men and women.
The book bears the imprimatur of DC comics, so we can assume that the work will be the official explanation of why and how Superman works. It's not every day that a legend get rewritten, and the book will doubtlessly help serve as the foundation for a whole new set of adventures for the Man of Steel (or perhaps more correctly the Man with a Bioelectric Force Field...?).

Rating:
Summary: Not much fun
Review: Should have been titled "A lot of Science, A little of Superman". Author spends about 80% of book going into way too much depth about all sorts of sciences and then ties it into Superman's abilities at the end of each chapter. After a while you find yourself skipping the science sections just to get to the Superman parts. Author also states throughout book that Superman came to earth before he was actually born-as a birthing matrix-to support his theory about Superman's adaptability to earth conditions. Is this a recent comic book change to his origin? For those of us who read the comics through the 60's-80's, and have seen all the Movies and TV shows of the last 50 years, Superman always came to Earth as a small child. This bit of revisionism is quite jarring-especially for the older reader who is more likely to pick up this book. Book should have been more fun, save your money.

Rating:
Summary: pretty good
Review: The book as mentioned in other reviews, does a good job exlpaining supes powers from a scientific view. Though the author uses the word "speculation" a lot, it doesn't take away how great it is to know that the entity known as superman could exist. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves superman.

Rating:
Summary: superman and science---a logical union and a good book
Review: this handsome book takes us where so many superman writers have been -- to the place where science and science fiction meet. if you ever considered how the man of steel could do what he does, this book cogently attacks the science behind it.

nicely illustrated and fun