Tampilkan postingan dengan label Books. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Books. Tampilkan semua postingan
Senin, 25 November 2013
Holiday Gift Guide for Amusement Park Fans
Minggu, 10 November 2013
Ultimate Coaster Design Book Updated
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| Roller coaster wheel carrier |
“Very impressive! What a great resource to have..for anyone.” - John S.
“Thanks for writing a very good book. I could not put it down. Lot's of great information. I am a technology and engineering teacher and the information I found here is very helpful in trying to get students more excited about engineering.” Amazon reviewer
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| Rotation about the track spine |
Some of the questions about roller coaster design you will have answered after reading include:
What software do roller coaster engineers use?
What college major is best to become a coaster designer?
How many engineers does it take to design a coaster?
How do roller coasters reach their highest point?
Why don’t coaster cars roll backwards down the lift hill?
Why do wheels on steel coasters come in pairs?
Why do we see so many clones of the exact same ride built at multiple parks?
How does a 4D coaster work?
How much does a roller coaster cost?
How much time does it take to design a roller coaster?
What is the difference between LIM and LSM propulsion?
What sort of background is necessary to get into the roller coaster engineering field?
How do you calculate the amount of power needed for the lift hill?
Currently, there are three options to purchase:
Paperback - $11.99
Kindle - $9.99
Digital PDF - $5.99
Jumat, 23 Agustus 2013
Read John Wardley's Book
If you're a fan of theme parks and want to know more about how attractions are designed then you must read John Wardley's book, Creating My Own Nemesis. John Wardley is the designer of several world class roller coasters including Vampire at Chessinton World of Adventures and Nemesis, Oblivion, and Air at Alton Towers. He talks about his early beginnings in the theatre, circus and magical cabaret, his time working on some of the most incredible special effects in the James Bond films (including the famous bus crash scene in Live and Let Die), and how he became associated with Madame Tussauds, the world's most famous wax museum. If you're a fan of magic, illusions, theater production, theme park design, or roller coaster design then you simply must read this book.
Purchase the paperback or Kindle Edition of John Wardley's book, Creating My Own Nemesis, from Amazon.com.
Selasa, 16 Juli 2013
Observation Wheels Book Released
This is the "sort-of" sequel to Coasters 101: An Engineer's Guide to Roller Coaster Design (which will hopefully be getting updated this fall). I've compiled statistics on almost seventy of the world's biggest Ferris wheelsm including the most unique ones in the world. Did you know there are eccentric Ferris wheels that combine the classic Ferris wheel with a car that rolls on a track like a roller coaster? Learn about it and more in my new book.
You can learn more about observation wheels by visiting my latest website.
Selasa, 12 Maret 2013
New Coaster Photography Book
“Amazing” is the best term I can find in order to describe Crymes’ excellent picture taking. The book contains images of over one hundred numerous roller coasters from 21 amusement parks. Also included in the book are 40 coaster pages full of need-to-know research. A handful of of the amusement parks featured include Cedar Point, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Kings Dominion and Six Flags Magic Mountain. Here are a few of my favorite images coming from the guide.
The pictures are huge as well as crisp. The colors are vivid. The book’s straightforward design locations much more emphasis on the photographs. Nothing beats seeing pictures of roller coasters published on a physical sheet of paper.
The book additionally includes spectacular breathtaking photographs, some of which cover a full page (or more). The clarity of the photos allows for detailed analysis.
Crymes took many of the photos from unfamiliar angles. Never having been to some of the parks featured, I found the brand new angles refreshing. I also valued Crymes’ inclusion of a handful of roller coasters that don’t exist anymore. They were a nice surprise to see as I was reading the book. I won’t spoil which ones those are.
The photographs are not the work of an amateur. They are professional photos that will impress even the most seasoned photographer (coaster enthusiast or not).
American Coasters: A Thrilling Photographic Ride is perfect for anyone who enjoys roller coasters. A first-time roller coaster rider will love this book. A 50-year-old roller coaster enthusiast who knows everything about every roller coaster that ever existed will love this book as well. The hardcover book spans 176 pages.
You can order American Coasters: A Thrilling Photographic Ride here.
Kamis, 22 November 2012
Holiday Gift Ideas for Theme Park Fans
The holiday season is officially here and it’s time to go shopping for your fellow theme park fan! Listed below are some ideas I came up of what to buy a theme park fan for Christmas. Some of these items I personally own and others are on my wishlist as well.
Amusement Park Books
Coasters 101: An Engineer’s Guide to Roller Coaster Design: Shameless self plug here. The most in-depth look at how modern roller coasters are designed from concept to creation, including some of the physics and engineering equations used.
Theme Park Design: Behind the Scene with An Engineer- Steve Alcorn’s book is a must read for anyone considering a career in the theme park industry.
What Would Walt Do? – The story of a construction worker during the creation of the Walt Disney World resort after the death of Walt Disney.
Disney World Saving Guide - An ex-Disney employee reveals tips on how to save money on your next vacation to Disney World.
Things To Do in Theme Park Queues – This entertaining book will make your visit to a busy theme park even more enjoyable.
Theme Park Games
Theme Park (Nintendo DS): Control everything, from the speed of your rides to the amount of ice in your drinks
Rollercoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum: Let’s face it, it’s going to be awhile before RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 comes out (if ever) so this is the next best thing, especially with RCT3D being so disappointing. RCT3 Platinum combines the excitement and roller coaster, theme park fun of the Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 with included expansion packs Soaked! and Wild! Now enjoy more options than ever. Build your own water slide or create your own safari with real animals. Watch guest reactions to your ultimate theme park!
Theme Park Toys
Other Suggestions
Give a season pass to your local amusement park, zoo, or aquarium.
Give Yourself a Raise: My free report on how to make a residual income from the internet in your spare time (second edition).
What gifts are you getting your fellow theme park fans for the holidays? Please let me know by commenting below!
Read More...
Amusement Park Books
Coasters 101: An Engineer’s Guide to Roller Coaster Design: Shameless self plug here. The most in-depth look at how modern roller coasters are designed from concept to creation, including some of the physics and engineering equations used.
Theme Park Design: Behind the Scene with An Engineer- Steve Alcorn’s book is a must read for anyone considering a career in the theme park industry.
What Would Walt Do? – The story of a construction worker during the creation of the Walt Disney World resort after the death of Walt Disney.
Disney World Saving Guide - An ex-Disney employee reveals tips on how to save money on your next vacation to Disney World.
Things To Do in Theme Park Queues – This entertaining book will make your visit to a busy theme park even more enjoyable.
Theme Park Games
Theme Park (Nintendo DS): Control everything, from the speed of your rides to the amount of ice in your drinks
Rollercoaster Tycoon 3: Platinum: Let’s face it, it’s going to be awhile before RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 comes out (if ever) so this is the next best thing, especially with RCT3D being so disappointing. RCT3 Platinum combines the excitement and roller coaster, theme park fun of the Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 with included expansion packs Soaked! and Wild! Now enjoy more options than ever. Build your own water slide or create your own safari with real animals. Watch guest reactions to your ultimate theme park!
Theme Park Toys
K'NEX Thrill Rides - Hot Shot! Video Coaster: Featuring a coaster car with on-board digital video camera, builders can now see what it would be like to ride their own creations, can share their building achievements with family and friends, and can even edit their own personalized movies.
Turtle Amusement Park Ride Model by Coaster Dynamix: This model is hand-assembled in the USA using laser-cut birch plywood.
Other Suggestions
Give a season pass to your local amusement park, zoo, or aquarium.
Give Yourself a Raise: My free report on how to make a residual income from the internet in your spare time (second edition).
What gifts are you getting your fellow theme park fans for the holidays? Please let me know by commenting below!
Minggu, 04 November 2012
Second Edition of Coasters 101 Released
Pick your amusement park, anywhere on the planet, and where are the longest, most aggravating lines? The roller coasters! A blazing fast thrill ride that just keeps pushing the envelope - to the daredevil delight of thousands. But as loopy as the creativity gets or the steeper the drop, or the faster the turns and the louder the screams- one thing they aren't, overall, is unsafe.
Find out how roller coasters are designed with the highest of safety standards by reading Coasters 101: An Engineer’s Guide to Roller Coaster Design by Nick Weisenberger. Warning: Side effects of reading may cause dizziness, nausea, or the sudden urge to visit a theme park.
The newly revised Second Edition includes interesting added content like:
- Evolution of the roller coaster
- Detailed description on launch systems
- A people powered coaster
- How a 4th dimension coaster works
- the modern vertical loop
- and much more!
Click here to see all available formats where you can purchase the book. Read More...
Kamis, 02 Agustus 2012
Books in Theme Park Stores
This post is a continuationof the conversation I was having with a colleague about theme park books. Until this conversation happened, I had never really thought about trying to get a book stocked inside a theme park store before. Outside of Disney, there’s only one type of book I recall seeing in a theme park shop and they all belong to the same “Images of America” series (Holiday World and HersheyPark). Disney has a few smaller sized books such as the “Imagineering field guides” and “Fnd the Hidden Mickeys” that were intended to be taken into the theme park with you. In my experience and travels I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen anyone reading a book at a park before. If you’re looking for something for guests to do while in the queue you’d be much better off developing some sort of interactive iPhone or iPad application.
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. The Columbus Zoo does have a few books in their gift shops but they’re mainly picture books. I would try to get something physical put together first before pitching the idea to a park. Based on the books I mentioned above, it seems most parks might be more willing to stock a book in their gift stores if the content were about their specific park or product (you think you’d find a book about HersheyPark inside Cedar Point? Yeah, right).
What do you think? Have you ever seen anyone reading a book in a theme park? Are there any specific park stores which come to mind that stock a variety of books? I would love to hear your feedback!
Read More...
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. The Columbus Zoo does have a few books in their gift shops but they’re mainly picture books. I would try to get something physical put together first before pitching the idea to a park. Based on the books I mentioned above, it seems most parks might be more willing to stock a book in their gift stores if the content were about their specific park or product (you think you’d find a book about HersheyPark inside Cedar Point? Yeah, right).
What do you think? Have you ever seen anyone reading a book in a theme park? Are there any specific park stores which come to mind that stock a variety of books? I would love to hear your feedback!
Kamis, 12 Juli 2012
Writing a Roller Coaster Book
A reader recently emailed me asking about how I went about researching and writing my book, Coasters 101:An Engineering Guide to Roller Coaster Design. I decided to share my response with the rest of you here.
I was indirectly working in the industry during some of the initial writing process. I worked for an engineering services company that did a few small jobs for some amusement industry clients. In my spare time I also did some computer modeling work for one of my friends in the industry. I’m also a member of the ASTM F24 committee on amusement ride safety which sets safety standards and regulations for the industry.
The genesis of my book actually sounds pretty similar to the plan other bloggers have followed. I have been writing articles for this blog for a couple years. I started by revising those articles and then put them into a logical order.
Many ride design firms are small so you it's not a problem setting up a phone or email interview. I’ve visited and interviewed a few ride manufacturers myself (which you can find on on this site). In my experience, the easiest and most open design firm to interview is the Gravity Group, based in Cincinnati, Ohio (they primarily design wooden roller coasters). I haven’t had much luck with European manufacturers. I did do an interview with a representative from Stengel Engineering but from the time I initially contacted them to final publication of the article it was well over six months!
I’m a big fan of the amusement industry so writing a book on it was a very enjoyable experience for me and totally worth the time involved. Please feel free to comment below and ask more specific questions. I'd love to help any others interested in publishing their own book or starting their own website!
The genesis of my book actually sounds pretty similar to the plan other bloggers have followed. I have been writing articles for this blog for a couple years. I started by revising those articles and then put them into a logical order.
Many ride design firms are small so you it's not a problem setting up a phone or email interview. I’ve visited and interviewed a few ride manufacturers myself (which you can find on on this site). In my experience, the easiest and most open design firm to interview is the Gravity Group, based in Cincinnati, Ohio (they primarily design wooden roller coasters). I haven’t had much luck with European manufacturers. I did do an interview with a representative from Stengel Engineering but from the time I initially contacted them to final publication of the article it was well over six months!
I’m a big fan of the amusement industry so writing a book on it was a very enjoyable experience for me and totally worth the time involved. Please feel free to comment below and ask more specific questions. I'd love to help any others interested in publishing their own book or starting their own website!
Rabu, 02 Mei 2012
New Thrills Connect Ad in AAA Magazine
Cedar Point (and Cedar Fair for that matter) are rolling out a new marketing campaign this year called Thrills Connect (which I detailed in an earlier post). I saw one of these new "emotion over promotion" ads today in AAA's magazine, Home and Away. In case you can't read it the white text says "If kids are going to wake you early, rides should be involved."
Read More...
Rabu, 08 Februari 2012
Disney World Vacation And Savings Travel Guide Review
What's better than looking up Disney ride layouts online? Going to Disney World and actually riding them! Disney World Vacation And Savings Travel Guide is a new book where an ex-Disney employee reveals insider secrets on how to have the best and most cost effective vacation to Walt Disney World resort. This book proves you don't have to be ultra-rich to have an excellent time at Disney World. Instead of spending $5,500 on the trip you could have just as much fun for only $2,700! The book is laid out very professionally and even includes worksheets to help keep your vacation organized. The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide is updated on a monthly basis to keep up with the constant change around the resort.
Sabtu, 04 Februari 2012
What Would Walt Do? eBook Review
Kamis, 02 Februari 2012
Omega Tau Podcast Appearance
I recently was interviewed for the Omega Tau podcast (science and engineering in your headphones). You can listen to me ramble about roller coasters here. I'd like to extend my thanks to Markus for inviting me to appear on his show to talk about different aspects of roller coasters.
Omega Tau episode 86 Roller Coaster Design
Read More...
Omega Tau episode 86 Roller Coaster Design
Sabtu, 21 Januari 2012
Nike's Chinese New Year Book Giveaway
First, I want to apologize. This will be my third post in a row now about books. Sorry! Also, it's time for some shameless self-promotion. I recently published my first book, Coasters 101. Well, I am now announcing the release of my second book and first work of fiction entitled Nike's Chinese New Year. It's a funny coming of age story about an engineer's adventures in China taking place over the Chinese New Year holiday.
Now, since this book doesn't really have anything to do with theme parks (though I did manage to through in a couple of references including Hong Kong Disneyland) I've decided to give away a copy for free! How do you enter the giveaway contest? Simply comment below leaving your name, email address, and preference if you'd like the paperback or Kindle eBook edition will give you one entry into the contest. But that's not all! Each time you share this page via Tweet, Facebook, blog post, etc. will grant an additional entry per each share (just make sure you tell me what you did via the comments). The winner will be announced during the Superbowl! Catch a quick preview of the novel here.
Read More...
Now, since this book doesn't really have anything to do with theme parks (though I did manage to through in a couple of references including Hong Kong Disneyland) I've decided to give away a copy for free! How do you enter the giveaway contest? Simply comment below leaving your name, email address, and preference if you'd like the paperback or Kindle eBook edition will give you one entry into the contest. But that's not all! Each time you share this page via Tweet, Facebook, blog post, etc. will grant an additional entry per each share (just make sure you tell me what you did via the comments). The winner will be announced during the Superbowl! Catch a quick preview of the novel here.
Minggu, 15 Januari 2012
How to design a roller coaster book
If you’re an avid fan of Roller Coaster Tycoon or No Limits coaster simulations then you may really enjoy this new book. Have you ever wondered what it takes to design and build a roller coaster? At last, there's a book that shows you. Coasters 101: An Engineering Guide to Roller Coaster Design examines the numerous diverse aspects of roller coaster engineering, including some of the mathematical formulas and engineering concepts used.
This technical guide is the most detailed roller coaster design book to date and will take you through the entire process, from concept to creation. A must read for every enthusiast and aspiring roller coaster engineer!
I'll be talking about roller coasters on an upcoming episode of the Omgea Tau podcast (science and engineering in your headphones).
Purchase the paperback from Amazon or Create Space eStore.
Purchase the eBook Kindle edition from Amazon.Kamis, 05 Januari 2012
Rabu, 30 November 2011
Holiday Gift Ideas for Theme Park Fanatics
The holiday gift giving season is upon us and if you’re looking for that special gift for a theme park fan or a roller coaster enthusiast I've got a couple of suggestions for you.
Do you like assembling your Christmas presents? The Lego Carousel is right up your alley. Unfortunealty, the set is no longer being made or sold at Lego stores, so the best you can do is to find it online. At $720.95 on Amazon, it’s not a cheap buy, but the carousel “spins and plays music while the horses and swing boats move up and down.” This is the perfect addition for any special edition collection.
Read More...
Coaster Dynamix Launched Sidewinder Roller Coaster
CoasterDynamix, Inc - "The Comet" Wooden Roller Coaster - Kit HO
Do you like assembling your Christmas presents? The Lego Carousel is right up your alley. Unfortunealty, the set is no longer being made or sold at Lego stores, so the best you can do is to find it online. At $720.95 on Amazon, it’s not a cheap buy, but the carousel “spins and plays music while the horses and swing boats move up and down.” This is the perfect addition for any special edition collection.
K'NEX Collect & Build Amusement Park Series #2 - Ferris Wheel. Combine with Corkscrew Coaster and Vertical Viper for a working amusement park (each sold separately).
Theme Park Design: Behind The Scenes With An Engineer. Have you ever gone to a theme park and wondered, "How did they do that?" At last there's a book that shows you. Theme Park Design reveals the secrets behind some of the world's greatest attractions. Take a peek behind the scenes, with a theme park engineer.
Another great book for any readers is the American Amusement Park. This marvelous photographic retrospective distills more than 100 years of the sights, sounds, smells and vertigo-inducing thrills associated with the American amusement park.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to design and build a roller coaster? At last, there’s a book that shows you. A mix of engineering and art, roller coasters are complex three-dimensional puzzles consisting of thousands of individual parts. Designers spend countless hours creating and tweaking ride paths to push the envelope of exhilaration, all while maintaining the highest safety standards. Coasters 101: An Engineering Guide to Roller Coaster Design examines the numerous diverse aspects of roller coaster engineering, including some of the mathematical formulas and engineering concepts used. This is an e-book only but you should be able to download a free e-book reader for your PC.
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