Ultimate Coaster Design Book Updated

Roller coaster wheel carrier

I've just released the new edition of my book, Coasters 101: An Engineer’s Guide to Roller Coaster Design. If you purchased the Kindle version previously you get free updates. If you purchased the paperback version, you can get the latest digital version for free now too! The latest edition (third) has pictures, diagrams, new content, a better layout, and other general improvements. My goal is to make this book simply the best, most complete, most detailed guide to designing roller coasters you can find. A few of the most recent reviews tend to agree:

“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

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

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RollerCoaster Tycoon 3DS Drama

RollerCoaster Tycoon for the Nintendo 3D  was released yesterday... I think. Amazon.com currently lists it as “Out of Stock.” Not surprising, as the game has been hit by delay after delay, which according to one reviewer (who somehow actually got their hands on the game) “took the game from ‘unplayable and terrible’ to just ‘terrible’.” That’s very troubling and disappointing for all RCT fans to hear. It's been eight years since the last RollerCoaster Tycoon game, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3, initially hit retailers. You would think in that time span the developers would have thought of some cool new features other than adding a new story mode.

In fact, RCT3D appears to be missing many features which were a staple of past games, like you can’t name your rides or adjust their color scheme, terrain can’t be modified (which means no tunnels!), no weather, no fireworks, no signs, and many missing ride types.I think one reviewer summed it up best: “RollerCoaster Tycoon 3D is a lazy, featureless shell of its predecessors”.

I have not played the game personally, but RCT3D sadly sounds like it does not deliver the goods. You’re better off pulling out your old copy of RollerCoaster Tycoon 3. RCT fans will have to wait until the true RCT4 comes out on PC (if it ever does) to get their coaster building fix.

Have you played Roller Coaster Tycoon for 3Ds? What do you think? Share your review below!

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2012 March Madness

March Madness is here! Watching these unpredictable games is almost as fun as a riding a roller coaster!

If you're interested in joining my pool leave a comment below and feel free to download the bracket and pool manager below. Visit my Excel Spreadsheets Help blog to learn how to complete your NCAA 2012 basketball brackets.

2012 NCAA Tournament Bracket.xls download
2012 NCAA Tournament Pool Manager.xls download

Join the roller coaster enthusiasts March Madness pool to help get you through the last weeks of the off-season! Type in Group ID (102697) and leave the password blank.  http://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo.com/t1/group/102697/invitation?key=8af4f27d9df49a06

Click here to learn how to dominate your March Madness pool by picking those bracket busting teams!

Sorry for the mostly unrelated post. The good news is I plan on visiting Dollywood in two weeks on opening weekend for a chance to experience Wild Eagle, America's first wing rider coaster!

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What Would Walt Do? eBook Review

Attention theme park fans! What Would Walt Do? is a new eBook about the team members, construction workers, and engineers left with the task of building the Walt Disney World resort after Walt Disney's death in December of 1966. The book was written by project manage D. M. Miller and the question "what would Walt do" came up every time a decision had to be made. In the end it was determined that Walt would want to do the right thing. He would've selected the highest quality option available regardless of the cost. Download this fantastic eBook as a PDF file right to your computer today. A must read for all fans of Walt Disney and the Walt Disney World resort.

Click Here to Download!

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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.
 

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.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311

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