Levitation

The Science, Myth and Magic of Suspension

By: Peter Adey

Write A Review

Paperback | 1 May 2017

At a Glance

Paperback
272 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
20.8 x 15.6

Paperback

$83.99

or 4 interest-free payments of $21.00 with

Ships in 5 to 10 business days

Levitation tells the peculiar story of those who have dreamed, believed, or practiced levitation through history, whether they were successful or not.

Levitation could be thought of best as a pre- and parallel history of aviation, but it is not really about flights of the aeronautical kind. Instead, the book tracks the long- standing belief that people can actually float in the air, relatively unaided. Early modern scientists believed in the force of levity as an opposing force to gravity; traditional societies have held deep-rooted shamanic traditions of spirit- and dream-flight through storytelling. Ancient religious movements have long believed in the power of ascetic saints to hover in sublime ecstasy.

Magicians and mesmerists have employed the tricks of stage, cinema, and the enigma of Eastern traditions to convince audiences of their power to lift through thought alone. And science-fiction novelists and urban planners have speculated on floating cities hovering high above the earth. Many artists have experimented with levitation too, from the Surrealists to Yves Klein.

In this book, Peter Adey explores the idea of levitation within our cultural, scientific, and spiritual lives. From science to illustration, poetry, philosophy, law, technology, and the wider popular, spiritual, and visual imagination, Levitation casts the levitator as a far more vulnerable figure than we may have thought.

About the Author

Peter Adey is Professor of Human Geography, Department of Geography, Royal Holloway University of London. His previous titles include Air (Reaktion, 2014), Aerial Life: Spaces, Mobilities, Affects (2010) and Mobility (2009).

Industry Reviews

An exploration of the cultural and political meaning of floating and levitating in the air, Levitation is an extraordinary book. Ranging across philosophy, theology, popular culture, and science, the book is a sublime revelation of how the air, and what floats in it and on it, have shaped human societies. A mesmerizing and beautifully illustrated book. --Stephen Graham, Newcastle University"

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

Orders over $79.00 qualify for free shipping.

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.