Book Description

The technology underground is a thriving, humming, and often literally scintillating subculture of amateur inventors and scientific envelope-pushers who dream up, design, and build machines that whoosh, rumble, fly—and occasionally hurl pumpkins across enormous distances. In the process they astonish us with what is possible when human imagination and ingenuity meet nature’s forces and materials. William Gurstelle spent two years exploring the most fascinating outposts of this world of wonders: meeting and talking to the men and women who care far more for the laws of physics than they do for mundane matters like government regulations and their own personal safety.

Adventures from the Technology Underground is Gurstelle’s lively and weirdly compelling report of his travels. In these pages we meet Frank Kosdon and others who draw the scrutiny of the FAA, ATF, and other federal agencies in their pursuit of high-power amateur rocketry, which they demonstrate to impressive—and sometimes explosive—effect at the annual LDRS gathering held in various remote and unpopulated areas (a necessary consideration since that acronym stands for Large Dangerous Rocket Ships). Here also are the underground technologists who turn up at the Burning Man festival in the Nevada high desert, including Lucy Hosking, “the engineer from Hell” and the creator of Satan’s Calliope, aka the World’s Loudest Thing, a pipe organ made from jet engines. Also at Burning Man is Austin “Dr. MegaVolt” Richard, who braves the arcing, sputtering, six-digit voltages of a giant Tesla coil in his protective metal suit. Add in a trip to see medieval-style catapults, air cannons, and supersized slingshots in action at the World Championship Punkin Chunkin competition in Sussex County, Delaware, and forays to the postapocalyptic enclaves of the flamethrower builders and the future-noir pits of the fighting robots, and you have proof positive that the age of invention is still going strong.

In the world of science and engineering, despite its buttoned-down image, there’s plenty of fun, humor, and sheer wonder to be found at the fringes. Adventures from the Technology Underground takes you there.


• Launch homemade high-power rockets.

• Catapult pumpkins the better part of a mile.

• Watch robot gladiators saw, flip, and pound one another into high-tech junk heaps.

• Dazzle the eye with electrical discharges measured in the hundreds of thousands of volts.

• Play with flamethrowers, potato guns, and other decidedly unsafe toys . . .


If this is your idea of fun, you’ll have a major good time on this wild ride through today’s Technology Underground.

From the Burning Man festival in Nevada’s high desert to the latest gathering of Large Dangerous Rocket Ship builders to Delaware’s annual Punkin Chunkin competition (a celebration of “science, radical self-expression, and beer”), you’ll meet the inspired, government-unregulated, and corporately unfettered men and women who operate at the furthest fringes of science, engineering, and wild-eyed arc welding, building the catapults, ultra-high-voltage electrical devices, incendiary artworks, fighting robots, and other machines that demonstrate what’s possible when physics meets human ingenuity.


From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Great Intro to Alternative Science Projects!.......2007-09-18

Bill Gurtelle's latest book is a great intro to several fringe science & engineering contests & hobbies. It's a good read, without getting into too much technical detail (the Further Reading section @ the end leads you to sources for more details on the topics you liked reading about). Pick it up if you're a tinkerer, a hacker, or want to find something non-frumpy to do with your engineering degree! :]

Misleading web page.......2007-07-27

I must admit I was disappointed with one aspect of the book: the web page from which I ordered it showed a number of color photos of items that I expected to be in the book - leading me to believe these photos were excerpted from the book: but the book had no photos - only a few drawings. A large part of my motivation for purchasing the book was to see pictures of some of the items discussed.

The book was fairly interesting, but there are no photos in it.

A RATHER DISAPPOINTING PUBLICATION........2007-05-13

Nothing technical in this book. More about the development and use of different items made by others. Lacking pictures, plans, etc.
Okay reading but not much to be learned about tinkering or making your own projects come to life.

Adventures from the Techno;ogy Underground: Catapults, Pulsejets, Rail Guns, Flamethrowers,Tesla Coils, Air Cannons, and the Gar.......2007-03-08

I did not like this book at all. It just was not what I expected. I found it very "Verbose" and way to boring. I wished I had not bought it.

A little mad scientist in all of us..........2007-01-16

Did you ever get the urge to go pick up some scrap metal and bang together a fighting combat robot, flamethrower or a gigantic pumpkin-chucker? This book is full of tales of backyard builders and basement scientists who have built just these machines and more. The builders are motivated by a desire to compete against other builders and the satisfaction of making something unique rather than any monetary reward. The competition gets fierce when pride is on the like at the World Championships of pumpkin chucking in Delaware where massive air cannons battle middle-ages catapults to see who can hurl a pumpkin the farthest. Homemade combat robots battle to the mechanical deaths in improvised arenas carved out of scrap metal yards. Wild performance artists use flamethrowers and mega-volt electrical generators to create wild spectacles for the audiences at the Burning Man alternative culture festival. Part Mad Max, part mad scientist, this book proves that the only limit to our creations is our imagination.

Average customer rating:

Discovering God's Unique Purpose for You (A 31-Day Experiment) Dick Purnell Manufacturer: Harvest House Publishers ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback General | Reference | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books General | Bible Study | Reference | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books General | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books General | Theology | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books Similar Items: Growing Closer to God (A 31-Day Experiment) Knowing God by His Names (A 31-Day Experiment) Knowing God's Heart, Sharing His Joy (31-Day Experiment Series) "31-Day Experiment: Standing Strong in a Godless Culture" (31-Day Experiment) Overcoming Relationship Regret ASIN: 0736915966

Book Description

This insightful experiment will give readers biblical answers to overcoming personal doubts and weaknesses.  Dick shows how God views each individual as a  unique creation of His with a divine purpose. He also offers specific suggestions for living life to the fullest. 

Readers will learn how to

• discover and develop their spiritual gifts
• conquer doubts and fears
• enjoy true happiness
• love like God loves
• rejoice in difficulties
• build a precious heritage
• focus on their ultimate future

As readers unlock the treasure of God’s Word, they’ll develop a positive perspective on themselves and their ability to live a fulfilled life.

Average customer rating:

Divorcing Marriage: Unveiling The Dangers In Canada's New Social Experiment Maggie (FWD) Gallagher Manufacturer: McGill-Queen's University Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Divorce & Separation | Family & Health Law | Law | Subjects | Books Social Security | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books General | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books Gay & Lesbian | Special Groups | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books | Child Abuse | Divorce | Dysfunctional Relationships | Fatherhood | General | Grandparenting | Motherhood | Parent & Adult Child | Siblings | Stepparenting & Blended Families | Twins & Multiples Marriage | Relationships | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books | Biographies & Memoirs | History | Literature & Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers | Nonfiction | Parenting & Families | Travel Similar Items: The Future of Marriage ASIN: 0773528946

Average customer rating: --Growing up in 1960's England-- Good start, but felt unfinished A mastercraftsman at work. self-hating rubbish dark

An Experiment in Love: A Novel Hilary Mantel Manufacturer: Holt Paperbacks ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Mantel, Hilary | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Similar Items: A Change of Climate Giving Up the Ghost: A Memoir Beyond Black: A Novel Fludd : A Novel Every Day Is Mother's Day ASIN: 080505202X

Amazon.com

Hilary Mantel's seventh novel examines the pressures on women during the 1960s to excel--but not be too successful--in England's complex hierarchy of class and status. Pushed by a domineering mother, Carmel McBain climbs her way through the pecking order and ends up at London University as an acquiescent and undernourished teenager, achieving the status so desired by her mother, but too weak to make use of it or pose a threat to anyone. Though this is Carmel's story, it reflects on a generation of girls desiring the power of men, but fearful of abandoning what is expected and proper.

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

--Growing up in 1960's England--.......2004-08-14

I read AN EXPERIMENT IN LOVE because I had read FLUDD by this author and thought that it was an amazing and interesting story. Also, the reviews are quite good.

This is a very original story that makes you think and remember your own childhood. Carmel McBain, the main character is the only child of working class parents who want the best for her. Unfortunately, her mother is overbearing and almost kills the spirit and life of her daughter. Carmel is constantly told what her parents have given up for her and what their expectations are. Her life, rigidly controlled by her mother, includes the nagging pressure to always be among the top of her class. Carmel would like to participate in helping around the house and other activities, but the constraint that her mother uses won't allow it. Carmel is to spend all of her time studying so that she can be accepted in the best schools

Mrs. McBain unfairly compares Carmel to Karina, a girl from the neighborhood and Carmel's schoolmate. Karina is the daughter of immigrants and has a lot of duties and responsibilities at home. The two girls don't really like each other, but are thrown together by their mothers. Karina knows what to say to parents and teachers, but to Carmel she is vicious and nasty. She's a person who we've all met somewhere in our lives, who tell those in authority exactly what they want to hear and then makes snide remarks to their peers.

Carmel makes other friends, but Karina is always lurking in the background of her life. Unfortunately, she's saddled with Karina for most of her school years. Carmel suffers more than her share of the agonies of growing up. Eventually, something has to give and it does with a sad price.

It's one of those books that the reader gets the idea about what's going on, but nothing is ever completely explained. I have a thousand questions that I'd like to ask the author.

Good start, but felt unfinished.......2001-04-09

I devoured this book in about a day. I found it literary, witty, and darkly fascinating. The people and places Mantel brings to life here evoked my own Catholic upbringing and school years. I bought the book because of the review Margaret Atwood gave it (printed on the cover), and it well deserved her lavish praise.

That said, I wanted there to be more. It felt like reading the beginning of a book, or like listening to someone tell me the first part of a history, and then suffering an interruption that leaves the story hanging. I felt it was unfinished, and I would gladly have read another 250 pages of this book, had they been there to read.

A mastercraftsman at work........2000-06-28

With her consummate story-telling skills, Mantel never lets the reader down here. Superbly talented in creating relentless, razor sharp images of lower middleclass family life, of personally thwarted parents with bigger goals for their children, and of striving and desperately motivated young people, Mantel will, for many readers, succeed in conjuring up some of their own nightmares of youth and school life. Oft recognized by the British with innumerable prizes and awards, Mantel deserves to be considered to be "the novelist of her generation who will achieve lasting greatness" (Literary Review).

self-hating rubbish.......2000-01-30

What I learned from this book: thin girls are beautiful, fragile, and good; fat girls are ugly, and either stupid (Claire) or evil (Karina); Men are all the same, cookie cutter bastards; and anorexia is not an all-consuming compulsion, but the result of being too busy with your school work and embroidery (I kid you not) to remember to eat. Why read this book, when there's so much else out there?

dark.......1998-08-23

Everyone seems to have a different opinion as to what this book is "about." It is my opinion that "An Experiment in Love" is the story of faith destroyed by intellectualism. I think Carmel's spirituality, when it is given no outlet, literally consumes her. Anyway. I hesitate to say that this book should be required reading for everyone, but I think a particular kind of person would like it very much. I feel that Mantel has told my own story better than I ever could (not the anorexia; the loss of faith). Her voice is stark and bleak and poetic, and it disturbed me-- a seventeen year old girl who is religious by nature, but skeptical by conviction-- for reasons that I do not quite understand.

Average customer rating:

The Great Love Experiment (and Other Plays About Finding Each Other) ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 0590345494

Average customer rating:

Knowing God's Heart, Sharing His Joy (31-Day Experiment Series) Dick Purnell Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson Inc ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback General | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books Devotionals | Worship & Devotion | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books Devotionals | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books Similar Items: Discovering God's Unique Purpose for You (A 31-Day Experiment) "31-Day Experiment: Standing Strong in a Godless Culture" (31-Day Experiment) Making a Good Marriage Even Better (A 31-Day Experiment) Knowing God by His Names (A 31-Day Experiment) Growing Closer to God (A 31-Day Experiment) ASIN: 0840769512

Book Description

This 31-Day Experiment series helps you spend meaningful, consistent daily time with God. You can learn to love God with a clearer understanding of who he is--and share that love with others. As you follow this daily study for a month, you'll learn about men and women who obeyed God and touched the lives of people around them. By understanding God's Heart, you'll be freed to share the plan of salvation with others--naturally and easily.

Average customer rating:

Disney Chapters - Recess: The Experiment (Disney Chapters) Judy Katschke Manufacturer: Disney Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Love & Romance | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books Being a Teen | Social Issues | Teens | Subjects | Books ASIN: 0786842636

Average customer rating:

Experiment In Love Rita Estrada Manufacturer: silhouette ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 0373443730

Average customer rating:

Experiment in Love Arthur Adlon Manufacturer: Beacon Signal Book ProductGroup: Book Binding: Mass Market Paperback ASIN: B000TYWSAW

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EXPERIMENT IN LOVE Arthur Aldon Manufacturer: Universal Publishing ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: B000QAVOL8

Average customer rating: Really liked this book! Save time and money .... by NOT reading this book!! A delightful summer mystery! A Book That's Just FUN! Romance from the paranormal

Mimosa Grove (Mira) Dinah McCall Manufacturer: Mira ProductGroup: Book Binding: Mass Market Paperback Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books General | Romance | Subjects | Books General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books Similar Items: Return Chase the Moon Storm Warning Tallchief The Perfect Lie ASIN: 0778320294

Book Description

In a place as haunting as it is beautiful, anything can happen . . .

Laurel Scanlon has the gift of sight, an ability passed down to the eldest daughter of each generation. It is this gift -- or curse, perhaps -- that drove her own mother mad and has left Laurel unwilling to trust in love . . .except in her dreams.

Anxious for a new beginning, she decides to retreat to Mimosa Grove, an old estate outside Bayou Jean, Louisiana. Mimosa Grove belongs to Laurel now, bequeathed by her maternal grandmother. Laurel feels the history and tragedy here, and amidst primeval beauty she senses something . . .unfinished. Folks here know about her grandmother's gift and treat Laurel with the same reverence -- especially when she is able to help the police find a missing girl. It is then that she sees Justin Bouvier -- stranger, soul mate, the man who haunts her dreams.

But there is danger here in Mimosa Grove, not from the restless past, but from the deadly present. Laurel must be willing to trust her gift, her love for Justin and, most of all, herself, to stop tragedy and history from repeating themselves.

Customer Reviews:

Really liked this book!.......2007-06-08

I read a lot and personally don't like writing reviews. This author is easy to read. This book was full of history, and had great character development along with great chemistry between the lead characters. I don't like paranormal (and don't consider this book to be one) she has "the sight". Really enjoyed it!

Save time and money .... by NOT reading this book!!.......2006-04-08

2 lovers who visit each other in their dreams for months before even getting to know the real person ... a woman who is allowed to be murdered because the heroine is too busy feeling sorry for herself and moaning when people refuse to accept her psychic abilities on the spot ... the book has all this and more improbable sub-plots. To be frank, I stopped mid-way mainly because I was so frustrated with how the heroine kept feeling so sorry for herself to be of any help to others. The sub-plots involve some treason and military secrets but the author's style of appending every new development with a sentence starting with 'However ...' and 'While..' irritated me no end and made the writing seem pretty amateurish. To summarise, this is a badly written book with a weak plot - try Nora Roberts Carolina Moon if you want a decent read involving psychics and their abilities.

A delightful summer mystery!.......2005-06-21

My grandmother had given me several books to read ~~ and for once, they are great books (not her normal Harlequin novels!) ~~ and this book was in that pile. I read it in two days ~~ if I wasn't a mom or a housewife, I'd read it sooner than that since it kept me in its grip!

Laurel Scanton moved home to her grandmother's plantation home called Mimosa Grove ~~ and found to her delight for the first time in her life, being accepted for who she is, in spite of her special "gift." She has the gift of sight ~~ an ability passed down to the eldest daughter of each generation. When she moved home, she discovered more history to her gift than she has ever realized. And she also discover true love.

But at the same time, trouble is brewing for Laurel and her father ~~ and this novel talks about how Laurel dealt with it all ~~ falling in love, finding historical facts of her family's tree and fighting off evil that seems to lurk everywhere.

This is a gripping and intense novel ~~ perfect for reading outside during these hot days of summer. This is my first Dinah McCall book and I hope to read more of her!

6-20-05

A Book That's Just FUN!.......2005-04-06

I picked up this Dinah McCall book because the cover looked intriguing and found it to be just that. I'm not usually that lucky when grabbing a new author off of the bookstore shelves.

This is the story of Laurel Scanlon who has the gift of sight. This ability was passed down to the oldest daughter in each generation. Laurel's mother was driven crazy by it and this gift has left Laurel uneasy. The man in her life had left because he couldn't accept her "difference". So now she doesn't trust anyone. And her heart is given to a man who has been in her dreams for four months, she figures it's safer that way.

When her maternal grandmother leaves her Mimosa Grove, a beautiful but run down home outside Bayou Jean, Louisiana, she moves there deciding that a new beginning is just what she needs. She tries to keep to herself, but that's nearly impossible. The townsfolk are thrilled that another "sighted one" has arrived and many come bearing tales of how her grandmother had helped them which puts her at ease a bit.

When a child is lost, Laurel uses her gift to help the rescuers find her. She figures everyone will now shun her, but just the opposite happens. The child's uncle, Justin Bouvier, comes to Mimosa Grove to personally thank Laurel for her help. Laurel is shocked, as this is the man who comes to her in her dreams.

The tale continues with Justin trying to remove the wall Laurel has built around her heart, while trying to protect her from the dangers lurking at Mimosa Grove.

This is a typical romantic mystery but what has it surpass many others on the market is McCall's vivid imagery and wonderful character development. Her characters range from the beautiful, haunted, Laurel; to ruggedly handsome, Justin; to a variety of unique townsfolk; and Marie, an aging housekeeper who is more of a nanny than maid. My favorite scenes are when Tule and Marie get together - they are hilarious! You'll laugh at the antics of some of these characters, which is part of the fun in reading Mimosa Grove.

MIMOSA GROVE is a bit predictable, but so enjoyable that you'll easily overlook the minor flaws. This story definitely put this author on my MUST READ list with this name and her pseudonym of Sharon Sala.

Romance from the paranormal .......2005-01-15

I liked this book even with the lack of high octane suspense. The romance was definitely different as the two main characters dream about one another without ever meeting for months. As far fetched as it seems. The story and the characters really stayed with me. I just finished reading Lisa Jackson's The Morning After where women are being buried alive in open graves and thought how nice it would have been to have a person that had the gift of sight like the heroine in Mimosa Grove to help catch a serial killer. Throughout that book, I couldn't get my mind off of Mimosa Grove. If the thought of psychic abilities intrigues you in the slightest, you will love this book. Just know that it truly is a romance novel with a paranormal theme.

Average customer rating:

Mimosa Grove Dinah McCall Manufacturer: MIRA Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: B000OFT50C

Average customer rating:

3 Titles by McCall - White Mountain - Mimosa Grove - The Perfect Lie Dinah McCall aka Sharon Sala Manufacturer: various ProductGroup: Book Binding: Mass Market Paperback ASIN: B000RMQ7M6

Product Description

Multiple books shipped as one item for your convenience. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.

Average customer rating:

10 - SHARON SALA - (DINAH MCCALL) - THE PREFECT LIE - BLOODLINES - WHITE MOUNTAIN - MIMOSA GROVE - DREAMCATCHER - THE CHOSEN - WHIPPOORWILL - STORMWARNING - MISSING - DARK WATER SHARON SALA ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: B000R176EK

Product Description

**** ($3.99 USA POSTAGE FOR ALL 10 BOOKS, WHICH WILL BE MAILED AT THE MEDIA - BOOK RATE WHICH IS SLOW SURFACE MAIL, 7 - 21 DAYS DELIVERY TIME).

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5 Titles By McCall - The Return - The Perfect Lie - Mimosa Grove - Bloodlines - tallchief Dinah McCall aka Sharon Sala Manufacturer: various ProductGroup: Book Binding: Mass Market Paperback ASIN: B000PI85UY

Product Description

5 massmarket paperback Titles By McCall - The Return - The Perfect Lie - Mimosa Grove - Bloodlines - tallchief

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7. Barnaby Rudge Volume 3 of 3 A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty [EasyRead Super Large 20pt Edition]
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