The Great Book of BASE Paperback – January 1, 2010

Got this book through amazon/super topo. SOmehow, I wound up with two copies, emailed super topo, he told me to just keep the extra copy, but to tell a friend, and write a good review on amazon, so, here I am. It's a great book. I got it from a YouTube video I saw called Chinese Scenes, where there are scenes of life in China, then, a sacred mountain, and two guys jump out of a gondola, wearing just these flying squirrel suits. Incredible. At the end, they pop parachuets, and land. They must be traveling like 200 mph. The book has pictures, and how-tos. I thought, no way I'm doing that, when I first saw the video, then, maybe, then no. Just a personal decision. Anyway, check out the book, and the video, if you can find it. vimeo.com/31481531 If you have trouble viewing the video, click HD, and it turns off the High Definition, and it will load easier.

Published 1983 therefore dated but interesting in that carpets that could be purchased in 83 are emphasized in the book. 80 color plates with full description of each carpet. Most dyes look synthetic although no mention of this. Book still informative. Complex curvilinear designs are given pride of place. Not my favorites. Inexpensive on used market.

Really high quality paperback book, great photos, great info, and a lot of fun to read. Recommend to anyone who likes anything exciting.

Nice book

BASE jumping without reading this book is like betting your life savings on a poker game before knowing how the game is played.

The 2nd Edition is available and you should get it MUCH cheaper than $90 if you look around. Awesome book for jumpers.

Great book but buy it from apex.

OK, so this book might not actually save you, but it might kill (or at least squelch) any notions you may be harboring about your invincibility. Gerdes reminds you--sometimes ad nauseam--that BASE could easily take your life. If it saves you from ever trying BASE, it has served its purpose, IMHO. It also serves as an excellent biography of the sport and its pioneers. Great for those involved in insanely risky and exciting sports, and for those who get their fill of adrenaline by just reading about these endeavors.Disclosure: The author is a close friend of mine and I helped edit the book.