
Becoming Batman
The Possibility of a Superhero
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $17.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Rudy Sanda
About this listen
Possessing no supernatural powers, Batman is the most realistic of all the superheroes. His feats are achieved through rigorous training and mental discipline, and with the aid of fantastic gadgets. Drawing on his training as a neuroscientist, kinesiologist, and martial artist, E. Paul Zehr explores the question: Could a mortal ever become Batman?
Zehr discusses the physical training necessary to maintain bad-guy-fighting readiness while relating the science underlying this process, from strength conditioning to the cognitive changes a person would endure in undertaking such a regimen. In probing what a real-life Batman could achieve, Zehr considers the level of punishment a consummately fit and trained person could handle, how hard and fast such a person could punch and kick, and the number of adversaries that individual could dispatch. He also tells us what it would be like to fight while wearing a batsuit and the amount of food we'd need to consume each day to maintain vigilance as Gotham City's guardian.
A fun foray of escapism grounded in sound science, Becoming Batman provides the background for attaining the realizable—though extreme—level of human performance that would allow you to be a superhero.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2008 The Johns Hopkins University Press (P)2023 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
-
Batman and Psychology
- A Dark and Stormy Knight
- By: Travis Langley
- Narrated by: Paul Bellantoni
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Batman is one of the most compelling and enduring characters to come from the Golden Age of Comics, and interest in his story has only increased through countless incarnations since his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Why does this superhero without superpowers fascinate us? What does that fascination say about us? Batman and Psychology explores these and other intriguing questions about the masked vigilante.
-
-
good job
- By deborah mccarter on 09-14-20
By: Travis Langley
-
Strength Training for Women at Any Age
- Gaining Strength During All Stages of Life
- By: Elrey Elrey
- Narrated by: Jess Brohn
- Length: 2 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you want to achieve your best health and most confident, strong body? Then this audiobook is for you! Fitness doesn’t have to be complicated or tiresome. In fact, we’ve been sold countless myths by the fitness industry. You can reach your fitness goals using simple exercises that work smarter, not harder. Healthy habits, like effective fitness training and nutrition, are important for women at every age. If you want to learn how to get--and stay--toned, and feel healthy inside and out, then you need the resources in Strength Training for Women at Any Age.
-
-
Awesome!
- By Kraz on 02-21-23
By: Elrey Elrey
-
The Last Action Heroes
- The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood's Kings of Carnage
- By: Nick de Semlyen
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Last Action Heroes opens in May 1990 in Cannes, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone waltzing together, cheered on by a crowd of famous faces. After years of bitter combat, the world’s biggest action stars have at last made peace. In this wildly entertaining account of the golden age of the action movie, Nick de Semlyen charts Stallone and Schwarzenegger’s carnage-packed journey from enmity to friendship against the backdrop of Reagan’s America and the Cold War.
-
-
Fantastic!
- By Alan on 07-17-23
By: Nick de Semlyen
-
Outlive
- The Science and Art of Longevity
- By: Peter Attia MD, Bill Gifford - contributor
- Narrated by: Peter Attia MD
- Length: 17 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wouldn’t you like to live longer? And better? In this operating manual for longevity, Dr. Peter Attia draws on the latest science to deliver innovative nutritional interventions, techniques for optimizing exercise and sleep, and tools for addressing emotional and mental health.
-
-
Too Much Filler
- By J. Badaracco on 04-09-23
By: Peter Attia MD, and others
-
Homer Box Set: Iliad & Odyssey
- By: Homer, W. H. D. Rouse - translator
- Narrated by: Anthony Heald
- Length: 25 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are unquestionably two of the greatest epic masterpieces in Western literature. Though more than 2,700 years old, their stories of brave heroics, capricious gods, and towering human emotions are vividly timeless. The Iliad can justly be called the world’s greatest war epic. The terrible and long-drawn-out siege of Troy remains one of the classic campaigns. The Odyssey chronicles the many trials and adventures Odysseus must pass through on his long journey home from the Trojan wars to his beloved wife.
-
-
Oddball Translation
- By Joel Jenkins on 05-11-17
By: Homer, and others
-
The Book of Ninja: The Bansenshukai
- Japan's Premier Ninja Manual
- By: Antony Cummins, Yoshie Minami
- Narrated by: John Chancer
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1676, a ninja named Fujibayashi collected and combined information from the ninja clans of Iga—regarded to be the homeland of the ninja—and compiled it into an authoritative book. Known as The Bansenhukai, Fujibayashi's book has now been translated into English by the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team and is widely considered to be the "bible" of ninjutsu, the arts of the ninja.
-
-
Fascinating historical espionage piece
- By Amazon Customer on 12-05-23
By: Antony Cummins, and others
-
Batman and Psychology
- A Dark and Stormy Knight
- By: Travis Langley
- Narrated by: Paul Bellantoni
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Batman is one of the most compelling and enduring characters to come from the Golden Age of Comics, and interest in his story has only increased through countless incarnations since his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Why does this superhero without superpowers fascinate us? What does that fascination say about us? Batman and Psychology explores these and other intriguing questions about the masked vigilante.
-
-
good job
- By deborah mccarter on 09-14-20
By: Travis Langley
-
Strength Training for Women at Any Age
- Gaining Strength During All Stages of Life
- By: Elrey Elrey
- Narrated by: Jess Brohn
- Length: 2 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you want to achieve your best health and most confident, strong body? Then this audiobook is for you! Fitness doesn’t have to be complicated or tiresome. In fact, we’ve been sold countless myths by the fitness industry. You can reach your fitness goals using simple exercises that work smarter, not harder. Healthy habits, like effective fitness training and nutrition, are important for women at every age. If you want to learn how to get--and stay--toned, and feel healthy inside and out, then you need the resources in Strength Training for Women at Any Age.
-
-
Awesome!
- By Kraz on 02-21-23
By: Elrey Elrey
-
The Last Action Heroes
- The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood's Kings of Carnage
- By: Nick de Semlyen
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Last Action Heroes opens in May 1990 in Cannes, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone waltzing together, cheered on by a crowd of famous faces. After years of bitter combat, the world’s biggest action stars have at last made peace. In this wildly entertaining account of the golden age of the action movie, Nick de Semlyen charts Stallone and Schwarzenegger’s carnage-packed journey from enmity to friendship against the backdrop of Reagan’s America and the Cold War.
-
-
Fantastic!
- By Alan on 07-17-23
By: Nick de Semlyen
-
Outlive
- The Science and Art of Longevity
- By: Peter Attia MD, Bill Gifford - contributor
- Narrated by: Peter Attia MD
- Length: 17 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wouldn’t you like to live longer? And better? In this operating manual for longevity, Dr. Peter Attia draws on the latest science to deliver innovative nutritional interventions, techniques for optimizing exercise and sleep, and tools for addressing emotional and mental health.
-
-
Too Much Filler
- By J. Badaracco on 04-09-23
By: Peter Attia MD, and others
-
Homer Box Set: Iliad & Odyssey
- By: Homer, W. H. D. Rouse - translator
- Narrated by: Anthony Heald
- Length: 25 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are unquestionably two of the greatest epic masterpieces in Western literature. Though more than 2,700 years old, their stories of brave heroics, capricious gods, and towering human emotions are vividly timeless. The Iliad can justly be called the world’s greatest war epic. The terrible and long-drawn-out siege of Troy remains one of the classic campaigns. The Odyssey chronicles the many trials and adventures Odysseus must pass through on his long journey home from the Trojan wars to his beloved wife.
-
-
Oddball Translation
- By Joel Jenkins on 05-11-17
By: Homer, and others
-
The Book of Ninja: The Bansenshukai
- Japan's Premier Ninja Manual
- By: Antony Cummins, Yoshie Minami
- Narrated by: John Chancer
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1676, a ninja named Fujibayashi collected and combined information from the ninja clans of Iga—regarded to be the homeland of the ninja—and compiled it into an authoritative book. Known as The Bansenhukai, Fujibayashi's book has now been translated into English by the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team and is widely considered to be the "bible" of ninjutsu, the arts of the ninja.
-
-
Fascinating historical espionage piece
- By Amazon Customer on 12-05-23
By: Antony Cummins, and others
-
The Coddling of the American Mind
- How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure
- By: Jonathan Haidt, Greg Lukianoff
- Narrated by: Jonathan Haidt
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The culture of “safety” and its intolerance of opposing viewpoints has left many young people anxious and unprepared for adult life. Lukianoff and Haidt offer a comprehensive set of reforms that will strengthen young people and institutions, allowing us all to reap the benefits of diversity, including viewpoint diversity. This is a book for anyone who is confused by what’s happening on college campuses today, or has children, or is concerned about the growing inability of Americans to live and work and cooperate across party lines.
-
-
Only Praise
- By TJ on 12-02-18
By: Jonathan Haidt, and others
-
Why We Sleep
- Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams
- By: Matthew Walker
- Narrated by: Steve West
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sleep is one of the most important but least understood aspects of our life, wellness, and longevity. Until very recently, science had no answer to the question of why we sleep, or what good it served, or why we suffer such devastating health consequences when we don't sleep. Compared to the other basic drives in life - eating, drinking, and reproducing - the purpose of sleep remained elusive.
-
-
I recommend this to EVERYONE
- By M. Balfour on 12-11-17
By: Matthew Walker
-
Why Women Deserve Less
- By: Myron Gaines
- Narrated by: Myron Gaines
- Length: 2 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every man alive today faces a paradox. Your hardwired, biological programming is screaming at you to get girls, get laid, and inevitably start a family. However, today’s women could not be less interested in today’s men.
-
-
Simple and to the point
- By Amazon Customer on 04-20-23
By: Myron Gaines
-
Batman and Philosophy
- The Dark Knight of the Soul
- By: Mark D. White, Robert Arp
- Narrated by: Mark D. White
- Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Combing through 70 years of comic books, television shows, and movies, Batman and Philosophy explores how the Dark Knight grapples with ethical conundrums, moral responsibility, his identity crisis, the moral weight he carries to avenge his murdered parents, and much more. How does this caped crusader measure up against the teachings of Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Kierkegaard, and Lao Tzu?
-
-
Repetitive, repetitive, repetitive
- By Michelle Slaughter on 10-13-21
By: Mark D. White, and others
-
Breathe
- A Life in Flow
- By: Rickson Gracie, Peter Maguire
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From legendary Brazilian jujitsu and MMA master Rickson Gracie comes a riveting, insightful memoir that weaves together the story of Gracie’s stunning career with the larger history of the Gracie family dynasty and the founding of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, showing how the connection between mind and body can be harnessed for success both inside and outside the ring.
-
-
I really wanted to like this book but it’s just not there
- By Brent on 08-24-21
By: Rickson Gracie, and others
-
Embrace the Suck
- The Navy SEAL Way to an Extraordinary Life
- By: Brent Gleeson
- Narrated by: Brent Gleeson, Jason Culp
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During the brutal crucible of Navy SEAL training, instructors often tell students to "embrace the suck." This phrase conveys the one lesson that is vital for any SEAL hopeful to learn: Lean into the suffering and get comfortable being very uncomfortable. In this powerful, no-nonsense guide, Navy SEAL combat veteran turned leadership expert Brent Gleeson teaches you how to transform every area of your life — the Navy SEAL way
-
-
GREAT book until...
- By Caddy daddy on 08-06-21
By: Brent Gleeson
-
Becoming Bulletproof
- Protect Yourself, Read People, Influence Situations, and Live Fearlessly
- By: Evy Poumpouras
- Narrated by: Evy Poumpouras
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Becoming Bulletproof means transforming yourself into a stronger, more confident, and more powerful person. Evy Poumpouras - former Secret Service agent to three presidents and one of only five women to receive the Medal of Valor - demonstrates how we can overcome our everyday fears, have difficult conversations, know who to trust and who might not have our best interests at heart, influence situations, and prepare for the unexpected. When you have become bulletproof, you are your best, most courageous, and most powerful version of you.
-
-
Not what I had Anticipated, Much Much Better
- By Terry Goodlad on 05-02-20
By: Evy Poumpouras
-
Man 2.0 Engineering the Alpha
- A Real World Guide to an Unreal Life: Build More Muscle. Burn More Fat. Have More Sex.
- By: John Romaniello, Arnold Schwarzenegger - foreward, Adam Bornstein
- Narrated by: John Romaniello, Adam Bornstein
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Are you a guy who's interested in building rock-hard muscle, erasing your belly fat, boosting your testosterone, and having more mind-blowing sex than you thought possible? If so, then
Man 2.0: Engineering the Alpha was written specifically for you.... In his new book, celebrity trainer and
Men's Health expert John 'Roman' Romaniello teams up with expert Adam Bornstein, former editor for both
-
-
Haters Should Try it First
- By Brock on 11-03-13
By: John Romaniello, and others
-
Functional Training and Beyond
- Building the Ultimate Superfunctional Body and Mind
- By: Adam Sinicki
- Narrated by: Adam Sinicki
- Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Many of us have forgotten how to move correctly. We live with muscular imbalances, constant pain and low energy. Adam Sinicki is on a mission to change this. He is best known for his YouTube channel The Bioneer, where he provides expertise on functional training, brain training, productivity, flow states and more. Currently popular functional training is exercise as rehabilitation. It aims to restore normal, healthy strength and mobility using compound and multifaceted movements.
-
-
A Renaissance in Fitness
- By Anonymous User on 06-23-21
By: Adam Sinicki
-
Smarter Not Harder
- The Biohacker's Guide to Getting the Body and Mind You Want
- By: Dave Asprey
- Narrated by: Dave Asprey
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you want to lose weight, boost your energy, or sharpen your mind, there are shelves of books offering myriad styles of advice. If you want to build up your strength and cardio fitness, there are plenty of gyms and trainers ready to offer you their guidance. What all of these resources have in common is they offer you a bad deal: a lot of effort for a little payoff. Dave Asprey has found a better way.
-
-
Immeasurable value
- By Colorado High Country on 02-28-23
By: Dave Asprey
-
Memory Improvement
- Brain Training Techniques for Beginners and Enthusiasts
- By: Sarah Waiver
- Narrated by: Shaniese Reyes
- Length: 1 hr and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Train your brain in a way that will last for a long time. Boost your memory, and help yourself become more intelligent. In this book, you'll learn more about brain size and it's relationship to the functioning of that brain. Also, we're going to dive into studying techniques that make all the difference, some of the main differences between men's and women's brains, how to grow neurons or nerve cells, tips that will boost your intelligence, if applied, instantly, and so much more. Get ready for a ride you will never forget!
-
-
This is a good book
- By Guadalupe on 09-24-19
By: Sarah Waiver
-
Neuroplasticity: Brain Training and Neuroscience Truths
- By: Jane Hampton
- Narrated by: Jason Wright
- Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this book, you can study things like neural networks and the hypothalamus, along with the woman’s brain, here are just a few of the many, many things this book sheds light on: What exactly is a neural network; how does a neural network function; how they’re used in medical diagnostics; how forex trading relates to it, and more; the anatomy of the hypothalamus and its function; tips on how to keep your hypothalamus healthy; six natural ways to increase its functioning capabilities; learn the various conditions and their signs that affect the hypothalamus, and more.
-
-
Painful to listen
- By Ramses Murillo on 05-12-23
By: Jane Hampton
What listeners say about Becoming Batman
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dave
- 02-25-24
Very interesting
This is a very detailed scientific examination of how a person could possibly become Batman, going all the way to explaining how cells in your body work. It’s a little more thorough than what I was looking for but it is still an intriguing listen.
The reader also does a great job going through this science lesson of a book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- bugsmeany
- 11-26-24
A real letdown. Bat-fans will be unsatisfied.
How could one become Batman? How much money would it take? How would one build an underground command center like the Batcave without attracting attention? What resources and know-how would it take to build a Batmobile?
Could one man and his faithful do all of this in secret? Could they get help from others while keeping the Batman project a secret? Most Bat-fans have always wondered these things and more.
The author doesn’t address any of these questions. The book is a physiology/kinesiology text and primer on martial arts with Batman in the title so people will read it.
“Could a man become really strong and a skilled fighter?” That’s the only question the book seeks to answer.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!