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Defying Reality: The Inside Story of the Virtual Reality Revolution
A fascinating exploration of the history, development, and future of virtual reality, a technology with world-changing potential, written by award-winning journalist and author David Ewalt, stemming from his 2015 Forbes cover story about the Oculus Rift and its creator Palmer Luckey.
You’ve heard about virtual reality, seen the new gadgets, and read about how VR will be the next big thing. But you probably haven’t yet realized the extent to which this technology will change the way we live. We used to be bound to a physical reality, but new immersive computer simulations allow us to escape our homes and bodies. Suddenly anyone can see what it’s like to stand on the peak of Mount Everest. A person who can’t walk can experience a marathon from the perspective of an Olympic champion. And why stop there? Become a dragon and fly through the universe. But it’s not only about spectacle. Virtual and augmented reality will impact nearly every aspect of our lives—commerce, medicine, politics—the applications are infinite.
It may sound like science fiction, but this vision of the future drives billions of dollars in business and is a top priority for such companies as Facebook, Google, and Sony. Yet little is known about the history of these technologies. In Defying Reality , David M. Ewalt traces the story from ancient amphitheaters to Cold War military laboratories, through decades of hype and failure, to a nineteen-year-old video game aficionado who made the impossible possible. Ewalt looks at how businesses are already using this tech to revolutionize the world around us, and what we can expect in the future. Writing for a mainstream audience as well as for technology enthusiasts, Ewalt offers a unique perspective on VR. With firsthand accounts and on-the-ground reporting, Defying Reality shows how virtual reality will change our work, our play, and the way we relate to one another.
You’ve heard about virtual reality, seen the new gadgets, and read about how VR will be the next big thing. But you probably haven’t yet realized the extent to which this technology will change the way we live. We used to be bound to a physical reality, but new immersive computer simulations allow us to escape our homes and bodies. Suddenly anyone can see what it’s like to stand on the peak of Mount Everest. A person who can’t walk can experience a marathon from the perspective of an Olympic champion. And why stop there? Become a dragon and fly through the universe. But it’s not only about spectacle. Virtual and augmented reality will impact nearly every aspect of our lives—commerce, medicine, politics—the applications are infinite.
It may sound like science fiction, but this vision of the future drives billions of dollars in business and is a top priority for such companies as Facebook, Google, and Sony. Yet little is known about the history of these technologies. In Defying Reality , David M. Ewalt traces the story from ancient amphitheaters to Cold War military laboratories, through decades of hype and failure, to a nineteen-year-old video game aficionado who made the impossible possible. Ewalt looks at how businesses are already using this tech to revolutionize the world around us, and what we can expect in the future. Writing for a mainstream audience as well as for technology enthusiasts, Ewalt offers a unique perspective on VR. With firsthand accounts and on-the-ground reporting, Defying Reality shows how virtual reality will change our work, our play, and the way we relate to one another.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published July 17, 2018
About the author
David M. Ewalt
2 books68 followersDavid M. Ewalt is an award-winning journalist, author and speaker. He is an authority on the intersection of games and technology.
His most recent book, Defying Reality: The Inside Story of the Virtual Reality Revolution, is an exploration of the history, development and future of the emerging technology. His first book, Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It, was chosen as one of the best books of 2013 by Amazon.com and by Hudson Booksellers.
He currently works as special projects editor for Reuters, and writes for a wide range of major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, New York magazine, and The Boston Globe. He previously served as a senior editor at Forbes magazine, where he co-authored the annual Fictional 15 and created two of the magazine's biggest annual rankings, America's Best Colleges and The World's Most Powerful People.
He's been invited to speak to world-class organizations including Google, Microsoft, and Sony, and spoken at conferences including Gen Con, PAX, New York Comic Con, the Under 30 Summit, the Amazing Meeting, and the Venture Capital in Education Summit.
He has appeared as a guest on numerous television and radio programs, including ABC's Good Morning America, NPR’s All Things Considered and Weekend Edition, CNBC’s Closing Bell, and other programs on CNN, BBC, Fox News and MSNBC. He's been quoted as an expert source by a variety of news outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, Australia's Courier-Mail and China's People's Daily.
David lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
His most recent book, Defying Reality: The Inside Story of the Virtual Reality Revolution, is an exploration of the history, development and future of the emerging technology. His first book, Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It, was chosen as one of the best books of 2013 by Amazon.com and by Hudson Booksellers.
He currently works as special projects editor for Reuters, and writes for a wide range of major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, New York magazine, and The Boston Globe. He previously served as a senior editor at Forbes magazine, where he co-authored the annual Fictional 15 and created two of the magazine's biggest annual rankings, America's Best Colleges and The World's Most Powerful People.
He's been invited to speak to world-class organizations including Google, Microsoft, and Sony, and spoken at conferences including Gen Con, PAX, New York Comic Con, the Under 30 Summit, the Amazing Meeting, and the Venture Capital in Education Summit.
He has appeared as a guest on numerous television and radio programs, including ABC's Good Morning America, NPR’s All Things Considered and Weekend Edition, CNBC’s Closing Bell, and other programs on CNN, BBC, Fox News and MSNBC. He's been quoted as an expert source by a variety of news outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, Australia's Courier-Mail and China's People's Daily.
David lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 20, 2018
Thank you to the publisher and the author, David M. Ewalt, for this book I won in a giveaway. He writes very well, the book is super easy to read and quite interesting with all its facts.
June 13, 2018
What I really enjoyed about this book is that it was accessible to the average person (like me) - what I mean is that you don't have to understand all the ins-and-outs of the technology in order to be able to understand this book. I think that makes it a fantastic read. Many books in this genre are so jammed-stuffed with technical jargon that it's very difficult for the average person to understand. It was well-written, with clear and concise language, and it gave a very interesting look at Virtual Reality. I think that the topic is a good one, too, as VR becomes more and more a part of our culture. Since it is inevitable that it's going to be here, we would do well to understand it better, and that's what this book allowed me to do.
April 19, 2018
A very readable history of virtual reality. We’ve all heard about how people reacted to early motion pictures, particularly people running in fear from a film showing a train coming straight at the audience. Now people are starting to experience virtual reality for the first time and some reactions are just as startling. The author, an admitted geek, has been following the development of VR from its earliest days. As a reporter he’s had extensive access to some of the latest developments, and to the people involved. Nonetheless he gets so caught up with some VR experiences that he forgets that they’re not real.
I’ve only tried VR once myself and found it fascinating. After reading this book I can’t wait for more opportunities.
I’ve only tried VR once myself and found it fascinating. After reading this book I can’t wait for more opportunities.
April 27, 2018
An easy to read narrative that describes the evolution of virtual reality as we know it today. It starts in ancient times with techniques used to visually improve live performances, to late 19th century stereoscopes, to early 3-D movie & other special effects in the 1930's , to current (2017) VR technologies.
February 4, 2019
Thank you to David Ewalt and Blue Rider Press for allowing me to win an uncorrected manuscript through Goodreads Giveaways. Before this, I had never read a book about the history of virtual reality or any new evolving technology, and I feel I've been missing out. I'm glad I got the opportunity to read this book as it opened my eyes to a new genre of book that I never thought I'd be interested in. I also look forward to reading anything else by Ewalt as he has a natural writing ability that allows a specific topic to appeal to even a mainstream audience who may not feel very knowledgeable about the technology sector.
This is a very readable book about the history of virtual reality and its evolution into what it is today---and what it has the potential to become in the future. As a mainstream reader, I had no idea about all the virtual reality technologies that existed, so it was very interesting to get an in-depth view. I found the descriptions in the book about virtual reality experiences- past and present- made me feel as if I were the one trying them out for the first time. This book gives a very focused view into the competition to develop virtual reality products, which is highly informative. I loved this book and recommend it to others, even those who feel they might not be interested in this topic.
This is a very readable book about the history of virtual reality and its evolution into what it is today---and what it has the potential to become in the future. As a mainstream reader, I had no idea about all the virtual reality technologies that existed, so it was very interesting to get an in-depth view. I found the descriptions in the book about virtual reality experiences- past and present- made me feel as if I were the one trying them out for the first time. This book gives a very focused view into the competition to develop virtual reality products, which is highly informative. I loved this book and recommend it to others, even those who feel they might not be interested in this topic.
February 28, 2019
Most of this brief history of VR reads like hagiography for young, mostly white billionaires who innovated a part of the latest tech craze. Many of the innovators are still alive (even VR forefather Ivan Sutherland) meaning Ewalt had to get them to sign off on his depiction of themselves. So some punches were held back, and yet his investigative eye spotted a few disruption of the new reality. What works best are the small discoveries of tools and tech that just happened to appear, like ancient cave painting without even a hint to who made them or how much money (or berries and/or sabertooth tiger pelts) these artists got. Hard to ignore the social media surrounding these modern-day virtual saints, provided that their Oculi and Magic Leaps deliver on the many promises tweeted and facebooked. At least Ewalt seems to be living out his sci-fi and Dungeon & Dragons childhood fantasies!
June 30, 2020
[I was provided with an uncorrected ARC for review as part of Goodreads Giveaway.]
“Television and film aren’t going to go away. New media doesn’t always replace what came before it—we still listen to radio and we still go to the theater, after all. But the experience of VR is so compelling that it’s hard to imagine it won’t become our go to medium."
-Pg 145
I felt that although the book covers a lot of ground, it ended brusquely just as it was gaining steam, particularly enjoyable were the explanations of historical novelties such as the Stereoscope and those 1980's Red and Blue lensed (Anaglyphic) 3D glasses.
I'd like to read an expanded and updated edition that provides some honourable mentions to VRML, the Captain Power toys and television show and 3D Walkthroughs such as those by Matterport, along with revisiting much hyped technology company Oculus - with a the benefit of a few years of hindsight.
Things I learned from this book:
-Tom Caudell coined the term Augmented Reality.
-Lorgnette, The name for opera glasses - from the French word to Squint.
-Fiducial, marker or other point of reference used in imaging.
-Stereopsis, depth perception using binocular vision.
-Stereoscope, the Victorian predecessor to the View-Master toy.
-Stereograph, a pair of separate images from viewing with a Stereoscope.
-Anaglyph, using chromatically opposite colours to create a stereoscopic 3D effect.
“Television and film aren’t going to go away. New media doesn’t always replace what came before it—we still listen to radio and we still go to the theater, after all. But the experience of VR is so compelling that it’s hard to imagine it won’t become our go to medium."
-Pg 145
I felt that although the book covers a lot of ground, it ended brusquely just as it was gaining steam, particularly enjoyable were the explanations of historical novelties such as the Stereoscope and those 1980's Red and Blue lensed (Anaglyphic) 3D glasses.
I'd like to read an expanded and updated edition that provides some honourable mentions to VRML, the Captain Power toys and television show and 3D Walkthroughs such as those by Matterport, along with revisiting much hyped technology company Oculus - with a the benefit of a few years of hindsight.
Things I learned from this book:
-Tom Caudell coined the term Augmented Reality.
-Lorgnette, The name for opera glasses - from the French word to Squint.
-Fiducial, marker or other point of reference used in imaging.
-Stereopsis, depth perception using binocular vision.
-Stereoscope, the Victorian predecessor to the View-Master toy.
-Stereograph, a pair of separate images from viewing with a Stereoscope.
-Anaglyph, using chromatically opposite colours to create a stereoscopic 3D effect.
September 16, 2018
A subject I could not be less interested in... That I am enamoured with now because of David Ewalt.
Enraptured by this book from beginning to end. I am so grateful for the review copy because I NEVER WOULD HAVE READ THIS OTHERWISE.
The authorship of this book is outstanding. Prose, allusion, background and reference were deftly used. I smirked at the beginning of a chapter which cleverly referenced Fear and Loathing (the book).
This reminded me of Bryson’s “a short history...” in that it was incredibly approachable and highly informative without being weighted down with overly technical jargon or details.
The only detractor I have against a perfect score, as this really is one of my favourite books of the year, is that it is a niche subject which is myopically tracked and run down that casual interest may overlook a very specific subject matter.
Read this book if you like the evolution of cinema, photography, computers and or technology. We are living in a future where I am writing this review from a computer that fits in my pocket.
Not that long ago I would have said that was science fiction.
(I will read more from David Ewalt because of this book)
Enraptured by this book from beginning to end. I am so grateful for the review copy because I NEVER WOULD HAVE READ THIS OTHERWISE.
The authorship of this book is outstanding. Prose, allusion, background and reference were deftly used. I smirked at the beginning of a chapter which cleverly referenced Fear and Loathing (the book).
This reminded me of Bryson’s “a short history...” in that it was incredibly approachable and highly informative without being weighted down with overly technical jargon or details.
The only detractor I have against a perfect score, as this really is one of my favourite books of the year, is that it is a niche subject which is myopically tracked and run down that casual interest may overlook a very specific subject matter.
Read this book if you like the evolution of cinema, photography, computers and or technology. We are living in a future where I am writing this review from a computer that fits in my pocket.
Not that long ago I would have said that was science fiction.
(I will read more from David Ewalt because of this book)
September 19, 2018
This book is a combination of in my opinion different stories: (i) history of VR; (ii) the rise of Oculus; (iii) competitive headseats from e.g. Samsung, HTC; (iv) alternative tools/hardware to be used for the VR experience; and (v) the rise of augmented reality (AG).
Overall, the storyline is very good. What was missing though, were some photos of the VR tools. In especially the “history of VR”, the author describes many old systems without giving the reader an idea how it looks by providing a photo.
What I did not understand is why this book also discussed new developments like AG? What I instead miss, is the use of 3D in cinematic experiences. For me, I have no clue what happened after the hit Avatar. It also doesn’t discuss alternative 3D experiences without using headsets.
Nice story though and a worthwile read. The score for the book is closer to four than three stars. I think this book is far from complete in my opinion. In some parts, the story looked too much like a blog or diary.
Overall, the storyline is very good. What was missing though, were some photos of the VR tools. In especially the “history of VR”, the author describes many old systems without giving the reader an idea how it looks by providing a photo.
What I did not understand is why this book also discussed new developments like AG? What I instead miss, is the use of 3D in cinematic experiences. For me, I have no clue what happened after the hit Avatar. It also doesn’t discuss alternative 3D experiences without using headsets.
Nice story though and a worthwile read. The score for the book is closer to four than three stars. I think this book is far from complete in my opinion. In some parts, the story looked too much like a blog or diary.
November 5, 2018
This is a book that promises the inside story on the virtual reality revolution and fails to deliver, but in the process provides an overview of the progression of virtual reality over the past few decades and introduces the reader to the modern champions: HTC, Sony, Oculus, and Magic Leap among others.
November 11, 2018
This book is a thrilling read of the history of virtual reality and beyond. I would recommend it as background if you were planing a project or interested in the industry.
August 29, 2021
If you want a full detailed history book on VR, this is perfect for you.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews