For us in the Northern Hemisphere, the summer is pretty much reaching the end. And, as a parent, I’m pretty happy about that because it means my daughter is back in school.

But before we start talking about Pumpkin Spice-everything and the holiday season, here’s one last hurrah. And, for many like me, no summer is complete without having ridden the topic of today’s episode at least once. Although, you might be surprised to learn its origins actually began as a winter recreational activity.

I’m your host, Emily Prokop, and this is The Story Behind Roller Coasters.

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It's less than two months until The Story Behind Book releases and I am so super excited and it still doesn’t seem real yet. If you haven’t pre-ordered your copy yet, you can find the book on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. Now, believe it or not, there are a lot of books with “The Story Behind” in the title, so people have said searching The Story Behind with my name works well.

Or, the super easy way is to go to TheStoryBehindBook.com and click the links over there. By the way, the more people order the book, the more the price will go down, and when you pre-order on Amazon, you won’t be charged until the day it releases, so the more people you share this news with, the more the price will go down.

And, one more thing, I was told by my publisher to let people know that if you are an Amazon Associates member, you can make an affiliate link to the book on Amazon and share the link with your audience on your blog or website to receive a little kickback when people purchase it using your link. Anyway, thank you to everyone who has been promoting the book so far. You are all amazing and it’s meant the world to me that fellow podcasters and listeners have been some of my biggest supporters. This really is one of the best communities in the world. So, thank you!

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Find out more about The Story Behind Book!

Check out Emily’s other podcast, Hate to Weight!

Join The Story Behind Discussion Group on Facebook!

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This episode was brought to you by The Story Behind Executive Producers who support the show through the Patreon Page at patreon.com/thestorybehind: Jonathan Bloom, Ryan P. Jackson, Barry G, Bandrew Scott, Jarrod Dunham, Linguist Sam, Epic Film Guy Nick, Ryle Davis Jr., Dave Jackson, Sunshine & PowerCuts, Everyone Has a Podcast, Adam Higgins, The Beardcaster, Elikqitie, Jim Collison, North Omaha History Podcast, Dan Brenic, Two Peas on a Podcast, Jason Bryant, History Goes Bump, The One Word Go Show, and Stargate Pioneer.

If you’re interested in freshening up your own show or starting a podcast, visit EPodcastProductions.com and use the promo code STORYBEHIND for $25 off a Strategy Session. Hope to talk to you soon!

Click here to support this podcast on Patreon.

Proud supporter of #PodernFamily, #HumanitiesPodcasts & #LadyPodSquad on Twitter.

Media:

Music for Makers

Sources:

• A Brief History of the Roller Coaster - The Washington Post
• 1884 - First roller coaster in America opens - History.com
• From Death Traps to Disneyland: The 600-Year History of the Roller Coaster - Popular Mechanics
• The Psychology of Roller Coasters - Scientific American
• The History and Psychology of Roller Coasters - Smithsonian.com
• Ups and Downs: The History of Roller Coasters - USA Today
• How Roller Coasters Work - How Roller Coasters Work
• Coasting Through History: The Golden Age - Coaster101.com
• Catherine the Great Put Rollers on the World’s First Coaster - Wired.com
• Design and Techology - IAAPA
• Rollercoasters - Explain That Stuff!
• The Science Behind Why We Love Terrifying Ourselves on Rollercoasters - Science Alert
• Horror At The Amusement Park: 13 Gruesome Roller-Coaster Deaths - Thought Catalog
• 10 Deadliest Roller Coaster Accidents - How Stuff Works
• 15 Dangerous Roller Coasters You Can't Ride Anymore - The Richest
• Roller Coaster Blackouts: Safe or Scary? - U.S. News
• Frequently Asked Questions About ACE - American Coaster Enthusiasts