The book grew out of a course I taught that was framed by Action Park, the infamous New Jersey attraction where “you [were] the center of the action!” But the real home for anything about amusements—is Coney Island. There’s a reason these are among the first words in the Introduction to the book:

We start, as all good conversations about amusements do (or at least
should), at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York.

“A ride on [the Coney Island] Cyclone is a greater thrill than flying
across the Atlantic at top speed.” — Charles Lindbergh, supposedly

“Bump, bump, bump your ass off.” — Coney Island’s El Dorado
Bumper Cars (open as of this writing, and home of, so far as I know, the greatest bumper cars in the world)

And, in case you are curious if I really still go on the rides, these are from a year ago, when we were in Brooklyn for a wedding. While my wife doesn’t really still do rides, our elder kid was there and they were up for it:

(No cameras are allowed on the Cyclone, of course, but it’s riding as great as I’ve ever seen it ride.)