well you can always use weak string, that'l keep the books in place, and a simple tug will snap it.
its better than those boring old bookshelves

What is it with people keeping on saying strings? I said no strings

This is sulfur hexafluoride. You could try ordering it here It will probably cost you alot.
The wikipedia page claims that it can be made with sulfur, fluorine (lethal) and NaOH (cheap).

That is one of the heaviest safe gasses, and it wouldn't be able to hold a book up without attaching several air balloons (approximately the same as for helium balloons in air) to the book. It is six times denser than air, air is six times denser than helium (SF6 = 6.164 g/L, air = 1.2041 g/L, helium = 0.1786 g/L). Additionally, you'll have to keep it in a tank (like they did in the video, though it is breathable (in combination with some air), so you could fill your whole 512 m^3 cube with it and have people walk in).

Using helium balloons in this would work even better.

Everything Doodle said, though I once saw a 5000 lb tank of it on eBay for only $5k.

I wanted to fill my basement, then realised my dog would die.

oh yeah, because I totally want to spend 5k on an assignment that isn't even part of the final grade.

More on magnets, please?

use a pan to hold the books while you fill the room with water, It floats.

Something with water. Go.
Nevermind, water is transparent.

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Sep 12 2009, 9:41 pm by MadZombie.

I can make it fly, for about 3 seconds and a loud noise.

*Pulls out Louisville Slugger*

Set up a magnet below and above the book, so if it tries to flip it gets repelled by the magnet on one side.

Assuming the book completely flips 180° and not just fall sideways...

You'd have to balance it nicely

Put em in a circle like I said.

And, upon entering the cube, you'll have the side effect of a temporarily deepened voice (the same way helium raises it)! xD

Put a powerful magnet on the ceiling of the box, and another on the book. Just make sure the magnets are powerful enough to attach completely.

The two most practical methods of actual magnetic levitation are this and this.

The first method may only require hooking up a powerful electromagnet to the mains.

I don't think that's how helium works Doesn't it like temporarily paralyze your vocal cords or something?

Nevermind, just did my research

Post has been edited 1 time(s), last time on Sep 13 2009, 9:32 pm by Falkoner.

Add long wings to the cover of the book.

...no

I'm trying some of the stuff I read that Doodle linked.

It'd actually help if I had TONS of magnets to make these experiments but I just have like 4 small ones.

There are other ways to produce a magnetic field besides magnets.

Nail plus copper plus car battery, get going.