General Automotive Reviews

I first found this book in the library, and after returning it three weeks later, I was drawn back to check it out again. This is the only book of its kind, and made me want to immediately take a vacation--whether in an electric car or not! Perrin's journey takes him across America with Solo, his converted Ford Escort wagon, and he writes about a good portion of American culture, right down to his thrill to spend only $21 for a night in a hotel in Utah. He writes about all the questions posed him, the curiosities that were too irresistible to pass up, such as how expensive are the solar panels, what is the car's range, is it expensive to convert a regular car, and so on. Although Perrin's book is already over eight years old (and I was saddened to see that it is out of print), it is clear there has been some progress since the electric cars that basically had only one power source that was cheap, reliable and had a reasonable life expectancy, albeit a dangerous one: lead-acid batteries. I would feel uncomfortable sitting on top of (or near) 800 pounds of sulfuric acid. Solo has a limited range, only 150 miles a day and can only get up to about 65 MPH. The drawbacks come when accessories must be used: heater, lights, and defogger. I wouldn't have the patience to drive such a car, but maybe driving such a car would teach me patience.

I loved this book! Perrin makes nonfiction as literature an art, and breathes new life into travel writing. His book is very helpful in itself about a good, consistent writing style, and I love it when the writer takes me to the places he visits: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and so on. In that sense, "Life With an Electric Car" has no equal yet, and the author knows it. If you can find this book, buy it and keep it. Perrin's book is like a good drink that is sipped, not gulped down. Read it slowly. You may begin to think that the days of gasoline powered cars are numbered. That they are. Highly recommended for readers 14 and over.

Noel Perrin is a professor of environmental studies at Dartmouth College. He had a moment of enlightenment when a student asked him how he traveled the thirteen miles to class that morning. "I drove in, in my gas-guzzling, air polluting farm truck," he admitted. Then began his quest to find a vehicle more consistent with his beliefs and his profession. He acquired Solo, a Ford Escort converted into a battery-powered, solar-panel-assisted electric car with a range of nearly sixty miles (on level ground on a warm day).

Perrin's adventures with Solo are in the best tradition of the "travelin' across America" genre. We share his frustration as he realizes that he can't make it up and over Donner Pass, and abandons his coast-to-coast drive to bring Solo home from California. (He buys a pickup truck to tow "him" - Solo is male.) We watch his chagrin as he realizes that his new truck/car caravan can't back up - not even a few feet - and he has to select motels, restaurants, and gas stops based on the shape of their parking spaces. We worry with him the first time he drives after dark; how fast will his headlights drain the batteries? Back at home, we cheer as the college gives him his own personal outlet next to a reserved parking space.

Perrin's attention to detail adds to the pleasure. He doesn't just state Solo's mileage range and charging time; he spells out the cost in time, worry, and inconvenience. School is thirteen miles away, and he can recharge the car during classes. His wife has her own separate home forty-six miles away - a little too far for comfort, especially with hills and cold weather making extra demands on his seventeen batteries. Perrin gives a detailed analysis of the "cradle-to-grave" pollution costs of owning Solo vs. owning a gasoline-powered car. He contends that Solo costs society virtually nothing - especially since he started to recharge "him" from a series of solar panels.

Three chapters have been added to the expanded paperback edition. These bring us up to date on the latest in electric vehicle technology and the evolution of the field.

This is a most enjoyable and informative book. It left me with a rather surprising urge to rush right out and buy an electric car!

fundamental equations
Extrusion from a contracting under certain distributed loads
Cylindrical tude under certain distibuted loads

Today Rodney Hill remains the best known plastician of this century. Perhaps no other book in engineering mechanics has done so much to propel a field as has Hill's Mathematical Theory of Plasticity. The book forms a beginning, a guiding force, for nearly all plasticity books in print today including my own.

If you have any interest at all in the Miata MX-5 / Miata at all, this is a must have item on your bookshelf. Buy it.

Like Miata's? Then your love to read all the assorted articals in this book. Test drives, comparisons, and after-market reviews from the worlds most respected plublications... Road'n'Track, Car and Driver, many European Articles. Miata vs. Alfa, BMW, and the Monster V8 Miata

After owning an MG for over 15 years, and reading what I thought was everything I could find, this new version of the book is everything I expected. The writing is very informative, and the pics in the book are most enjoyable. I think this book is a must have for the MG enthusiast.

F. Wilson McComb's book is probably the best single work on the MG Car Company, Ltd. He covers in exhaustive but very readable detail the history of MGs, from Old Number One to nearly the last MGBs. McComb covers the racing efforts, from British hillclimbs to perhaps MG's greatest outright win at the Nurburgring in 1967. Copious photographs illustrate the work and the appendix provides a wealth of technical detail on each MG ever produced. A tremendous effort and a very rewarding book.

OUTSTANDING book, probably the BEST that I have in my collection, this is a MUST own for your MINI library...GET IT NOW, you will NOT be sorry.

I have been a Mini Fan since the mid-sixties when they were racing at many "club" venues in Southern California. I actually became a "Fanatic" in 1986 when I actually purchased a Mini and have read many, many books on the Mini since. This book contains lots of pictures (along with many facts) that I have not seen before in any other publication. The book is very well laid out and the pictures are really well done. I enjoyed it immensely and wholeheartedly recommend it. A "must read" for any Mini Nut.

I refer to this book more than any other of the tractor books I collect. It covers most modern tractor manufacturers with striking and beautiful photography and quick backgrounds of each company. Even obscure European tractor companies are covered in depth.

Andrew Morland and Peter Henshaw should update this book since some of the information is now outdated (especially since the Case-New Holland merger occurred last year). As with other Enthusiast Color Series books, precious pages are sometimes wasted with repeat photographs of tractors we have seen elsewhere in the book. This occurs less frequently in this book than others of the Series.

Anyone who loves tractors will love this book!

This is the ultimate guide to modern tractors in 96 pages between two covers! It's got a full-color gallery of John Deere, Ford, and New Holland farm tractors plowing, planting, spraying, and HEY! I Can't tell you everything. But anyway, if you love tractors, what the heck are you doing just sitting here? GO BUY THIS BOOK

Having met Guy and having him modify my Fiat TC was occuring as the book was being written. This book reflect guy's no-nonsense sceintific approach to enginge modification and shares his experience such that I felt confident to build up my own engine after he had done the machining. Information in this book is clear and detailed and would apply to many other engines as well. This is in the same top-flight rank as Vizard's books on the BMC A series...maybe better. Neil Roshier

As a Lancia/Fiat enthusiast,this book gives me all the technical know how to safely modify where the author has been and experimented with these excellent twincam motors. Guy Croft runs a large tuning shop for these engines and the book is his exhaustive results of what works and what doesnt, and what results can be expected. Very technical, very thorough, this is a book that will save the enthusiast a fortune by avoiding mistakes in getting more power out of a TC motor. The only other company that have ever done so much modifying to these engines,Abarth, have never revealed any of their findings to the public in this manner, which makes this the only book on the subject to my knowledge ( apart from workshop manuals) A rare find indeed! Bertie Rietveld batavia1@mweb.co.za

This is a wonderfully detailed Automotive book! In fact it is our school Auto Tech text book. It has illustrations, explanations, and awesome details. I would reccomend this book to anyone interested in Automotive Technology!

I have a young son who is 13 and he shows an interest in auto repair. I was in the market for a comprehensive book that would give him a good understanding of automotive principals and theory. Well I certainly found it in this book.

Excellent! You need this book if you buying a classic mustang

While having owned and restored several Mustangs, I have also owned all three editions of The Mustang Red Book. This book is a most valuable resource for anyone looking to buy a Mustang. It has an incredibly comprehensive listing of specifications, part numbers, options, and prices for each year, and is essential for cracking Mustang ID codes. You need this book!

This book covers the Ford Mustang up through model year 1994. It has chapters dedicated to Mustang prototypes and toys and models, in addition to Ford Mustangs and Shelby Mustangs. Also includes a chapter on buying a vintage Mustang, and a chapter on Mustang advertising. A well rounded book with lots of pictures.

This is the best Mustang book erver created. It features many pictures and tons of info.