General Automotive Reviews

This book gives an excellent history of the New Beetle, from conception to competition. A must read for New Beetle fans.

Great Book, from concept 1 till 1.8T. Shame there are no pictures of the new beetle in different colours. Red an Grey are mainly used for the pictures which are from great quality. As I am not good in English ( I'm from Belgium ) the book was easy to read. I'm sure, if I have my new beetle I'll hug it (or her). One of the best car-books I've ever read. You can see that Matt Delorenzo (the author) really loves the new bug.

After having followed the New Beetle from its first concept I wanted to know the full story. This books tells it all and it has some great pictures of the various prototypes and special models. There's even a picture of a NB in Herby style (by Neuspeed). I recommend this book for everyone who wants to know the full NB story.

I've owned and restored 9 DS models and have been around a hundred or so more. As much as I know about the models, this book has doubled my knowledge with one purchase. If you are a serious Citroeniste, you absolutely must have this book on your shelf.

The book includes good photos, many details and is inspirational to look through. Every single development of the car through it's lifetime appears to be covered. A must for the DS/ID owner setting out to restore a specimen of these highly individual and sophisticated vehicles. Written in a language understandable even for a non-technical mind as Yours truly.

You need look no further for an outstanding guide to the history, mechanics, and pedigree of what must surely be the most original car ever engineered - the Citroen DS. I would recommend this guide without hesitation to anyone either interested in the car in the abstract, or actually intending to undertake a restoration. The illustrations are thoughtful, helpful, and (in the case of exterior shots) almost romantically posed; the language is clear throughout; Reynolds does an impeccable job of making the book useful to the non-gearhead enthusiast. My only complaint is that the book is such drool-inducing & lethally glossy DS porn that I fear it will make the experience of non-ownership all but unbearable for fans, and so further increase the competition for those few magnificent cars still available.

THE book for any fan of the 911. Frere's engineering knowledge combined with his racing experience mixed with his close relationship with the Porsche Factory makes this book the reference for all things 911. Mr. Frere's writing style is easy to read while containing vast amounts of detail and content. If I had one criticism or suggestion, it would be to rewrite the book in one cohesive style. Since the book has gone through 6 editions, the information on the later cars has been patched onto the existing manuscript. A total rewrite would allow Mr. Frere to integrate every aspect of the 911 evolution. It would give the book a seamless flow and greater continuity. With the end of the air cooled cars, now is the time for that rewrite.

No living automotive author can match the elegance and technical depth of Paul Frere's writing. Accordingly, only Frere could produce such a book as this, dense with minute technical detail, yet balanced with a broad view of how Porsche designed, raced, and evolved the 911.

The look on Frere's face as he sits in his own Carrera (in the color photograph section of the book) says it all: the 911 is a singular automobile, and this is the author to tell its story.

Its simple. No one knows more about Porsche's that Frere. This book is incredible rich in detail and a great resource. Its not like the other books, which might look good on a coffee table but lack substance. This is THE book for Porsche. Make no mistake.

This is a great book for the beginner or someone, like myself, almost ready to buy his first 356. This book is helping me a lot as the writer used his own experience from ownership to explain every aspect of this adorable car. Mr. Schrager even tries to explain the feeling and joy of owning and driving the 356 in metaphysical ways as you can not explain, by the means of logic, why people get so deeply in love with this car. You can read from cover to cover, you can use as reference or you can just open the book randomly and you'll hooked. After two hours of reading, someone offers you either a brand new 911 carrera or a 356...chances are you'll choose the "old one".

I've owned 356s for years. Jim Schrager's book told me things that I needed to know and didn't before I read this. The book contains useful, real world information without the fluff of a coffee table book. This is a must read for all new and soon to be new 356 owners. Particularly useful were the nut and bolt nuggets that come from years of owning all models of 356s. The only other way to get this information is years of pain.

I recently purchased a '67 912, satisfying my mid-life crisis for a Porsche. I researched several books to get the information needed to make an intelligent buy. I wish there was a book like this one for the 912. If you are considering a 356, this is the source book for you. Valuable information is provided on spotting problem cars and tips on what to examine. I especially like the information on ... cars as I have spotted may of the same frauds. I am close to getting a 356 and have targeted two and want to use the information this book provided. Porsche freaks, get this book!

This is a book I waited to be reprinted for a long time. Mark's honesty about his weaknesses and fears is a sign of his strength and desire to be the best. I admired him for his accomplishments and even more for his drive after reading this book. He helped make Roger Penske the racing legend he is. Will we ever see a man like Mark again? I doubt it!

It has been 30 years since Mark Donohue won the Indianapolis 500 (1972). My, how time flies! Mark was the at the peak of his career when his life was snuffed out in a race car crash. Mark Donohue and Roger Penske completely revitalized autoracing and changed everybody's thinking about how to run a successful auto racing team. Mark and Roger took auto racing to new levels of professionalism. Gone were the days of t-shirts and oily blue jeans, replaced by clean uniforms. Gone were the days of hamburgers and french fries, replaced with healthy food for the crew. Gone were the days of towing of the race car on an open trailer pulled by a rusty old pickup truck, replaced by semi-trailer trucks. His book "The Unfair Advantage" should be manditory reading for any race car driver or business professional. If you expect to get a head in the game of life, you should read this book.

A book of this size usually takes me 1-3 days to read. This one took 2 weeks and I hated having to put it down. Its the story of a man whose only ambition was to be the best in his chosen profession. The book is full of interesting stories about the development of his race cars and driving techniques. A must read for anyone who enjoys motorsport.

Michael Schnayerson's chronicle of the building of this car is more important in pre-war 2003 than ever before. The designers, engineers and builders are real heros,producing real solutions when we need them most. Their story should be told everywhere.
I've driven the EV1 for the past five years and I'm here to say that it worked. Michael, if you're out there, consider writing the sequel. The story continues with global consequences...

...Reading this book is all
the more interesting whe you realize how well the Gen II EV1
with improved batteries works. An impressive work by GM and Michael Schnayerson in covering it so well.

Unfortunately, the initial Delco/Delphi batteries in the first generation EV1 underdelivered and weren't very reliable.

The Gen II EV1 changed all that once they got decent batteries. The new High-capacity lead-acid battery pack is 55 to 95 miles per charge by GM specification. Some drivers achieve over 100 miles on these daramatically improved lead acid batteries. ...

Thanks for your time!
m.t.thompson@ieee.org

This book was one of the best informational books I've ever read. Usually, I'm interested in novels with tons of action, however, I had to do a thesis for school, which ended up being on New Methods of Non-Pollutant Transportation. I assumed that this book, like most informational books would be extremely boring. However, having read it, it seems so much like a novel, with a plot, protagonists, antagonists, etc. It's very much like a novel. I've never read anything like this before, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a great success story.

Okay, so it's not a page-turner. This book is a subtle treat. The author has an amazing grasp on small town life, and the people who make it so. The repairing of the 1976 Corvette shows an obvious parallel to Alison's soul.
After her husband dies, Alison moves to a small town in West Virginia with her sister. The devistation of losing her partner is too much for her to bear. She finds herself unable to work, live alone, or love.
When she discovers the Corvette in her sisters garage she goes through a slow metamophosis while making it new again. She learns that it is possible to go on. If the car can do it, so can she.
The townspeople become her own, and she even manages to find a bit of romance. This is an excellent book with a wonderful positive message. Go out and get it.

Alison Durst was in her mid-thirties when she became a widow. Her husband had died two years before, yet Alison was unable to let go. She resided with her sister, Sarah, and her brother-in-law, Bill, in a small town in West Virginia. They urged Alison to either move on with her life or move back to her own house. Yet Alison could not bring herself to leave the small town and return to the house where she had so many memories.

Alison finally told Sarah that she would get on with her life - just as soon as she renovated the nearly ruined 1976 Corvette that was rusting in Sarah's garage. Alison knew absolutely NOTHING about cars. But she bought a manual and tools, rolled up her sleeves, and went to slow work.

Max Kesler was a handsome munitions expert. His father was a compulsive liar whose biggest lie (that was around fifty-years old) may soon become exposed. That lie made Mr. Kesler the town's celebrity! But Max was tired of all the lies and actually looked forward to the town learning the truth in the very near future.

***** Brad Barkley has earned a place on my list of favorite authors! Nicholas Sparks has heavy competition here! I could not stop reading. I cannot recommend this novel high enough. A MUST READ! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch.

With it's wise-cracking dialogue and oddball characters, this book explores serious themes of loss (accidental and intentional), love and death, and truth. Alison Durst, a former badgirl turned community college history teacher, still mourns the accidental death of her husband Marty after more than a year, and Sarah, her married (but not comfortably so, as she and her husband Bill struggle to get pregnant), encourages her to get on with her life. She meets Max, but of course pushes him away at first as he competes with the ghost of Marty. She is drawn to him--he, the munitions expert, adept at destroying things, buildings, silos, relationships--and at the same time sets about trying to make things right. Against a background that at first seems silly--the unifying thread is Alison's restoration of a hopeless 1976 Corvette--this book does a masterful job of portraying, and resolving, Alison's conflicts.

The book takes you through the author's project to upgrade his brand-new RV. He goes the expensive route, starting with special order equipment, then adding a super charger, replacing the exhaust system, getting a custom engine control chip made, and doing dyno testing at many stages of the project. It's well documented and clearly written.

Unless you're going to drive many miles each year, the full treatment probably won't be worth it. (By my estimate, the modifications will cost perhaps $10,000 to $15,000.) However, the back of the book deals with reality for the rest of us and he makes suggestions for less amtitious projects. I will follow many of his safety and easy-to-do suggestions, but won't go "all the way".

I would recommend this for anyone contemplating changes to his/her RV to increase performance of economy. Read it from cover-to-cover so you know what's possible and what each modification will do, then decide what's right for your rig and situation.

KPFK radio in Los Angeles praised "Cousin Eddy" as "unusually interesting, of good quality, well done, has good illustrations, and gives good advice" on its "The Car Show/LA" program Saturday, July 17, 1999. I listen to the show every week, and couldn't agree more!

I loved this book. After taking some of Lindberg's tips, my motorhome went 7.2 mpg to 11.9 mpg. That doesn't sound like a lot, but it is saving me a ton of money this summer. Hope he writes another!

This book is not and does not try to be a shop manual. What it is, is a well-done primer on the theory behind the various systems in a motorcycle. The chapter on engines was fascinating to me. It explains, in rough historical/chronological order, the development of various engine designs, and how each was a reponse to weaknesses in previous designs and how each one introduced it own problems (while at the same time older designs were tweaked in various ways to minimize problems). The design variations include number of cyllinders, number of crankshafts, orientation of cyllinders with respect to each other, orientation of the crankshaft with respect to the motorcycle, ratio of bore diameter to stroke length, various arrangements of valve trains, etc. Two stroke engines are also covered. Illustrations are extensive, but tend to be pulled from other books or from manufacturers manuals, so sometimes include unnecessary detail, especially in the carburation chapter (which was very complex and a little over my head). Some chapters (e.g., exhaust systems) were not as detailed as the engine chapter and were slightly disappointing.

I followed this book up with Keith Cameron's Sportbike Performance Hankbook, which explains some systems in more detail. Cameron's book is ostensibly a book for souping up your motorcycle, but in the end managed to convince me that I want to keep my bike stock unless I don't plan to use it on the street: the manufacturers generally know what they are doing.

One caveat about Motorcycle Basics Manual: the book was authored in England and uses U.K. terminology. A glossary at the end gives U.S. equivalents, but a few things are left out.

In the first review of this book are the words: "Don't expect this book to allow you to fix your bike."

This is absolutely true: this book is for people with little or no mechanic knowledge -- it's a great primer, but is NOT any use as a workshop reference.

If you already know something about bikes, this book will teach you little new (although it was nice to finally learn what a desmodromic valve was :)

I'm a young(ish) woman who is absolutely new to the world of motorcycles. I bought this book from Amazon after reading through the posted reviews, and am pleased to say that it was an excellent purchase.


I really don't have anything to compare this book to, but I can say that it has been a wonderful introduction to the nuts and bolts of motorcycles. I never really understood what constituted an engine before picking up this book, but now I can talk intelligently on many mechanical matters with my grease-monkey mates. It's also a great reference when you're struck by a killer question about the intricacies of gear shifting, or whatever.


The book's only drawback, from my point of view, is that the text is rather dense, which makes it slightly daunting to sit down with. All in all though, my thanks and congratulations go out to the author.

I read the book since I had interest in a sports car. As soon as I put it down, I had the Viper Fever. I bought one the next day. Great book with some good background and pictures.

it's dang good the venom gos 0-60 in 2.4 sec and 0-100 in 5.5sec and 0-100-0 in 9.4 sec that is bad i think how about you.

This Viper book is so beautiful, and great i get to read it again. cool..