General Automotive Reviews

This book gathers the most useful information every electronic engineer needs to design almost everything, it can be used either as a handbook or reference's guide. I encourage my partners to read this book in order to get the best idea in how to start a design.

There have been many books written on the automotive creations of Carroll Shelby, but this one stands out in 2 ways. The photographs (many of which were taken by the author himself) are fantastic, and the section detailing Mr. Shelby's years with the Chrysler Corporation is first rate. Every Shelby-Dodge fan needs to have this book.....period!

If you are restoring a Cobra or building a replica, this is the best source of photographs you will find. Or if you are nostalgic for late 60's roadracing, you will find this an excellent book.

Actually, I own the hardback version of this book which covers 1983-1997. Ever since reading my first Side Glances column in Road and Track ("Lee's TR-3") almost eleven ago I have been a big fan of Peter Egan. Anyone who loves cars (particularly old British cars) should own this book. I only wish that all of his feature stories would be put together in one volume as well.

My sister Jeanie, fresh out of university was looking for a reasonable deal that would keep her transported safely and affordably for at least a few years. Her know-it-all friends had plenty of advice but when you saw what they were driving and what they put up with (breakdowns and breakups) you'd wonder about their counsel. Anyway I came across Bruce's book following a search for advice. As it happens there isn't much written that doesn't slam certain brands and take nasty cracks at the industry. "So you wanna buy a car" is a real easy book to read... no hi-tech, macho car bunk. I picked it up for Jeanie on a Thursday; she had it all together and even made up her own check list from the model in the book... Friday noon she reviewed some ideas on the phone with me... and she got the car whe was looking for by 8:30 that night. The book worked for her and she swears it saved her nearly $6 thou. There's a lot of real down-to-earth sensible parts; easy to get through chapters, some funny bits, homestyle cartoons. Not really your standard boring-as-hell how-to book.

This book describes the steps to figure out what to do to soup up your engine. It goes through costs of each step. It also desribes how each step helps. The book describes how to improve the head, gas flow, ignition, lubrication, supercharging, and fuels to make for a faster, more powerful engine.

Well written, logical, easy to read. All points make good sense.

I am someone who drives over 30,000 miles per year. When you drive this much you WILL get a ticket. Since I have read this book and begun applying its principles I have been able to get out of more tickets than you would believe. The author plainly clarifies what motivates a cop to give you a ticket and gives you excellent suggestions as to how to prevent getting a ticket in the first place.

At one time, I thought that there was no use fighting the system. Reading this book inspired me to learn more on the subject and now I fight EVERY ticket and win almost EVERY one, even when the cop shows in court. Even if you only learn one new tip (and you will learn many more that that) you will never be sorry that you bought this book.

We took our 6 and 10 year olds on a long car trip. The Coolest cars kept them busy for 8 hours! What better review can I give this book?

When I was looking to start up my own car wash, I exhausted myself trying to find the right combination of marketing and skill. When I finally turned to "Start Your Own Car Wash" I found the winning formula! Now I am basking in the praise I receive at my very own car washery! And rolling in the profits! Soon I may be in the movies!

The cover drew me to this book, with it's cartoon of a knarled freeway mess, and huge-headed drivers waving their fist out the windows. Although the cover of "Highway Madness..." is humorous, its abstract is not cutesy. Within its covers is a topic as serious as a tax audit: aggressive driving leading to road rage. This book is so good that I had to use it as a reference in my book about automobile driving. Dr. Larson's title is exactly the material covered in the book, and pegs nearly all negative driving behaviors to the "T." Everything he discusses is factual, in one way to another, and it is good to see a book on road rage written with authority. Although it has some corny phrases, there simply was no other way to word the thoughts of unreasonable drivers: "I'm better than you," "How dare you!" "I can't let you get away with that!" and so on. Dr. Larson's book is the precursor to a later book he co-wrote on the same subjects. The text is Times Roman, one of my top three favorites, and the line spacing is good; it is also easy-to-read and understand the psychological messages without being a psychologist.

The book points out cases where drivers killed each other on their way home over a traffic dispute. A traffic dispute! Is it worth dying for? A driver tailgates another, and the driver wants to cause an accident for this? A man uses his brakes to get back at another driver, and kills her. He leaves the scene, only to come back and be charged with murder. A man killed a complete stranger simply by using the brakes on his car, a woman whom he had never met. What's going on here? What's wrong with some drivers today? This book will tell you!

Dr. Larson makes good use of his driving experiences as examples, assigning appropriate labels to certain drivers: The Vigilante, The Passive-Aggressor and those with righteous indignation. I know exactly what he's talking about! I know how infuriated other drivers can make me, and that's the most important point Dr. Larson wants to get across, that it is HOW and WHAT I do with those feelings which make a difference. Will I be able chill out after that guy cut just cut me off, or will I flash my brights at him? Will I be able to overlook the mistakes of others, knowing that I am responsible for my feelings and not other drivers? If I am late to work, what right do I have to punish other drivers by riding their bumpers and changing lanes unsafely? Who said the road was all mine? These themes are perfectly interwoven throughout the whole book, providing a good fabric of consistency with its main goal aforefront: to save lives and maintain sanity while driving.

This book is only one of many for which the need cannot be overstated. Dr. Larson gave testimony before a Senate Subcommittee in the 1990's, of which I have a copy of the transcript, that became strong material for his book. He believes in his work, and it shows in his writing. If you have a problem with aggressive driving or giving into driving hostility in any way, then this book is a mandatory "prescription." I think Dr. Larson would agree. This book is well worth every penny, and can save you hundreds of dollars of the cost of a visit to a therapist. Buy this book, and read it. Then read it again, and you will begin to understand what Dr. Larson wants from you: to drive to and from your destination without losing your cool, or someone you love. After you've read it twice, then read it again. Even if you don't have a problem with road rage, at least you can benefit from its indirect points of knowing how aggressive drivers think and their completely unreasonable behaviors. My top recommendation. For drivers of all ages.