General Automotive Reviews

No longer a dusty realm occupied solely by the Southern male, NASCAR has exploded over the last decade into a full-throttle national obsession. That said, it's only fitting that Mark McCarter, a homegrown Tennessee boy who's become a nationally recognized sportswriter, should be at the wheel of this tribute to America's newest past time. McCarter's evocative prose flawlessly blends a professional's dizzying knowledge of the sport with a race fan's tender passion. The heart-pounding, full-color photographs of Talladega, Daytona, and other racetracks around the U.S. are so vivid you'll swear you can smell the motor oil rising off the page! The Racetracks Book is a must-have for any red-blooded American who calls himself-or herself-a NASCAR fan.

This book is a gem. Mark McCarter, a gifted and nationally recognized newspaper sports columnist, has done for stock car racing what Jack London did for dogs and James Joyce once did for drunk Irishmen. This book is the ultimate compliment to a fan's love of NASCAR. Grown fans will love this book for the access it gives them to some of America's premier tracks. But children will also love the pictures and stories. So parents, listen up: put down those boring Fairy Tales and pick up "The Racetracks Book" when your kids demand a bedtime story.

Mark McCarter is simply one of the most prolific sportswriters of our time. His poignant and powerful memoirs of life around the culturally diverse venues of NASCAR is spellbinding and makes any fan heady with excitement for his or her next visit to the track.

When it comes to the love of automobiles, my hub is somewhat of a road warrior. So, when he purchased this book, I must admit I feigned polite interest. After thumbing through pages of classy, glossy dream vehicles--- I was hooked. This was no ordinary book on cars. This was eye candy with all pedals to the metal.

Photographer Lewis relates that ad agencies would urge her to shoot cars in studio setups. But she always preferred to go on location to wait until the dawn sky "radiated a glow that rolls like warm caramel across a car's sheet metal."

That glow rolls through the pages of this sumptuous photographic history of the American motor car. The book starts with the Model T (costing $850 in 1908) and Henry Ford's vow to "build a car for the great multitude." It picks up speed in the '20s with the birth of the U.S. highway and cruises to our current national love affair with SUVs, "two-ton behemoths that swill fuel like hogs at the trough."

The automobiles themselves will be treat enough for car nuts. For the rest of us there is Lewis's affection for Americana. She shoots a '35 Ford pickup, black with red-rimmed wheels, against the bleakness of Two Guns, Ariz.; a ruby red '59 Cadillac Eldorado convertible in the glitter gulch of Fremont Street in Vegas; and a muscle-car legend, the '64 Pontiac GTO, beneath a towering doughnut sign in L.A.

A great gift for car loving guys & gals on Valentine's Day or any day. Warning: The rumble of the road will be calling you!

Lewis captures the epic wonder, strange beauty, and raucous vitality of the American road. Her eye is attracted to the things we often notice, but seldom observe. The text is excellent, offering actual experiences of those who journeyed along these fabled highways in the past. The color photography is mouth-watering and extremely vivid (the neon practically jumps from the page), but the black and white photos are especially haunting. They explore some of the same terrain immortalized by photographers such as Robert Frank and Dorothea Lange. All in all, a splendid book.

...Arranged in chronological order, the seven chapters take us from 1895 through 1999. The pictorial focus is on American iron, largely from the '50s and '60s. Lewis' narration accompanies in a casual tone with dry humor and interesting historical anecdotes, allowing the reader to mentally complete the cross-country journey with ease. I found myself reliving the multiple coast to coast excursions I took in the 1970s and felt the seeds of yet another trip being planted.

...Roadside America is a long-term book. Lucinda Lewis has lovingly recorded historic cars in historic settings with such visual detail that it is impossible to take them all in at one viewing. You will come back time and again. This book evokes all the romance and sense of adventure that early automotive culture has come to mean. Whether you are a fan of beautiful old cars, traveling Americana, automotive culture, or dramatic professional photography of all of the above, Roadside America, The Automobile and the American Dream is for you.

I picked this book up from the library and had to buy a copy. It has information on pretty much every situation a car owner will come across. It covers the basic run-down of a car's systems and parts and how much you should expect to pay to fix or replace a part. It also has a great section on buying or selling a car, and checklists for periodic maintenance. After reading this book, I feel a lot more confident that I can handle any car problems that might come up. Pick up this book (if you can find a copy) for anyone, female or male, who tends to "neglect" their car because they feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they think they need to know to keep it running. This book makes it simple.

I checked this book out at my local library, but found it so helpful that I wanted to buy a copy to keep in my car (which I'm currently in the process of buying, with aid from this book....) I can't express my disappointment with finding it's no longer available and can only hope that one day it will be again. Until then...check to see if your library has a copy too!

I'm actually a guy, not a woman, but I am not the most car-astute person in the world. Like most people, I've always felt that I must have missed the two days at high school where everybody else magically learned everything there was to know about cars.

This book has saved me with the basic facts about cars, how to change a flat, what fluids to check and how, and how to avoid getting ripped off when buying a car. It is so refreshing to see this stuff spelled out by someone who sincerely wants you to understand it, and has no macho baloney complicating it. I would reccommend this book to all my friends, male and female, if it were still available.

This is a fabulous book on sea kayaking. I loved reading it because of the very useful information and mix of serious and humorous writing styles. A must read - and you'll want to read it several times to soak up all the great information. Highly recommended for any kayaker. His exploits are impressive and inspiring.

There are a number of good books on kayak technique, but Dowd's is the bible of the sport, and with good reason. He's been kayaking for over thirty years, and he's done some of the most difficult voyages in kayaking history. He's specific in his recommendations, but open minded, too. He favors feathered paddles, but he understands the advantage of unfeatehred paddles, and allows how they may be superior in many conditions.

Dowd's advice isn't based on theory, but on experience. He's not afraid to admit his own mistakes, and in this latest edition, he desribes how he's changed a lot of his opinons on the rescue techniques he's taught in the past. He's realistic, and realizes that not every kayaker is going to develop a bombproof roll or be able to perform the Borze's paddlefloat rescue; he endorses alternate techniques like he (somewhat contentious) Sea Wings.

What it boils down to is this: Whatever other books you may own, whatever lessons you may have taken, whatever your level of experience- you need this book.

I first read his 1988 edition as I was just getting into sea kayaking. I have since built 3 singles and a triple and have done week-long trips in Prince William Sound, Puget Sound, Sea of Cortez, and New Zealand. So I'm now fairly experienced and yet still learn (relearn?) new information and techniques when I reread it.

I especially appreciate Dowd's emphasis on self-rescues as opposed to assisted rescues. So many rescues that work in a pool with an unloaded boat are impossible in 38F water, 3-foot seas, with 150 pounds of gear in your touring kayak. And yet that is when you really need a solid rescue technique.

His references to some of the epoch, historic and recent, long-distance expeditions are inspirational. When you're slogging 5 miles back to camp against a 15-knot wind, it helps to remember that people have paddled across the Atlantic and that your task is doable.

Be safe, go see cool places, happy paddling. -David Thomas

This is a great reference for care and servicing of small B&S lawn mower engines. Contains countless photos with illustrations and some tables, but mostly a lot of color photos. Contains chapters entitled "Maintenance", "Basic Repair", and "Advanced Repair". "Maintenance" includes servicing spark plugs and air cleaners. "Basic Repair" includes troubleshooting, adjusting the carburetor, and replacing the rewind. "Advanced Repair" includes overhauling the carburetor, replacing the ignition, removing cylinder head carbon deposits, servicing the valves, and servicing the engine brake. The book does not cover overhauling the engine, but is a great reference for lawn mower owners who want to do their own maintenance.

This is a great reference for care and servicing of small B&S lawn mower engines. Contains countless photos with color illustrations and some tables, but mostly a lot of color photos. Contains chapters entitled "Maintenance", "Basic Repair", and "Advanced Repair". "Maintenance" includes servicing spark plugs and air cleaners. "Basic Repair" includes troubleshooting, adjusting the carburetor, and replacing the rewind. "Advanced Repair" includes overhauling the carburetor, replacing the ignition, removing cylinder head carbon deposits, servicing the valves, and servicing the engine brake. The book does not cover overhauling the engine, but is a great reference for lawn mower owners who want to do their own maintenance.

I would like some information on how i can order this book for myself so that I can learn more on how to repair lawn mowers.

The book has a lot of info.I may be 12 and a girl but I LOVE Mustangs.I can refer to my book to get info on a 69 429 Boss.But I wish it had the original list price!The pictures are great! Not only does it have old Mustangs but they also have newer mustangs as well.I enjoy seeing the evalution of the Mustang

This was a gift for my boyfriend--a Mustang owner and lover! He loves it! It's very informative, has great pictures, and information on the history of the Mustang. This book includes the number of models reproduced and he loved that aspect! Not only does it include info on the cars itself but Mustang Memorabilia!! Too Cool of a Book!

The Ford Mustang has had a love affair with Americans since its inception. This book, with polished photos, easy to read format, and brilliant content is a must purchase for any car enthusist.

The book traces each generation of Mustangs as well as the difefrent varations in each "family." It shows the car in all its glory as well as its failures. We get to view the Shelby's, Saleens, Cobras, Mach's, and GTs as well as the pathic Mustang II Coupe. The reader will also get a glance at Mustangs production models and designs.

If you like the American pony cars, then you'll love this book. Long live the Mustang!

This book is fabulous. It's peculiar that women still tend to be overlooked as "car people," as I had no problem coming up with a half dozen car-centric female friends and family members to give this book to for birthdays and holidays. From the friend who takes pride at keeping her '81 Corolla limping along, to the retired Mom of my closest friend who bought a snazzy new Honda as a retirement present for herself to my own Mom who is a car-buying-research goddess. All have thoroughly enjoyed this book (as have the Y-chromosomed who've read it)!

Highly recommended, well-written, and top-notch photographs.

It may have started when women got the vote, but when women form adoring, nutty and intimate relationships with their true liberator (their CAR!) you're really seeing freedom in action. Women at the Wheel is a love story and an exhilarating ride.

Full disclosure time: I am a friend of the author and I helped her and encouraged her to pursue the book project. None the less, I have read the book, and being as objective as I can, I find it engaging and really well realized. Ms. Root has no agenda and no subtext; the book honestly presents the results of exploring an interesting group of people. While being exposed to sociological aspects of women and car culture, one is more interested in the individual women profiled in the book. The photography is excellent, and the reproduction generally quite good. Ms. Root's portrait skills are amply demonstrated in image after image where real personality comes through plainly, confirmed and supported by the text. This is superior to many 'theme' photography books, and a wonderful antidote to those that treat women as only decorations for cars. As a man I enjoyed it; I imagine some young women will be inspired by it.

I once owned a restored, 1948 Allis Model B tractor. Long live the "Orange"!!
This book is a very useful reference for the antique tractor collector, restorer, and enthusiast. It does not include information on later model Allis-Chalmers (A-C) products, i.e., it only covers tractors produced during the first half century (1914 thru 1963) of company operation. This pocket sized reference book includes detailed model specifications, product serial numbers and dates, model history comments, and some black and white photographs and drawings.
I have been really pleased with this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in antique Allis-Chalmers tractors and crawlers.
As I have researched antique tractors from other manufacturers, I have been very disappointed to discover that a detailed data book, like this one, does not exist for other antique tractor companies.

Absolutely great package! I couldn't believe how much info the author backed in this small, glove-box size book! He should do more. The info is very thorough, and were details were not available, the author indicated, rather than simply make it up (laugh maybe, but this has been a problem with lots of tractor books out there!). you can trust this one. Been in the tractor hobby for many years, and this is the most useful book on AC I have seen to date.

If you're looking for something to carry in your back pocket or in the glove box for those tractor auctions and collector gatherings and other shows, this is the perfect book. It has all the tractors and the first serial number of each year and model and the last serial number made.

Plachno offers a diverse range of makes and models from well known and not-so-well known companies, accompanied by quality black and white prints. If you'd like to get to know "Big Cars" better, here is an extensive guide to Intercity Buses used by large and small carrier companies throughout the U.S. While Plachno goes out of his way to be specific and provide a lot of information about the manufacture of each OTR coach, some of it is repetative...my only complaint, should not lessen the usefullness and uniqueness of this book. Roll On...

Anyone who is a bus fan should buy this books. If you only buy one bus book, buy this one.

If you like buses, buy this book. Excellent coverage of many presently and other no longer manufactured makes and types of inter-city buses. If I had no other bus book, I would have to have this one! (I do, however, also recommend including the several Photo Archive bus books in one's collection).

This book is very well done, as are the other Motorbook ones on the subject of Police cars.. But if you are a real buff, the material will look very light...Basic explanations made for the profane or the 10-year old asking "where does the siren sound come from Dad ?"

Copyright 1999 says a LOT these days, especially with how technology changes so fast. The great aspect is all information is about police cars from 1991 onward...police cars currently on the STREET and not in some junkyard. The author kept this book late 1990s modern information and it shows in the photos.

The author also seems to predict the reader's questions and answers them by using citations from officers or explaining his points in full. He does not state something and leave you scratching your head as to what it means. Example: "Police cars have five antennaes of varying length." The author then explains what each antennae is and why the varying length instead of just saying the above sentence with no explanation.

Another nice aspect is the author knows a car is only as goods as it's driver. So the author writes about the human element and officers' opinions on the type of patrol cars they drive. From dispatchers to trainers to backups and K-9, this book goes beyond under the hood and outside the doors of the squad car to describe who and where support comes from to aid the officer in the car.

For the price, this book is a bargin because the author was THERE! And not just "there" but "there" as in he rode with five plus police departments across the USA. He took photos of the interiors, exteriors, officers, equipment, and car markings. A great resource for the police car modeler.

A great read and educational piece.

This book is a refreshing change from similar books because you don't get in over your head with technical data or historical backgrounds. This book is the ideal blend of photographs and written information for anyone with even the most modest interest in police cars, yet it covers enough ground to appeal to the most devoted enthusiast. The only complaint I have is a minor one, and it is that the author will sometimes word a sentence in a way that makes it seem like he is assuming all police departments use the same procedures he is describing. But this is probably more a question of personal taste in grammar than anything else. In all, this is a fantastic book.