General Automotive Reviews

I received my copy of this book in the mail the other day. One of my VW stories was accepted in the book. As I shared the book with family, friends and coworkers more stories came flooding in. I never knew so many of the people I know had somewhere somehow or someplace made a bug or VW bus a part of their young adulthood. "Bug Tales" is a great book because it keeps on going even after it is read. Hey this little book is much like the beetle itself.

I loved reading through Bugtales. Every story brought out man's personal relationship with their beloved VW. For many of us 60's kids this was the only car we could afford. I found it facinating how the bug has become a treasured item. The stories all evoke images of VW owners from all walks of life and all parts of the country. The VW stories stand the test of time. Any VW owner can relate to the sometimes touching and many times hilarious rembrances in this book. Would be a great present to anyone who either owned a bug, knew someone who did or just wished they had been bitten by BUG FEVER.

I learned 3 things after reading "Bug tales"; most people "name" their beloved Vw, everybody has a Vw story of some sort to tell and always take a throttle cable with you where ever you go! This has got to be one of the most interesting collections of Vw stories ever compiled. You never know what is going to happen next. I laughed, I cried and was always surprised at the things that can happen in, around and on top of a Beetle! What makes this book so nice is the author is a Vw fanatic like the rest of us and contributes a couple of pretty wild stories of his own. Like the time the throttle cable broke on his friends bug. Paul ended up sitting on the back bumper working the throttle while his buddy yelled "shift!" when he changed gears. Believe it or not they made it to the repair shop that way!

You'll love this book even if you don't own a Vw! "Four air cooled cylinders up" to the authors Paul Klebahn and Gabriella Jacob! END

Everyone in the US buys a car at some point. Whether it's a new or used car this book tells you how to buy a car the right way. Think of it as an investment. Spend a little for this book, save a huge amount when buying a car.

It's hard to say enough about this book. Highly, highly recommended.

An incisive look at a dog-eat-dog business. Helps the car buyer through the major pitfalls of purchasing a new or used car which, unfortunately, exist at just about every stop in the car dealership.

For car buyers willing to do their homework, there is no reason to get ripped off. Sutton shows you how to arm yourself with some common-sense tactics that almost anyone can use.

An amusing sidebar for me was, after reading Sutton's book, was having several salespeople AND managers ask me if I was a former car lot manager. I just smiled inscrutibly and answered that I had 'contacts' in the business.

I purchased this book after hearing Mr. Sutton on a syndicated radio show. His information is right on the money, specifically mine. I am not a person who enjoys confrontation, but this book gave me the courage to stand up for myself. The first dealership I went to would not even budge on their new-car price or their offer for my trade-in. (I was looking for a specific model "program" car.) I was depressed and wanted to turn around and accept their offer. My husband wouldn't let me since I had been telling him about this book. Instead we drove less than 1 hour north to the next dealership and found the same car loaded with more options. I purchased that car for less than the one at the first dealership.

This is a nice "coffee table" book about their recent exhibit. As a rider since '59, I couldn't wait to get into the text, which is divided by time periods.
Alas, the print is a super thin, "artsy" typeface, very faint and grey colored- not a rich, easy to read, black Courier, for example. And the white space is excessive; they could have increased the typeface size by 4 or 5 points and still have more than enough border on each page!
Conclusion- a fine book marred by it's designers to make it less readable and useable!

Don't let the price put you off. This book is well worth the price. The color pictures alone are worth it all. The century of motorcycle development is well illustrated and the essays complete the story of the motorcycle. Your favorite bike may not be here (mine's the German Horex which Honda copied) but you could visit dozens of museums and never see the selection that was gathered for the Guggenheim Museum Exhibit.

If you didn't get to the Guggenheim Museum to see the Motorcycle as Art exhibit, or did and want a great book showcasing this historic event, and the artistic contribution that motorcycles have made to the modern age, this is the book to have. The opening text, composed of observations of the motorcycle as an art form and reflection of the dawning machine age, through the present and even into the future, is written (mostly) by obvious non-motorcyclists and it shows in their sometimes incorrect facts and inane assumptions. Dennis Hopper wrote a long poem that is simply drivel. But the photos, and text that accompanies them, is superb and the choice of bikes to represent the history of motorcycles is near flawless. There are a few types of bikes or special individual motorcycles missing, that such a collection should have had. Something from Arlen Ness, maybe Russ Collins' triple engined top-fuel bike and even a Harley Davidson "Rat". But the entire collection from the exhibit is here and the photography is beuitiful. Non-motorcyclists will appreciate what the Guggenheim has set out to do and succeeded brilliantly at... to show that motorcycles have been a real contribution to the world's art and technology, despite whether you ride or not. There is surely no better book to place in your motorcycle library or on your coffee table, even if your not a motorcyclist. I bought mine at the museum, for $75, and it was worth that much and more.

This book contains very basic material on the operation of the car; it appears to be a decent read for teenagers looking to grasp the basic; but the more mature readers will find this very shallow. The text contains the fundaments of auto mechanics; it is split into seven chapters; and each chapter describes a major automotive system. It has a test section at the end of each chapter to gauge how much you have learned. This book does not cover details on 2-stroke or 4-stroke engines; how the engine starts spinning after turning the ignition etc.

I must admit that it was enertaining reading this books with all the descriptive pictures.

How Cars Works is refined simplicity. I work for a major Auto Parts chain and when I get new employees, the first day they read this book. Just from two hours, an average "Joe" off the street can get the feel for how a car works. This book is well illustrated to fit the text. Granted, this book does not go deep into any specifics, but gives general information on all subjects such as Engine (top and bottom end), brakes, cooling system, chassis, and much more. I would recommend this book to any new drivers as well as anyone wanting to know more about cars.

If you or someone you know needs to learn the basics about cars, you need two books: How Cars Work and Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care. Both are great gifts for new drivers. I purchase How Cars Work and Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care for my nieces and nephews when they turn 16. Being an automobile technician, I think everyone that drives cars should know a little about them. How Cars Work does a great job using drawings to show car parts and what they do. Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care uses actual photos to show parts. Auto Upkeep also explains how to buy a car and choose automobile insurance. How Cars Work includes a worksheet for review at the end of each chapter, while Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care has a CD with review activities and internet links.

A review of the MSF course I took. A lot of technical explanations I couldn't get, such as degrees of lean angle. I would have preferred this to be an easier and simpler read.

Good material, excellent for review, presented very well. Makes good sense to read up from the experts when you can't actually take a course.

A good book, aimed primarily at the beginner, though experienced riders may find it useful as a refresher.

Finally, There are NO books out there like this! This book offers sound advice (that a parent like me would offer!) On Your Own For The First Time is absolutely the perfect graduation gift book. A guide to starting off in the real world is a true statement here. This book contains useful information for helping those that are getting out into the world and needs a reference guid (for when mom & dad aren't always around). It contains everything from employment to moving out to getting a car to money matters and life skills. I found out things that I never knew and I've been out on my own for quite a few years more than I'd like to mention!

This book is written like the author is speaking to a young person venturing off into the world. He relates to the reader, is very to the point and offers advice that is very much needed. After reading, it is very obvious that the author has thoroughly researched the topics.

I want to tell everyone that I have found the perfect gift for graduates or anyone else starting off on their own for the first (or second time for that matter), it's a must! What a perfect Easter Basket Present as well!

I gave this book to my nephew (through the recommendation of a friend) as a graduation gift. He didn't say much when I gave it to him. I think he was disappointed I gave him a book. But he just called me to thank me and said it was the most useful book he had ever read. Thank you Jeff Bowers, thats the first time my nephew has ever called to thank me for a gift. I guess he read the chapter on etiquette.

Curtis and Libby think this book is great! It helps people start their life alone and it's not just for young people leaving school, it's for everyone starting off alone or for someone starting over. I think the author had a great idea and wrote a useful guide....thank you Jeff Bowers!

Reading anyone of Welsch's books is like having a comfortable conversation with a friend . . . truly a delight. Love, Sex and Tractors takes it up a notch providing unique insight into the author's views on the opposite sex and, of all things, antique tractors! People wondered what Zen had to do with motorcycle maintenance and then discovered a wonderous connection when they read that book. I can't promise you will extract similar profound understandings with Welsch's words. But you are sure to experience the devine liberation of a good laugh with this text.

Roger shows an intense depth of understanding of relationships, women, humor, and family life. When my girlfriend caught me reading it the first evening it came, she took it from me out of curiosity and wouldnt let me have it back! Dont buy this book if you have anything else to do. Once you open, and begin to read, you will not be able to put it down! He has many others and Im told they are equally desirable. I intend to get them all.

When I started reading the book, only few moment passed before laughed so the bed was shaking. Couldn't help shouting YES! several times. Tried to tell her what was so right and so funny. All I got was The Look and The Sigh. She don't understand why there's this 3 ton pice of metal where she could park her car. This book should be mandatory for all male above the age of 13. If you don't understand the woman in your life get Roger's book - period.

All I can state for now is that the book is INCREDIBLY rough on my eyes. The pages are extremely thin (showing text from the other side of the page) and the text is very very small. If I could get this in a readable font size on quality paper, I would be ecstatic.

I have a feeling I will end up selling this. I simply cannot stare at it for more than 30 seconds without my eyes crossing. What a shame.

this is probably the best compact book about automotive. it includes a very comprehensive information about every system. Illustrations and tables can be used for training purposes. Definetely a must for people working in automotive industry. But i must say that it could have been more user friendly, you have to search through many pages, until you reach what you really look for.

This is a truely amazing book, with over 800 information packed pages, it covers all major functions and components of modern automobiles. Its small format, 4.5 x 7 x 1 inches, is very deceptive - this book packs in the information! The intended audience appears to be automotive engineers or professional mechanics - it is very technical. For those readers seeking reference information, it provides a quick overview of how the component works,the relevant standards and then goes on to provide lots of useful data. I service my own vehicles (3 cars and a motor bike) and find the book interesting and very useful even for normal servicing. I am constantly finding useful reference tables and explanations. Also, the information is directly relevant to current vehicles. I highly recommend this book to anybody that is after a serious reference book.

Reading Understanding Media brings to mind the old line that Shakespeare's plays are nothing but a bunch of clichés. McLuhan's 1964 look at the impact of technology and communications on society is laced with phrases that have become fixtures of modern language, like 'Global Village', 'Age of Information' and 'The medium is the message'. The book seeks to tie together big themes like art, culture, and social and economic history. While often successful at drawing these sweeping connections, McLuhan in certain chapters wanders into what sound like self-indulgent lectures. His analysis of television as a "cool" or low-resolution medium is dated. Phrases like "dig it" and too-numerous references to "the bomb," Mad magazine and skin-divers clearly belong to the early 1960s. But this book is valuable for its prophetic analyses. McLuhan's prediction of an emerging information-based economy and a global integration facilitated by the Internet and digital technologies is stunningly accurate. We [...] recommend Understanding Media to executives working in media, telecommunications and technology, all of whom should have at least a passing knowledge of this classic.

I found this book in a second-hand bookstore for under one dollar. Had never heard of it, had never heard of him but I am fascinated by the media, specifically advertising. I wore this book out and replaced it with the new edition from MIT Press. I love this book. I still can't understand it in places (this makes me study it even more to try and understand where he is coming from) but it definitely changed the way I view the media and my place within it. We are definitely beyond being influenced by the media; the media has become the ground from which we operate.

The book is challenging and it is scattered and chaotic but there is a cohesiveness to it. I suppose that style of writing was supposed to be symbolic of the way the world is (or is becoming). This book will help you to regain your ability to reintegrate yourself with the real world and stop living life as if you have "autoamputated" your true self only to watch it live on television.

While many of the analogies are "out there," most are poignant and relevent. One example is McLuhan's interpretation of the Narcissus myth from Greek mythology. Narcissus did not fall in love with his own reflection. Narcissus had no idea that the reflection he saw was himself; he thought that what he saw was something other than himself. He became transfixed by the image; it was not love, it was numbness. The television screen is our reflection; we are not separate from it -- it is merely what is inside of us extended to the outside for us to look at, thus the subtitle, The Extensions of Man. We have become Narcissus; the media is the reflection we see and, instead of falling in love with the reflection, we have become numb, forgetting (or not aware) that what we are seeing is really us. Tell me that is not relevant today.

Marshall McLuhan is perhaps one of the most influential authors I have read along with Timothy Leary, Alan Watts and Eliphas Levi. What McLuhan does like the authors stated is not explain in descriptive terms the media, but process oriented direction of experience. I will explain that momentarily.

This book, "Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man" is by far McLuhan's greatest book. It is set up like any useful text with the first part being the theory, while the second part contains the practice. He explains in the theoretical part that media is the extension of man. That all things created by man have come from man's own experience. This is like a dream, in one sense, where one must determine at some point that they are creators of the dream, and therefore, all content of the dream must apply to the dreamer's existence, and no one elses. Likewise, all inventions and discoveries are aspects of human dimensions that have been created by man, and therefore must come from man's inner experiences. These inventions are ultimately what McLuhan calls extensions, as they extend our human capacity for that movement or experience. The foot can travel so fast, while the tire is the extension of the foot, and therefore can move at a much higher rate of speed than the foot.

It seems that the most confusing aspect of McLuhan's theories is the idea of content versus context. The assumption of media study is to psychologize advertisments or the like. This way of approach is far from his point. He says, "My own way of approaching the media is perceptual not conceptual." What he is saying is that he uses his senses to gain understanding of the media, not theoretical concepts. This is what I mean about process oriented experience, where McLuhan discusses the experience one has by, say watching television, the mode of thought one has, the patterns of thought and behavior created by television.

In other words, we become the media that we have been shaped by in our culture and time. The spoken word, the written word and the telegraph, McLuhan noted, has had the largest impact on our society. Not because of their usefulness, or whether they work or not, but because society has patterned themselves after the respective media. Are not we becoming a computerized society? Does this mean we have lots of computers that run things? Or are the people becoming computer like in their behavoir and thinking? The latter expresses more accurately McLuhan's ideas.

The second part runs over a select group of specific media and their implications on the human mind. The context in which they were placed in is by far the most important aspect as it predicts when a new media might arise. All media have their logical origins. If one determine the state of the world now, as it is, one can determine the way of the media. McLuhan discusses the written and printed word, automobile, telegraph, aeroplanes, bikes, routes, newspapers, automation, games, weapons, and many others that make for a highly evocative read.

Is McLuhan a modern mystic? It might be a heavy title for some. If one reads well enough into his work, they may get the sense he is not talking about media at all.

Understanding McLuhan's approach is about upsetting the whole sensory environment. The appeal McLuhan has had on the ages from 1964, when the book was published, is in his aphorism, "Media is the message." This little phrase scratched many heads. Most of McLuhan's writings are like this. It is not about explaining it, but involving the reader to think for himself. To evoke, as in, evocative. So the conclusions must be the readers choice, either by intuition, study, assumption, or first hand experience. One thing is for certain, if you take the time to read the book twice, it will be different than the first read.

I can say, "if you only read one book..." but those that read this book are usually of the literate group. But for me, this book has not been an informative text, but a work book, a guide, an insightful prayer book, a reference, a resource, a magical text. I cannot reccomend this book highly enough.

Being a fan of Corvettes for years, I wanted an "insider's" view of what goes on behind the scenes at a division of the largest automotive manufacturer in the world. It was much as expected. Having visited and done work at several GM plants and facilities, I am reminded of the inflated "baggage" that is so prevalent in large corporations. It was however, very interesting to read of the successes and triumphs within the division, be they few and far between, are truly successes. I liked the book because I am interested in the creative processes involved in new "things". Especially automotive related "things". It is a definite "must-read" for business majors preparing for a career at a large corporation. There's nothing like 'em. I especially appreciated the detail that went into all the various systems and functional testing of features in the car. If GM spent that much time on every "new" vehicle, the buying public would be very satisfied.

James Shefter's work is compelling. He was priveledge to have access to the Corvette development program which afforded him a rare glimps into GM's politics and policies of the early 1990s. While any Corvette afficionado will readily enjoy this 300+ page dairy of life at GM during the development of the Fifth Generation Corvette (C5), those with an eagerness to understand a Motor Giant's mindset will gain the most in terms of sheer knowledge. As inconceivable as the thought may sound, GM almost killed the Corvette in the late decade of the 90's and only a handful of dedicated engineers and artists were able to rescue the program from the trash bin. Mr. Shefter details, in 70, small-sized chapters, the daily life of C5 development in cramped quarters. He chronicles the clay to fiberglass to full first production car in a way that gives the reader a sense of "being there." The only negative which may be said for the book is the length of time it takes to tell the story. But this is easily forgiven since each mini-chapter usually ends in a cliff-hanger! To Corvette enthusiasts and car-maker students alike, "All Corvettes Are Red" is a must read.

I given this book to guys of all ages who are interested iln cars. They really enjoy all the details, as only car buffs can.