General Automotive Reviews

I have gone through about 2 weeks of pitiful training in car sales at 2 different dealerships. Both training sessions were almost identical - very brief and basic. Guess what - this book is just what I learned. The book is VERY brief and very basic. I was looking for something innovative and new. I didn't get that. The worst part about it is the amount of time it took []to get the book to me. Almost a month! I ordered two others and they are taking just over a month. Save your money. Don't order this book.[]

I have wanted to sell cars for years. However, I lacked the confidence. After reading your book I decided to go get a job selling cars. I had a great first month all thanks to you. I can not thank you enough. I would have never expected so much valuable information out of such a short book. The methods described in forty five minutes worth of reading where easy to implement, I have read the book five times and plan to read it many more. I carry it in my back pocket and pull it out when ever I have some free time. Again, THANK YOU!

This is a well written, easy read. Davis sets the mark for how to sell cars (to women or any other group). THIS IS THE BOOK TO READ

Others have tried to copy his methods, style and ideas, but DAVIS is the original.

I used this book fighting my speeding ticket when the officer used radar. I can't speak for how the book's methods would perform with other kinds of infractions.

The book teaches you how to use the process of informal discovery properly to get the information the officer will bring against you in court. IF he decides to show up for your case, chances are he won't have done all the work he would need to do to prepare for your case. More than likely he won't come, or as in my case he just didn't respond to my informal discovery request which is against the law for him to do, therefore the case was dropped. It teaches you how to document your case well, and to effectively make a lot of work for the officer to do BEFORE he even reaches court.

You should know however that fighting a ticket is time consuming. I spent a total of 10 hours (over the course of several weeks) sending letters, and writing my motion to the judge. The book tells you what and how to do every step all along the way.

The bottom line is that my ticket was dismissed and I got my money back. More importantly my insurance didn't go up. I actually used the "trial by written declaration" option. I did this because if you are found guilty you can always show up in person for a re-trial.

Buy this book if you are fighting a California ticket, and if spending the time fighting it is worth it for you.

Got an unwarranted and incorrect ticket in Northern California as an out-of-state driver. This book walked me through all the facets of fighting the ticket. I pled not guilty by mail, subpoenaed the officers' notes, gathered evidence, prepared my defense, and arrived in court ready to fight. The officers did not appear and I believe they knew they were going to have a well-prepared defendant make them look incompetent. Case closed. Get this book.

I WON !
If you get a traffic ticket, get this book. It's as good as a get out of jail free card! This would have saved me hundreds of dollars over the years had I known about it sooner, it's that good! Cops issue minor tickets costing hundreds, where only a warning should have been given. They do this for a reason... REVENUE. learn to beat them at their own game!

The only thing is that you must have half a brain. You need to be able to read it, and then adapt it to your own situation. Also, do not prepare a half hour trial! The system is set up to get you in and out as fast as possible. Remember the show 'Night Court'?
Ask your questions, destroy the cop's evidence (and ego) and get out. Also remember, Cops show up less than half the time. If they don't, Your case is automatically dismissed!
Have fun with it, I did!

After I read this book, I wanted to go back to school and get a degree in Jornalism, so I could try to pursue a career driving and writing about the world's finest Automobiles. David E. Davis does such a fine job at this, and he backs it up with poignant and contemplative musings on so many other topics (food, travel, beautiful women, even the deaths of friends and associates), that I would definitely recommend it to any "car guy", and I think that almost anyone would enjoy it. Unlike some other reviewers, I think that it works well as a compilation, partly because it provides an evolving historical perspective on the Automotive industry, and partly because David's unorthodox writing style and sense of humor take some getting used to, and are better enjoyed in this format. Whether of not you agree with Mr. Davis' opinions, you will likely enjoy his egotistical but still somehow self-conscious musings on various topics, particularly if you are the kind of person who appreciates automobiles beyond their capacity to convey us conveniently from point A to point B.

Sorely overlooked because of his genre, David E. Davis, Jr. is one of the best writers of our generation. If cars didn't exist he'd probably not have as much fun writing, but his work would be considered genius. A great compendium for car guys and Davis fans as well as people who love old guys with an irreverent pen. This is it folks! He's a giant in the auto world and here is his diary...read it!

Mr. Davis became a monthly staple of mine beginning at age 9, and I've spent the succeeding two decades trying to craft a life that might live up to his rather lofty aesthetic standards. A great book for those evenings when you have a handerking for something to knock your hat in the creek but there's too much snow outside to take a drive in the 2002.

Hear this: "Thus Spake David E." is not about cars -- it's about people, life, and the art of living. Dare I say it, DED is the Fangio of the typewriter, and we're all better for it. Where else would you find the advice, "Get rich. Get rich, then you can sleep till noon and screw 'em all". Words to live by, indeed.

One of the primary resources for creating my online gearcalculators. Besides the gear formulas I use, here are some others...

* Determine Displacement/Bore and Stroke

* Determine Compression Ratio

* Determine Carburetor CFM requirements

* Calculating Horsepower and Torque

* Weight Displacement

* Weight Transfer

* Determine Center of Gravity

and more...

This book does not overwhelm you with complex formulas. It keeps them simple. This a must have for the do-it-yourselfer automotive shelf.

The book in question can really help you prior to setting up your car. It takes most of the "hit or miss" guesswork out of street modifications. This is a must for any seroius street racer's library.

I was happy with the book. It was represented to give calculations, formulas, etc. in an easy to understand format for the auto enthusiast. It did exactly that. I was interested in calculating my compression ratio after milling my block and heads and using new (semi-flat top) pistons. The book conveyed this information effectively. As for the review that complained about not being able to calculate MEP, I had no problem understanding the authors point. MEP is not something you calculate, its something you measure. It is measured with a tool called an indicator. Again, I think the book is exactly as advertised. For "enthusiasts" not professors, engineers or automotive professionals, (although I know a couple professionals that enjoyed the book). As for the "filler" type material at the end of the book, some people may genuinely be interested or may actually need the information. There are many people out there with little or no knowledge about such things.
I was very happy with the book, and am looking forward to a sequel.

If you are just starting out learning about Lean Manufacturing, and you only have time to read one book, "The Machine that Changed the World" is an historically important book but "Lean Thinking" is the one that actually gets you started toward implementation. It's one of those rare occasions where the sequel was better than the original.

The Machine That Changed the World; The Story of Lean Production
A great book that although becoming a little outdated portrays the ongoing trends in the automobile production industry in three major cultural areas.
The three areas are;the Asian lean production (Toyota) v.s. the American system,(mass production) v.s. the European craftsman system. On a larger scale it will and is affecting manufacturing everywhere.
Henry Ford was the founder of the American mass production system, and Ford was very successful adopting it to the aircraft and steel industries. American companies adopted this system and it is one of the main reasons for American pre-eminence in many industries worldwide. Toyota has become the founder of the Lean system of manufacturing. Most of the
early adherents to this system were other large Japanese companies, and responsible for the Japanese manufacturing miracle since the 1960's, as it was adapted from automotive to all manner of industries.
The book is well written and interesting even though it is based on an MIT study of global trends in the auto industry. I would like to see an update to this book. The one anomaly I see is the German Automobile industry. If Japan and Korea have some of the most efficient auto manufacturing plants in the world and
North America is becoming more competitive, what is happening in Europe comes as no surprise. Many European automakers have yet to fully embrace American mass production techniques and are now faced with the greater efficiencies of Lean
production. The book does not explain in my mind the success of the German Auto industry. It seems to be the one exception to the rule.

This book is a classic on the advantages of being lean - Product Design, Manufacturing, Supply Chain Management - the entire gamut from concept to delivery in the Automobile industry.

What Ford's mass production did to craft production and its profound effects on the developed economies in the first half of the last century is an old but interesting story. With the advent of Ford's manufacturing techniques, there was a consolidation in the Auto industry. Within a couple of decades the number of automobile manufacturers fell from over a hundred to less than twenty and the big three cornering over ninety percent of the market share. Detroit became the center of pilgrimage for the rest of the world trying to emulate and replicate this success story in other continents.

Silently, the Japanese led by Toyota were working on a different concept of putting the automobile in the hands of the customer, at better quality, lesser costs, shorter development times and with the ability to offer a wider choice. The statistics collected from these "lean systems" is mind boggling. The competitive advantage that Japan enjoyed over the American system was neither due to lower wages in Japan nor due to higher levels of automation as widely believed. It was primarily the lean machine that was conquering the mass machine.

This book is based on the research done in the 1980's and published around 1990. The authors while acclaiming lean manufacturing as the panacea for the ills of manufacturing systems globally had at the time of the research and the publication of this work, probably ignored the next major change that would sweep across continents. Cars ride on highways, but today's businesses are quickly shifting gear and using a super fast highway for collaborating and for managing their global presence. Thanks to the Internet, the economics of information is transforming the economics of things. Dell is probably a good example of the new business model that could not have been imagined in the 80's. The tearing down of artificial walls across countries and continents also happened in the last decade.

We are badly in need of a repeat research study of the kind done in this book, in the face of the new realities. Global companies run by global citizens serving a global market and using a global currency will probably happen sooner than we expect.

This book, somewhat wordy, was written in 1990. There have been advances in technology in the past 13 years. There's no mention in his book on LASER devices or Ka band radar. Easy reading, yet not current. Look for another book.

Being 16, and the target of 99% of police officers, I felt that the need to read this book was a must. After hearing all my friends getting large fines for getting tickets, along with my 18 year old brother getting a $120 fine for 53 in a 40 because he pretty much did what the book told him NOT to do. My dad has read this book, been pulled over at least 10 times, and has never had a speeding ticket(got caught in VA with a radar). AFter reading this book, even being only 16, I dont feel scared or cautious to speed when i need to, because the book tells you exactly what to do and what not to. would highly recommed. Although I gave it only a 4 and not a 5 because it focused entirely on adults when really the teenagers are more supceptable to speeding tickets.

Yes, this book really does give you the inside scoop on how to a) avoid getting pulled over, b) talk your way out of a ticket, and c) fight that ticket if you get it anyway. I have read 'similar' books, but this is obviously far superior to others. The author tells you everything from what to say to an officer to - get this - how to flee the cops once you know they're on to you. An entertaining read, and a must-have! Get it!

The author makes some very valid and helpful points to be aware of when purchasing an RV, new or used, and in deciding if you should use it for the occasional trip or go full-time. He does, however, seem to focus entirely on the negative aspects of rving. He mentions that he and his wife enjoyed their rv trips at the beginning of the book, so I think it would only have been fair to have shared some of his enjoyable experiences with rvs as well as the unpleasant ones. Still, overall, it was not a bad book; I found it quite easy to read, and again, it does bring up some very important Buyer Beware warnings. Perhaps he would consider writing a less one-sided sequel?

The book, "My 20 Years of RV Adventures" has had many terrific reviews from QUALIFIED reviewers of popular RV magazines and newspapers. (One magazine has a circulation of over 1.2 million.) the book is about the author's experiences only and not meant to to be an evaluation of all the manufacturers of motorhomes. The second edition has 64 pages packed with many tips on what to look for when buying a motorhome. When starting the RV lifestyle, do you sell you home and all of your collectabels to go full-time?

The author is sorry if a reader is not happy and will be glad to replace the first edition with the second edition free of charge, if you send the first edition to the author. The second edition was edited by an editor from the UNR press.

The author can't please everyone! This is a great story of his OWN experience with an "RV". There are many RV salespeople who do not want buyers to know that an RV can have many problems. Out of 12 reviews there were ten "good ones" and "two" bad ones.

This book does not contain proper electrical wiring schematics like other automotive repair manuals do. I have found more useful diagrams posted by kind people on the Web. This book is too pricey to have such a deficiency. Does have other useful information (which should go without saying) however, such as on the fuel delivery system.

For the most part this was a good manual for the 325i, but there was a shortcoming that I had due to it missing information on 325iX driveline components. I thought it would have covered this info as there are quite a few 325iX cars around and many of the owners do their own work. The rest of the book was complete and close to what is printed in factory manuals.

i was a bit worried when i purchased this book, i thought i would pay all this money and regret it. now that i have the book and have been able to spend time with it i can honestly say this book has saved me a lot more money then i ever expected to save. its great, i can do soo much more now with my 330ci.. its just great.

This book is certainly not for amatures. This book was so full of technical mumbo jumbo and wiring diagrams that I thought I needed a degree in electrical enginering to understand. This book is NOT for beginers. The true content of the book is there but it's garbled and hard to, for an amature to understand and I personally have installed a stereo in my own car and was very confused. If you can interpret electrical diagrams and can deal with the lack of color, pictures, common language, clearly defined definition, you may enjoy this book but if you dont then definetly look elsewhere

Its a good book, you do need a little knowledge of car audio but not too much is required. I recommend it as more of a reference for experienced car audio fanatics or the amateur.

I say a lot of unkind things about most audio books. But not this book. If you where going to just buy one or two books on car audio This would be the first one to buy. If you don't have a clue about car audio this book will get you past most of the smoke and lies. It will give you enough information about what system is best for you. Even if you never did anything like this before. The next would be CAR STEREO SPEAKER PROJECTS ILLUSTRATED by Dan Ferguson and for ideas his old book KILLER CAR STEREO ON A BUDGET. discontinued but still available.

If you bought an antique turbo and want to know everything about it, this is the book for you. If you have a newer car with a turbo, then pass this one over. It was a big disappointment. Why did I waste my money? Get Maximum Boost instead.

Well, its a great book for begginers or for someone who wants to build they're own turbo car. Good for the person who currently owns a turbo car! Buy it! Also, get "Maximum Boost" as a companion to this book. Use both and you cant go wrong! ATTENTION IMPORT OWNERS: Stop wasting money calling for turbo advise! Get this book and "Maximum boost" by Corky Bell, you'll be glad you did!

Very informative, very clear. The author is an excellent teacher and educator on this subject. No rash statements, just good solid theory with examples of actual functioning units. This should (IMHO) be the first turbo book that everyone should read before any others...It actually helps the other turbo books to make more sense. The most thorough and well thought out examples of almost any combination and arrangement that can be thought of, including diesels and aviation applications. Buy it!