Book Description
Since 1994 Michael Schumacher has dominated Grand Prix, winning the FIA World championship in five of the last nine seasons. In 2001 / 2002 he broke almost every motor racing record and is now the most successful Formula One driver of all time.
Now, in the official Schumacher book, we discover for the very first time the real Michael Schumacher -- through extensive first person material, as well as a narrative by Sabine Kehm, a journalist, colleague and friend of Schumacher. Fantastic new photographs from renowned European photographer, Michel Comte, give us new insight into the man and his life. For the first time the private man who gives nothing away and the driver who takes no hostages relaxes and opens up. This book will be a real surprise to all fans of Formula One and anyone who's wondered just what goes on behind the superhero's mask.
We learn about Schumacher's past, the secrets of his extraordinary success, his family, his view of other drivers and the state of F1, his opinions on controversial races and drivers, and we are given an insider's view of Ferrari.
At last one of the truly great sporting heroes opens up in an intimate, fantastically photographed book.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but could have been better.......2004-03-17
Great book with a great insight into Schuey's life (also privat life), but for me it is too much of a picture book rather than a 'serious' biography of a racing driver. Maybe it's just me, but I would have preferred a more informative autobiography about how he has seen his racing career so far and certain situations. I dream of a Schuey autobiography in which he goes through all of his races, his entire career.
I hope we will get one in the future...
Best Biography ever!.......2004-02-04
This is a wonderful book! It is filled with wonderful pictures and really puts you in the shoes of the best Formula 1 drivers the world ahs ever seen. It is filled with details about his life. And realy shows the way he thinks about things, i can even relate to him! All and all this a fabulous book and teaches you alot about the sport and the "felling"
Best Biography ever!.......2004-02-04
This is a wonderful book! It is filled with wonderful pictures and really puts you in the shoes of the best Formula 1 drivers the world ahs ever seen. It is filled with details about his life. And realy shows the way he thinks about things, i can even relate to him! All and all this a fabulous book and teaches you alot about the sport and the "felling"
Amazon.com
The story of General Motors' first mass-produced electric car, the EV1 (at first, unfortunately, named the Impact). This project was decades in gestation, the early dreams of pollution and noise-free vehicles taking a long time to progress beyond visionary prototypes. This was partly because of opposition to the concept from oil companies and the automotive industry. Eventually a combination of government prodding and technological advances in battery design made it possible. Schnayerson describes the supportive role of GM chairman Robert Stempel and the tenacity of a group of true-believing engineers who kept the idea alive after Stempel was ousted.
Book Description
Unprecedented secrecy surrounded the early development of General Motors's Impact. Shnayerson watched the story unfold from a position of access never granted a reporter before--literally from the inside of the pace-setting GM Impact program. This is the first book to penetrate the silence surrounding GM's risky and successful decision to become the world's first mass producer of the electric car.
Customer Reviews:
The real story of GM's EV1 (as opposed to the film Who Killed The Electric Car?).......2006-11-29
The book "The Car That Could" tells the story of GM's EV1 much better than the film "Who Killed the Electric Car?". The book tells the story of the EV1's birth. That is of course a more hopeful story than the EV1's death, which the film covers. And that fact alone makes a big difference in the impact of the story that is told.
But there is another difference. "The Car That Could" tells the inside story of how the EV1 came to be. People within GM make a huge effort to give birth to the car. This was no sham attempt to live up to the California Air Resources Board mandate to put electric cars on the road. GM clearly had its technical and marketing people do their best work. And they did build a great little car, a car that could.
As we know now, though, GM's EV1 did not live very long. The passion of those who put their money down to lease the cars could not make up for the fact that they were few in number. When the California Air Resources Board's mandate went away, that spelled doom for the EV1.
No new EV1s were made. Those that had been made were crushed. A sad end for the car that could.
But though the film "Who Killed the Electric Car" implies that GM killed the EV1, the reasons for its death were more complex than that. And the real story of its death has not, I think, been told. Certainly not as well, and with so much insight, as the story of its birth.
But the story of the electric car has not ended. And there may be some hope for a happy ending. Recently GM's CEO Rick Wagoner has said that he regrets the decision to kill the EV1. And GM promises to come out soon with a new series hybrid electric car. That may put GM back into competition with Toyota and Honda, and their parallel hybrid cars. If so, maybe we will see another, more successful version of a GM car that could.
Michael Shnayerson did a great job researching and writing about the birth of the EV1. Many of the insights written into the book will help those thinking about electric cars today.
So in my mind, "The Car That Could" should be required reading for anyone who wants to participate in the electric vehicle industry. Copies are hard to find now. But if you are interested in electric cars, find a copy and read it. "The Car That Could" makes the must-read list; "Who Killed the Electric Car?" does not.
Did GM really want to build an electric car? Here's your answer........2006-09-18
This is a fascinating inside story about the development of electric cars in the early '90s.
GM unveiled a prototype electric car in 1990 and conveyed the message to California (and other states) that they could develop such a vehicle for consumer use. California shortly thereafter adopted standards requiring the top 7 car manufacturers to sell emission free vehicles totalling 2% of sales in 1998, increasing to 5% in 2001, then 10% in 2003.
GM proceeded to lose enormous sums of money in the early 1990s. But they still worked to develop the electric car for two reasons. One was to be able to meet the California standards. The other was hoping they would be ahead of the curve and make money on the new technology.
But many technical issues needed to be resolved to bring the car to market, the biggest being batteries. Developing batteries capable of providing adequate storage capacity for a reasonable amount of driving was (and remains) a monumental problem.
At the same time GM was developing a marketable electric car, they (along with Ford, Chrysler, and Big Oil) lobbied hard to eliminate the emission free mandates, claiming the technology and consumer demand wasn't there. What did GM want to happen? It seems that they didn't really know, in part because they were bleeding money.
California blinked in the 4th quarter of 1995 and eliminated the mandate. Then, in January 1996 GM unveiled the EV1, a 2 seat electric sports car.
For a follow-up on the "success" of the EV1 and other EVs, I recommend the movie "Who killed the Electric Car?". Disturbing.
The Story Behind the Most Successful Modern Electric Car.......2006-09-18
Shnayerson tells the story up to when the GM Impact was introduced. The film "Who Killed the Electric Car?" got me interested in electric cars. The GM Impact (EV1) was the most successful modern electric car, but it disappeared into the crushers shortly after its introduction.
His story is that of a dedicated crew inside GM working against budget cuts and management changes to make the car. It is a good read.
A shortcoming is that there are so many major characters-- A new one on each page in some chapters. One is Ken Baker, who runs through the whole narrative, as do Roger Smith (yes, that Roger) and Robert Stempel, one a former GM Chairman.
Another major character doesn't appear until chapter 20: Stan Ovshinsky. The 12 pages describe his career and the Ovonic 12-volt NiMH battery, and the test on the track at Mesa, Arizona, where his batteries powered the test Impact EV 201 miles on a single charge.
All of these 100+ GM execs and engineers were heart-and-soul dedicated to making the EV succeed. One cannot read this book and feel that GM was against the electric car. Shnayerson is an outsider, and was in no way a mouthpiece for GM or an industry apologist. When he tells of GM execs moving their families to Lansing or to Troy so they can work more on the Impact, you get a strong feeling that GM wanted this car to happen. GM sunk a few billion dollars in it.
I could have done with fewer pages of office drama and a new character on every other page, all of whom "exuded midwestern charm," and less about whether so-and-so was "on the fast track to a senior vice-presidency."
I would have preferred line drawings of new assemblies, for example, regenerative brakes-- a first by GM. I wanted more technical details! Cut a couple dozen pages of drama and give us line drawings! For example, in one of the few technical discussions; Setting a standard for EV chargers, page 223, after 3 years and $10 million, GM accepted Hughes's inductive 220 volt charger. Ford stayed with the basic prong-and-socket conductive charger. I wanted a line drawing of each, a photo of each, a short description of each.
Shnayerson gives an objective account of politics, noting the reelection of California Governor Pete Wilson in 1994, and Republicans unseating Democrat governors, and Republicans making huge gains in Congress in Nov 1994-- as a factor in reducing the auto industry's motivation to push the EV. That political revolution is missing in explaining the death of the EV in California in "Who Killed the Electric Car?" where the government villians are made out to be Bush, Cheney, and Rice. Shnayerson suggests that a Republican sweep in 1994 may have been the bigger factor, with a repudiation of 25 years of environmental legislation.
We humans may be incapable of analyzing economic factors, but we always emphasize political factors. This mental shortcoming has to do with the Availability Bias, from cognitive psychology: We overestimate factors easy to imagine or remember (like political figures we don't like) and ignore factors difficult to imagine or remember (like anything to do with economics). So when GM cuts funding in 1992 for the Impact, everyone, like director Chris Paine of "Who Killed the Electric Car?" screams out that there is a giant conspiracy by bad guys in Oil, but few recognize that when a company has a loss of a billion dollars, they need to cut back somewhere.
Shnayerson spends only a few pages on Japanese electric cars: All four major Japanese carmakers had cars to show at the Anaheim California December 1994-- EV Symposium 12. Mazda had an EV Miata. In France, residents were paying for the privilege of test driving 50 Peugeot-Citroen ZX and 105 model prototypes. If Big Oil, Autos, and the U.S. Gov killed the GM EV, who killed the French and Japanese EVs? Which brings up the Big Red Cars in Southern California.
Did Standard Oil and GM and B. F. Goodrich destroy Henry Huntington's Pacific Electric, the world's best electric car system, with its more than 1000 miles of standard gauge track? Or rather than a giant conspiracy, is the fault in the hands of my mother and father and thousands like them who destroyed the Pacific Electric-- they purchased a shiny new 1949 Nash, instead of spending that money on tickets to ride the Red Cars. We blame the "greedy" oil companies, but we don't think about tens of thousands of Southern Californians ready to buy that status symbol, their own auto, after years of rationing during and after World War II.
2006 Who Killed the Electric Car?.......2006-06-21
"The Car That Could" does a wonderful job of detailing the history and development of the GM EV1. The story, however, has moved on since its publication. GM and all the large automakers eviscerated the ZEV mandate, reclaimed their vehicles, and concentrated on combustion engine business as usual. Then Toyota introduced the combined battery electric/gasoline Prius, and automotive history took a turn back towards electrics. Shnayerson would be wise to write an updated version on the subject. In the absence of his work, one can turn to Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars that will Recharge America by Sherry Boschert. This territory is ripe for more material it would appear.
Now the rest of the story. . ........2003-02-21
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...
Book Description
An exclusive look at one of the world's most successful and controversial companies, and the mysterious family behind it.
BMW is arguably the most admired carmaker in the world. It's financial performance is the envy of its competitors, and BMW products inspire near-fanatical loyalty. While many carmakers struggle with falling sales, profits and market share, demand for BMWs continues to grow, frequently outpacing production. Now, David Kiley-Detroit Bureau Chief at USA Today and author of Getting the Bugs Out, which covered Volkswagen's demise and rebirth, goes inside the fabled German automaker to see how it does what it does so well. With unprecedented access to BMW executives, Kiley goes behind the walls of BMW's famed "Four Cylinders" headquarters in Munich at a time when the company is in its most aggressive, and some say riskiest, expansion in its history and when some of the company's new products, like the 7 Series sedan and Z4 roadster, are for the first time drawing as many barbs from critics as bouquets. Kiley covers intimate details of the boardroom drama surrounding the company's nearly disastrous acquisition and subsequent sale of the British Rover Group and its expansion into selling MINI and Rolls Royce cars. Besides being a world-class carmaker, BMW is also considered one of the smartest consumer marketing companies and Kiley explores the extraordinary value and management of the BMW brand mystique. He also takes a revealing look at the mysterious and ultra-private Quandt family of Bad Homburg Germany, which owns a controlling stake in BMW: Johanna and Susanne Quandt, two of the wealthiest women in Europe and Stefan Quandt, one of the wealthiest bachelors on the continent.
David Kiley (Ann Arbor, MI) is the Detroit Bureau Chief at USA Today who has covered the auto industry for 17 years. He has been featured on Nightline, CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR and the Today show. He is also the author of Getting the Bugs Out: The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Volkswagen in America (0-471-26304-4), also available from Wiley.
Download Description
An exclusive look at one of the world's most successful and controversial companies, and the mysterious family behind it.
BMW is arguably the most admired carmaker in the world. It's financial performance is the envy of its competitors, and BMW products inspire near-fanatical loyalty. While many carmakers struggle with falling sales, profits and market share, demand for BMWs continues to grow, frequently outpacing production. Now, David Kiley-Detroit Bureau Chief at USA Today and author of Getting the Bugs Out, which covered Volkswagen's demise and rebirth, goes inside the fabled German automaker to see how it does what it does so well. With unprecedented access to BMW executives, Kiley goes behind the walls of BMW's famed "Four Cylinders" headquarters in Munich at a time when the company is in its most aggressive, and some say riskiest, expansion in its history and when some of the company's new products, like the 7 Series sedan and Z4 roadster, are for the first time drawing as many barbs from critics as bouquets. Kiley covers intimate details of the boardroom drama surrounding the company's nearly disastrous acquisition and subsequent sale of the British Rover Group and its expansion into selling MINI and Rolls Royce cars. Besides being a world-class carmaker, BMW is also considered one of the smartest consumer marketing companies and Kiley explores the extraordinary value and management of the BMW brand mystique. He also takes a revealing look at the mysterious and ultra-private Quandt family of Bad Homburg Germany, which owns a controlling stake in BMW: Johanna and Susanne Quandt, two of the wealthiest women in Europe and Stefan Quandt, one of the wealthiest bachelors on the continent.
Customer Reviews:
Ultimate Bore.......2006-08-02
300 pages of BMW. It should be ultimate bliss for any car enthusiast. But it turns out to be a bit of a drag, like a car stuck in third gear, promises that it has the power to go, but just cannot deliver the power.
The book is a fairly good history of how an aircraft manufacturing company with known prowess in making aircraft engines, went almost defunct during the WWII and than came back to first be seen as a serious car maker, than as a car brand that could compete with the famed Merc and than went on to overtake the Merc is global sweepstakes. And its subsequent buyout of Rolls, Mini and Rover too is well detailed out. And while the famed Bavarian company was able to turn on the magic for Rolls and Mini, its travails and failure to make good Rover too are well captured.
The book is divided in eight ultimate chapters. The Ultimate Cars, The Ultimate History, The Ultimate Family, The Ultimate Brand, The ultimate Stylists, The Ultimate Blunder, The Ultimate brand Expansion, and the Ultimate Hydrogen Future.
David had had ultimate access to the BMW executives and archives. This access comes through in almost every page in the book. The book goes into a painfully detailed history of company events. And instead of giving insights into what makes BMW a marvel of automobile engineering, we get a chronology of events.
Unfortunately David Kiley, is no Jeremy Clarkeson and Driven is not like "Born to be Riled". The book is too much of PR plug, with author seeing only side of the picture. But do read the book to know how fickle minded advertising pitch decisions are, and what led to the memorable BMW films campaign.
The book has its moments, but its few and far in between.
There may be no boring BMW, but there is a boring BMW book.
Nice history, boring read,.......2005-08-31
As an auto industry follower, I can appreciate this book as a sort of historical reference for someone perhaps doing research. But as enjoyable reading, it falls far short. The book goes into a painfully detailed history of company events. In fact, I felt the title was a bit misleading, since it made me expect some interpretation as to why BMW is as admired as it is. Instead you basically get a chronology of events.
Poor workmanship and limited insights.......2004-09-02
Despite his years of experience as an auto journalist, Kiley is a sloppy writer, doesn't seem to have a clue about the mechanics and history of automobiles, and provides little in the way of new insights into what has made BMW successful.
To give one example, he asserts that in the late 1960s BMW was unique in offering a wide range of engines in its cars and boosting the power of said engines almost yearly. In fact, both were standard Detroit practices at the time. This error is a byproduct of Kiley's urge to gush about everything BMW has ever done. Apparently the company's inarguable achievements are not enough--he must create additional "firsts" for it.
To give another, I'll quote Kiley from page 12: "The higher the horsepower and the lighter the vehicle, the easier it is for engineers to achieve better low-end torque (power at low revolutions of the engine)." Sorry, but the weight of the vehicle has absolutely nothing to do with the torque curve of the engine. In addition, high horsepower usually comes at the expense of low-end torque because of inherent tradeoffs in engine intake system design.
More troubling, all of the material is not Kiley's own. One poorly written section on Active Steering (a recent technical innovation that Kiley inaccurately credits entirely to BMW) left me wondering whether my own understanding of the system was incomplete (it was). So I Googled "steering transmission ratio" and found Kiley's words verbatim on a website that predates the book.
I don't know if this site was Kiley's source, or if both plagiarized a common source--quite likely some PR materials from BMW--but we've got plagiarism either way, as Kiley presents the words as his own. The sections in question are in brackets below:
"Active steering [varies the steering transmission ratio electronically in direct relation to the style and speed of driving and road conditions. Under normal road conditions at low and medium speeds, the steering becomes more direct, requiring less steering effort of the driver] and [increasing the car's agility in city traffic or when parking. At high speeds the steering becomes less direct offering improved directional stability]--less lane waver[. When cornering at high speeds, or when undertaking sudden movements, the steering stiffens up by monitoring increases in the yaw rate]--the side-to-side movement of the car."
"[When the system's sensors detect driver input at the steering wheel (turning motion), a computer analyzes the data and then sends the information to an electric motor and linkage. Based on this input, the front wheels are turned the appropriate amount.]"
The above bits were adapted from the website to mirror Kiley's text by adding the few words outside the brackets but inside the quotes. In the case of his defintion of "yaw," Kiley's additions aren't even correct. Kiley also adds or removes a comma here and there, but last time I checked this is not enough to make words one's own.
If, as I suspect, both accounts are copied from a common source, then even more of Kiley's text was likely lifted verbatim from this source. The sad thing is, the way Kiley has cut-and-pasted yields a redundant and confusing explanation of Active Steering. He doesn't understand enough about his subject to properly "borrow" material about it.
The portions of the book about BMW as an organization fail to provide much insight into what goes on inside BMW. Kiley relies heavily on interviews with BMW executives, and these can hardly be expected to provide a thorough, balanced portrayal. As might be expected, they instead present a thoroughly massaged, idealized view of the company thoroughly lacking in telling detail. BMW's PR firm might as well have written this book.
Kiley's thesis that the consistent pursuit of a focused, coherent product strategy leads to organizational success is not a new one, but it is one I've always personally stressed. However, Kiley too placidly assumes that BMW continues to pursue such a strategy. Rather, the bizarre styling and high-tech features of the latest BMWs represent deviations from the company's traditional focus. A much more interesting, more insightful book would have acknowledged and more thoroughly analyzed these deviations rather than patly accepting the company's position.
Nice history, boring read.......2004-08-18
As an auto industry follower, I can appreciate this book as a sort of historical reference for someone perhaps doing research. But as enjoyable reading, it falls far short. The book goes into a painfully detailed history of company events. In fact, I felt the title was a bit misleading, since it made me expect some interpretation as to why BMW is as admired as it is. Instead you basically get a chronology of events.
Packed with Knowledge!.......2004-08-04
Anyone who has ever driven a BMW wonders why the car feels so uncannily nimble and supple. Automotive journalist David Kiley answers that question with an intriguing book that strikes just the right balance between gearhead details, behind-the-scenes corporate maneuvering and compelling story telling. Along the way, Kiley offers insight into BMW's mostly successful efforts to build its brand. While Kiley sings BMW's praises, and presents a convincing case that BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) produces the world's best cars, he doesn't shy away from the details of the owning family's ups and downs, the company's disastrous Rover deal or the public's tepid response to its latest redesigns. We recommend this fascinating book to auto enthusiasts and to managers in any industry who aim to build a brand while staying true to their core values.
Book Description
Here is the compelling story of the author’s life in motor racing, providing fascinating insight into crashes involving many famous racers and circuits. The book begins with a vivid description of Alex Zanardi’s crash in Germany in 2001, and from there the author reflects on his career with many tragic, funny, interesting stories. The book also provides an important history of the evolution of motor sport safety from the perspective of a physician who was instrumental in many safety measures and regulations. A gripping read for all fans of motor racing.
Customer Reviews:
An Enlightening look at the evolution of safety & med care in racing--different series........2007-03-09
This is a fascinating book about the development of safety
shared history.......2007-03-08
Dr. Stephen Olvey served as Championship Auto Racing Teams' medical director from 1979 to 2003. This very moving memoir of his years leading the charge for motor sports safety in the series at the pinnacle of open wheel racing in America recaptures an exciting era in the development of technology, both in motor racing and in sports medicine. With professionalism, sincerity, empathy and humor, Olvey recounts the challenges, rewards and devastating losses of forwarding safety in the sport.
On a personal note, I have had the distinct honor of knowing Olvey during most of his tenure with CART, and have heard many of these stories directly from him and Dr. Trammel. Many of the people he writes about are friends of mine and I was present during most of the racing accidents he describes (and several he doesn't mention). For me, it is a bittersweet reminder of the history of my own life in motor sports.
Fantastic Read!.......2007-02-19
Dr. Steve Olvey's book about the creation and execution of CART/Champ Car's safety team and the evolution of motorsport safety is a fascinating read. I've always appeciated the skill and dedication of these safety teams but reading this book has given me a greater understanding of their role in the evolution of safety both in motorsports and civilian use. As a Champ Car and F1 enthusiast, Dr. Olvey's stories and his personal insights on racing are both engrossing and informative. I recommend this book to all motorsports fans.
Excellent insight into the high pressure world of racing.......2007-02-13
Dr. Olvey is world-renowned in the racing community, and with good reason. Dozens of racing drivers across the globe owe their lives directly to his work, as in the case of Alex Zanardi, as well as indirectly in the cases of the thousands of racers who have benefited from Dr. Olvey's research. He truly is a special human. I had the pleasure of being given a tour of the CART Medical Unit by Dr. Olvey during the Laguna Seca race weekend in 2003, and he is a genuine person, without pretense. The only thing that I found somewhat odd about "Rapid Response" was the somewhat hyperbolic writing style... seems as if everything has exclamation marks as punctuation. Elaine Benes would not approve, but that's beside the point. This is an utterly minor quibble, and does not detract from the engaging and often sobering stories he tells. Consider this a must-read for any racing fan, even if you never followed CART or Indy Car racing. Great stuff.
Fantastic book for open wheel race fanatics.........2007-01-09
Dr Steve Olvey has done a wonderful job at putting us behind the sceens in a place only a few ever know about. This is not a book for the faint of heart, it tells it like it is. The men and women who are first response and emergency meds are to be commended for the amazing work they do. Many owe their lives to the Rapid Response they have received, and the fans owe a debt of gratitude for keeping our heroes of the race racing another day.
Book Description
More and more Americans today are paying attention to how their cars are designed. Auto designers are now celebrities, and the look of your car has become as important as the clothes you wear. According to the New York Times Magazine, You are what you drive. Your car is a bold statement of individual identity. American Car Design Now is the first book to take a critical look at this phenomenon, with in-depth examinations of the creative process behind more than thirty contemporary models that embody the trends of the future, including the Crossfire, Mondeo, Thunderbird, Continental, Mark 9, Bengal, Vizon, Cien, and CTS.
The product of more than three years of research, this volume collects the author's essays and interviews with the design directors of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. The author gained unprecedented access to the notoriously secretive and guarded design studios of these car giants, and the result is an insider's perspective on the making of new American cars, of new American dreams.
American Car Design Now delves deeply into the individual characters behind the industry and shows how their different creative and managerial techniques translate to the finished models. With this unique analytical approach, American Car Design Now is a great addition to the shelves of not only auto industry professionals but designers and car enthusiasts of all types.
Customer Reviews:
Brain food for your eyes.......2005-11-23
American Car Design Now is the benchmark book in car design as business management, as sculpture and as psychology. It lays a foundation and sets a standard for intelligent writing on car design, writing that trains your eye to see more. The book is built on interviews with key designers and design managers at Ford, Chrysler and General Motors. In three major sections it reveals and explores how managers make decisions about the broad concepts and how basics such as proportion and line, as well as defining details make or break the visual success of a design. The author coaxes inarticulate designers to reveal how they work, how the mind, the eye and the hand create car designs that thrill or bore us. Visual concepts in the mind of the author reveal things that would go unnoticed by designer and observers unequipped with these concepts. Visual analyses of the designs of specific cars show how and why many great car design concepts become dull blobs when translated into production cars. Analyses refer to photos illustrating the author' points. A rich set of interviews with significant car designers is appended. Finally there is a fundamental glossary of car design terms that is a must-have.
Car-design is a complex intersect of art, business and psychology that this book captures but does not simplify. You will earn what you learn from this book, but your effort will be rewarded. My only complaint that this book's handsome graphic design often does not track the text closely enough. Some photo references are incorrect, missing or distant from their discussion. Nevermind that: this book is essential reading for anyone involved in car design. Buy it now; get express shipping; take time off to read it.
Book Description
His dads death five years ago had a sobering effect on Dale Earnhardt Jr. He didnt leave all the fun behind, but he did decide to focus more intensely on his careerand his perseverance paid off in 2004 with his most impressive victory to date: a Daytona 500 win.Now only one thing is left on his agenda: capturing a national championship. That road will be tougher than it was for the legendary Dale Earnhardt Sr.the competition is tougher and the points race now concludes in a ten-race shootoutbut Little E will eventually find his way there.This book offers a look at the life of the man who has become the face of NASCAR. Filled with photographs of Dale Jr., ranging from his early career to his most recent triumphs, and featuring interviews with those who have been there through it all, the book chronicles Dale Jr.s ascent from the Andy Hillenburg driving school to 15 career Cup victoriesand fills in what few know about this perennial favorite.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Reading For The Ultimate Fan.......2007-09-08
This book is definetly a must-have for any Junior fan. The pictures are the most amazing ones I've seen yet. The stories tell about what makes the #8 Driver what he is. Thjis book would make an excellent present for any NASCAR fan.
A Must For Any Dale Jr. Fan!!!.......2007-01-10
This beautiful, full color book contains captivating photographs of Dale Earnhardt Jr. through the phases of his career to date and a narrative of his struggles and successes on and off the race track. This book gives any Dale Jr. fan an inside look into the man behind the wheel and how he has risen to be the most popular driver on the NASCAR circuit. A MUST HAVE for any Dale Jr. fan and a great companion read to his autobiography!! If you love Dale Jr., you will LOVE this book!
Average customer rating:
- a fascinating insider view of F1
- Damon Hill - like his father before him...
- Damon Hill - like his father before him...
- So what does a F1 Driver think? Well, here you go!
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F1 Through the Eyes of Damon Hill: Inside the World of Formula 1
Damon Hill
Manufacturer: Little Brown and Company
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Customer Reviews:
a fascinating insider view of F1.......2002-04-05
Since Damon Hill retired from the grand prix circuit and writes for a certain very popular English motorsport magazine we know that the guy can write. What we learn from this book is that he already had that gift when he was still driving! The book was made in 1998 when Damon was on his last F1 stint with the Jordan team, during that emotional year when Jordan scored a historic 1-2 in Spa. The F1-educated reader who knows what happened in '99 (Damon fired by Eddie Jordan because he was consistently outperformed by team-mate Heinz-Harald Frentzen) will find his remarks on the team a poignant read.
The book touches all the major aspects of Formula One motorsport: technology, image, media pressure, professional rivalry, the fear, money and fame. Damon also talks about his famous father Graham Hill and "his" race: Monte Carlo (GH won Monte Carlo 5 times and was only fairly recently surpassed by Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher in this feat). Damon explores how having a famous race driver as a father influenced his own career path and attitude towards the sport.
The book is overall very well crafted. Damon's text is supported and enhanced by the superb photography of Keith Sutton, England's premier F1 photographer. Overall a very good read and a pleasure to the eye, certainly a must-have for every serious F1-fan, even you Schumacher fans: Damon has some very interesting things to say about his famous rivalry with Michael!
Damon Hill - like his father before him..........2001-11-18
Damon Hill is seen by many fans as the "loser" champion, the champion who had it, he had the drive, he had the car, he had the intelligence, he had the motivation and dedication, but there was Schumacher in the way, as there was Clark that came Graham's way. It must be said that, even if the 1995 season, climax of the 90's, is most remembered and pictures Damon's defeat, Damon's 96 title is thorougly deserved and well acomplished. Damon deserves much respect for his acomplishmnet in the sport; even during his last and terrible f1 season, 1999, where he was outshined by his very fast team-mate Heinz Harald Frentzen, Damon was not to be looked pathetic next to him - instead he was to be held tremendous respect and would not receive any contempt from any TRUE F1 fan. Damon was not the fastest driver ever, but he holds his place among the other World Champions and stands as one of the Lords of this sport.
Damon Hill - like his father before him..........2001-11-18
Damon Hill is seen by many fans as the "loser" champion, the champion who had it, he had the drive, he had the car, he had the intelligence, he had the motivation and dedication, but there was Schumacher in the way, as there was Clark that came Graham's way. It must be said that, even if the 1995 season, climax of the 90's, is most remembered and pictures Damon's defeat, Damon's 96 title is thorougly deserved and well acomplished. Damon deserves much respect for his acomplishmnet in the sport; even during his last and terrible f1 season, 1999, where he was outshined by his very fast team-mate Heinz Harald Frentzen, Damon was not to be looked pathetic next to him - instead he was to be held tremendous respect and would not receive any contempt from any TRUE F1 fan. Damon was not the fastest driver ever, but he holds his place among the other World Champions and stands as one of the Lords of this sport.
So what does a F1 Driver think? Well, here you go!.......1999-06-26
From the moment I recieved this book, I could tell a lot of time and energy (money) went into making it. The cover is made of a nice, almost sliky paper material, which just makes you feel like it is worth the price. However, the real treat is inside. Damon Hill is a very eloquent writer, and makes some very personal revelations. If you ever wanted to know what makes an F1 World Champion tick, here's your chance. His gives his feelings about his early years driving with legends such as Aryton Senna, and Alain Prost, as well as his current on-going rivaly with M. Schumacher. Also, the photographs taken by Keith Sutton are an added bonus. As Damon said in his book, "So here it is. A book about all that (F1 life). But you can just look at the pictures if you prefer..." Yes! You really can; the pictures are fabulous. It's a shame about his retirement, and i actually would have felt that this book would have been better off, if he retired first and then published it, so that his writing wouldn't be so restrained. Even so, it gives the most comprehensive first-person's view of the things that transpire in the world of F1. Personally, I am a Damon Hill fan, so I can recommend this book to all those who also follow this "gentlemen's racer."
Book Description
Why do firefighters use foam? What do fire crews use to tackle forest fires? How do sea-air rescue teams reach an accident scene quickly? Find the answers to these and other fascinating questions in Look Inside Cross-Sections Rescue Vehicles.
Average customer rating:
- Pin-Ups For A Classic Car Lovers
- Pin-Ups For A Classic Car Lovers
- Great Cutaway Car Graphics
|
Inside 100 Great Cars
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Gramercy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Transportation
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Automotive
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0517184818
Release Date: 1997-08-19 |
Customer Reviews:
Pin-Ups For A Classic Car Lovers.......2002-07-06
Beutifuly detailed 3 page pullouts and cutaway drawings, This is not a book of car history or Bestselling "RiceBurners" this book Delivers what is promises. 100 Great Car Cutaway Drawings.
Pin-Ups For A Classic Car Lovers.......2002-07-06
Beutifuly detailed 3 page pullouts and cutaway drawings, This is not a book of car history or Bestselling "RiceBurners" this book Delivers what is promises. 100 Great Car Cutaway Drawings.
Great Cutaway Car Graphics.......2000-07-06
Pictorials book on 100 great cars from the grandiose Ferraris, Roll-Royces etc to the simple and ubiquitous Volkswagen Beetle and Austin Mini. Nothing much of interests, too much on specification were emphasized; leaving behind the history and "juicy" parts of describing a car namely the price. Most cars were of the older classical era bringing back nostalgic brand-names like Talbot, Sunbeam, Hispano Suiza and Bugati. Many of this car manufactures have long closed down, the era of mass production has replaced the classical coach building and precision building. Nevertheless such cars epitomized the grandeur of a past , a long forgotten era where cars were a luxury and not a means of transport. 100 Great Cars dealt mainly on supercars namely expensive luxury and sport cars. The ordinary run-the-mill car was left out, only a few made into the list like Volkswagen Beetle, Austin Mini and Ford Model T. What happen to the best selling cars like Volksvagen Golf and Toyota Corolla. Aren't these super-selling cars great too? Don't they deserved a place in this book too? The emphasized was on American and European cars leaving out a great deal of cars from the east namely Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. It is a pity great names like the popular Toyota Corolla did not make it to this list. In conclusion, this book is perhaps reserved for "real" car enthusiasts and not lay people like me. Nevertheless credits must be given for superb details and excellent pictures.
Book Description
This colorful collection of the most famous, interesting, and reputation-building Porsches ever built for road and track includes the Gmnd coups, the classic 356, the legendary 911, the 959, and all the cars associated with Porsche's marvelous motorsport heritage. An entertaining narrative includes the fascinating details of the cars' development accompanied by interviews with Ferry Porsche, Dan Gurney, Derek Bell, and other designers and drivers associated with Porsche's heritage. Exclusive color photography depicts each of the cars discussed.
Customer Reviews:
This book is a legend itself.......2004-05-31
This book covers alot of history about the rare models of all Porsches up till 1989 with mostly race cars. The author shares alot of racing experiences with the cars in the book. There's also a 245 mph!? Porsche 917. Overall, for the money, it's really worth it.
Great to look at . . . too bad about the text.......1998-04-11
Skimming this book would lead you to believe that it's a thorough history of some of Porsche's most significant cars. The photos-color throughout-are stunning. And there's little argument with the author's choice of subjects: The 904, 906, 917, 911 and 935 are all there, along with many other examples of Porsche's finest.
But someone-anyone-should have edited the drivel that fills the space between the beautiful photos. Leffingwell gets caught up in the personalities behind each model-which would be fine, except that he tries way too hard to romanticize the stories and people he writes about, at the expense of solid journalistic reportage on each car's evolution, history or technical background. Sorry, but I can give this attractive volume only a guarded recommendation.
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