Automobiles Books

We had recently visited The Henry Ford Museum and I saw this advertised in my grandmother's Museum magazine, so ordered it for my boys & father (who is a Ford retiree). They have LOVED reading it together, and it's such a great follow-up to things they heard about at the museum! This will become a classic for our Ford family!

The kids loved it! We collect Model T Fords and gave the book to friends of ours in the Model T Club. They have 2 sons, age 4 and 1.5. The 4 year old loves Model T's and really got into the book. His first words were "T". This book was the perfect gift for them.x

Just before Christmas in 1908, Henry Ford was trying to find a way to make his Model T automobile more affordable for the average family when his little son Edsel suggested that Daddy write to Santa Claus for advice. The notion seemed reasonable to son and father because didn't Santa make toys for millions of children? Therefore he should be in a position to provide practical advice on producing inexpensive cars for ordinary families. Much to the surprise of Henry Ford, Santa replies to the letter with an invitation to visit the North Pole workshop. It's when Henry sees the assembly line arrangement of Santa's elves in the manufacturing of toys that he gets the idea to apply what he's seen and creates the world's first automobile assembly line. Carol Hagen's clever and original picturebook story is nicely illustrated throughout by Matt Faulkner. The result is a wonderfully entertaining and highly recommended addition to family, school, and community library Christmas book collections and reading lists for children.

I ordered this book to use in a college class that I'm enrolled in. I was put into a group to develop lesson plans pertaining to Michigan history. When I saw this book advertised on a local billboard, I immediately knew that I could work with it to develop lessons. I finished the lesson plans on Henry Ford and the assembly line before receiving the book. I was not disappointed in the least when I read the book. I loved the illustrations and the content. I think it only inspired me more to think of other ideas to incorporate with the book.

When we got this book, I thought that it was a cute book and nice the way they had both Spanish and English in the story, but when we brought it home our children just loved it!!! I would recommend this story to anyone it was fun to read to the kids and they enjoyed it as well.

I'm a elementary school librarian and happened to pick this book up in the bargain bin at a discount bookstore. What a great find! I read it to my 1-3 grade classes and they LOVED it. English learners love that there is some spanish and English speakers liked learning a little spanish. That the spanish rhymes is a big plus. Of course, most kids can completely relate to being on a car trip and suddenly having to go to "el bano".

A humorous story about a young girl who has to go to the bathroom "rapido". They are riding in the car and the daughter announces that she needs a bathroom. The story brings the car and the parents through town, in search of "un bano". One of the huge attractions of this story is the fact that it is a K-3 book with stores, buildings, colors, and common greetings which are all written in Spanish. Because it rhymes we are able to determine the pronunciation of most of the words: because of the paintings and context clues, we are able to determine the meanings of the Spanish words. The glossary and pronunciation guide contains spelling and translations of fifty-two words and phrases.

This picture book will be a marvelous addition to the bi-lingual classroom. Children who speak or read Spanish will be able to explain greetings, colors and familiar buildings to their English speaking classmates. English speaking children will learn some Spanish and empathy for their ESL friends. The watercolor pictures in the book feature the parents in the front seat and the small girl in the back seat. There are single and double-page spreads, pictures of the girl bordered in flowers and colors. The street scene with buildings labeled in Spanish paints their red car angularly, in the middle of the street, to indicate it does not know which way to go. The double paged line at the bathroom appears interminable with strollers, grandmothers, infants, teens and women of color and diversity. Cut ending!

This is a cute book that my six year old son and I got a good laugh from and had to reread immediately. It introduces some basic Spanish words and phrases in rhyme. The pictures are bright and colorful. An easy, fun read.

This is a satirical tour de force by one of the masters of the genre -- a mixture of humor and pathos. Reading this book, I kept praying that poor little Jane would come out of her terrible ordeal in one piece -- the tension builds and builds. Harboring children for prostitution continues to this day, and his description of the sexual assaults Jane receives are nauseating to say the least. Gover himself grew up in an orphanage, and you can see that he knows this little twelve-year-old heroine very well. Dick is a perfect character for Jane to play off of: a father figure to his unexpected surprise companion, emotionally distraught over his wife's death and financial chaos. Each of them are looking for compassion and understanding in the wreckage of their lives. Will they ever find it, or will they remain on the run?

The visits from the future involve both Thomas Pynchon and Robert Gover. As fate would have it, both their new novels were scheduled for release within a day of each other. Then suddenly, Pynchon got moved back two weeks. The synchronicity begins with TP at the new moon, and RG at the full. And this is not the first time they have crossed literary paths without knowing why.

According to the publisher's note, On the Run with Dick and Jane hid in a drawer for the last 15 years. Chances are, it might have been published along with the last great coup of Vineland, Skinny Legs and All and Stone Junction, but destiny had other designs.

Now the two heavyweights meet again in the same fortnight on the same "New Books" table. Time doesn't matter when a good read is at hand. This time around, Robbins and Dodge are out of the game; it's Pynchon and Gover, with Marquez watching from the wings.

If you liked Kitten in Gover's American classic One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding, Jane is going to steal your soul with your security blanket. She's 12, wild, street-smart and unstoppable, making a run for it from her North Carolina "group home" where she's been tagged "for sale" by Grandma to the Asian slave trade. OK good, you made it through Chapter 1, only 43 more to go.

Dick is Jane's ticket out of the System. He is 63, full of self-pity and pain, driving to California with his late wife's ashes in an urn at his side. Jane is a stowaway in the back of his van, vaguely aware that both of them are set for the ride of their lives.

But the detour demands attention. The "meaningful coincidences" among Gover, Pymchon and Robbins are in their main characters. Vineland by Pynchon features Prairie Wheeler, at 14, a wild child of the 80s; Skinny Legs and All by Robbins is an allegorical retelling of Salome for the new millennium. Say no more -- all three authors penned their tales at the same time. That's why synchronicities are too strange to be true. Or are they? The answer is written in the stars.

We're headed for new territory here. On the Run with Dick and Jane dares to go where neither Pynchon nor Robbins have gone before. Dick and Jane surprises, shocks and offends on almost every page. The prose is stark naked, the characters are transparent, the dialogue is unadorned, but it's done with the style of a maestro. What Faulkner accomplished in his own era with Sanctuary and The Sound and the Fury, Gover does for the 21st century. He can add a second American classic to his arsenal.

But let me not leave the impression that Pynchon and Gover are on the same team. Pynchon, as the new Balzac, is a neoclassicist looking to start a revolution; his greatest strategic error was allowing Academia to enter his camp. Gover, on the other side of the field, is more like Kerouac with a PhD; with ripping claws he goes straight for the underbelly of the beast. Literature is fortunate to have them both in the same century.

Jane is good at hiding, and we're lucky that her book got delayed. But be warned, dear reader, you're going to get paper cuts from turning the pages. So start reading early or plan to stay up all night, because Dick and Jane glue themselves to you until you're done with the run. You will learn many of life's lusty lessons here too, whether you are a creative writer, and adventurous reader or a swinging social scientist. This is dangerous fun.

When I read this book, I encountered a messy truth: I have been living in a country which, for many years, has not honored its children, has not sanctified the places they learn to be human, to grow.

This book broke my heart as it developed and then, as it found it resolution, made me understand that despair is not the only part of the currency of poverty, hardship and repair.

Robert Gover wrote, if my memory serves me, 100 Dollar Misunderstanding. He knew more then, about a lot of quite different things than most of us knew. Now, he shows us, he has not been sitting as a spectator.

The ninth novel of former journalist Robert Gover, On The Run With Dick and Jane is the story of a truly unlikely couple - Jane, a twelve-year-old stowaway girl fleeing an overseas sex slavery operation, and Dick, a sixty-three year-old man grieving the death of his beloved wife and struggling with mounting medical bills. A distinctive feature of On the Run with Dick and Jane is that quotation marks are omitted from the spoken dialogue, lending the tale elements of a stream-of-consciousness feel. A story of a most unlikely friendship, eventually leading both to take a stand against those who would recapture Jane for their own vile profit.

Great book in general with nice step-by-step instructions of common items to perform on the car. The seller of the book did a great job of describing the shape of the used book and it was mailed very promptly.

The best manual i found yet. Put it together with the hayes restauration manual and go start the works...

Except for factory books this is the best there is. Along with the technical discussions on the PCA web site this is all you'll ever need.

Great manual, nearly as good as the set of factory manuals. Many times better than the Haynes manual - you can do anything to your 911 using this book. Just great.

THIS BOOK IS UNQUESTIONABLY THE BEST QUALITY REFERENCE BOOK EVER WRITTEN! David Hoyle confidently explains the underlying logic behind ISO and QS requirements in such a manner that the reader is amazed at the simplicity of the requirement and how it will benefit his company. I feel more motivated and positive each time I use it!

The book is well organized and addresses complex issues in a logical, well ordered fashion. The author uses excellent examples to illustrate his points. The "task lists" and "Do's and Don'ts" provided for each section are the single best reference checklist I have come across. He makes extensive use of charts and diagrams to illustrate interdependencies and processes.

What I like best about this author is that he clearly understands the real world and the problems and challenges that face every company. He sites real-world examples and solutions. He takes a common sense approach so that you get a quality company and product, not just an expensive bound manual. So many other quality authors come off as dry and unyielding losing sight of the real goal.

The first thing any company should do when contemplating ISO or QS is to go and buy a copy of this book for every Senior Executive and Manager!

David Hoyle is a true pioneer in Quality and a guy to keep your eye on. I also follow his speeches and articles. I have no doubt that his contributions will someday reshape this field.

I not only read this book, but also I was the chief editor for a translation of it into Farsi (a limited companywide translation). Being Editor for the Farsi translation, I had to read it letter by letter, and compare the concepts with the original text. So I can claim that I am one of those who has read the book deeply and completely in detail. This is such a handbook that makes companies needless of consultors, for many parts of the implementation project. It takes the managers' hand, carrys them step by step, giving a deep insight onto the thoughts behind the physical name of "QS-9000". None of the words has been neglected to read critically from the consistency and interpretablity point of view. I and all the translation team, enjoyed and learned a lot through reading the book. (Unfortunately I have not the address of Mr. Hoyle and looking for his address, to communicate directly, to take the greetings and thanks of the team and mine, and to send a Farsi translation to him.)

We completed the translation and desktop publishing in only 28 days, (it takes normally at least 1 year)! What is clearly identifiable, Prof. Hoyle knows the backbone of ISO9000 and QS-9000 philosophy well, that is why his comments on the ambigous or confusing parts are completely consistent with ours as advisors with many practical experiences. I had some footnotes on Farsi translation of this book, but this never lessen a bit the value of it and I pride that it was a real remote training course of Prof. Hoyle himself for me and our experts.

The handbook can be also a good guide for implementing any standard system like VDA 6.1, ISO TS 16949, French, and Italian automotive companies' similar standards, becouse it is concept-oriented and not QS-9000 word- or phrase-dependent.

I leave my e-mail address, and looking forward to any kind mail about the address of Proffessor by others khowing him.

David Hoyle's book on QS-9000 is one of the best books I've read on the automotive standard. I use it as my 'bible' for instruction and for creating documentation. I would recommend it to anyone who is contemplating certification.

David Hoyle's QS-9000 Quality Systems handbook is essential reading for all interested parties who require a succinct accurate analysis of QS-9000, Quality System Requirements.

As a practicing QS-9000 Registered Lead Auditor the writer has informally recommended the text to numerous corporations worldwide. Divided into two parts - Preparation for QS-9000 and Satisfying QS-9000 requirements.

Part 1 - Preparation for QS-9000 initially reviews quality assurance fundamentals in clear language including discussion on the quality , price and cost relationship. The mechanics of the QS-9000 registration process (similar to ISO9000) are covered together with a listing of key QS-9000 requirements and many common misconceptions. ( These may be useful in discussing an invalid nonconformity with an over zealous QS-9000 auditor !!)

Part 2 - Satisfying QS-9000 requirements takes each of the 23 sections of QS-9000 (2nd Edition February 1995) and in very good detail explains the! actual QS-9000 requirement and how it may be incorporated within a quality system. A useful Task List, Questionnaire and 'Do & Don't' listing is included at the end of each section.

In summary its hard to criticize this book as it is truly a world class text !

Roland J. Kelly QS-LA , CQE , BS MS Natonal Standards Authority of Ireland Fremont California USA

Mike Costin was chassis designer at Lotus, and also co-founded Cosworth.

This book shows, in brief and clear style, how to design a fully triangulated space-frame type chassis that will carry loads as efficiently as possible,and how to design a suspension to give both good ride and good roadholding.

If you wish to design a modern day car using a tubular space frame, this book is absolutely essential. It will be very helpful as well to those wanting to design ultralight mileage record or solar cars. Even designers of monocoque chassis will find excellent ideas as to where their load paths should be going, and how their suspension movement should be controlled.

Don't be put off by the fact that the book is almost 40 years old. If you plan to build a space frame, find a copy.

There is yet to be a book written, that describes the why's and how's of designing a light-weight, high-performance sports car chassis in a more informative, yet pleasantly readable style than "Racing and Sports Car Chassis Design". There are other, more contemporary titles on this topic, and having read many of them, I have a strong impression that their authors were much influenced by this book; perhaps having studied it in their college and university years. That would not be surprising, for it is forty years since the author, Michael Costin, then Development Director of Lotus Cars Ltd., with technical writer David Phipps and automotive artist, James A. Allington completed what was to be acclaimed by the industry, and motoring enthusiasts, as the Chassis Designers' Bible.

Costin was also a chief chassis designer at Lotus Engineering, one-time home of many of the most creative and innovative thinkers in the history of motor-sports. He later became the Cos' of Cosworth fame. Quite a motor-sports pedigree!

The theory and basic principles of chassis design, including methods for chassis stress calculation, plotting suspension geometry, and selecting materials for a winning space-frame chassis are all comprehensively covered. The text is classically crafted, making this a reference book for the `coffee table' reader too. It is complemented with excellent illustrations and (now historical) photographs, and the reader will enjoy a revealing treatise from a fascinating period in motor-sports development. Reference to the appendices explaining the essential mathematical calculations, tables of materials specifications and the glossary will assist understanding of the engineering principles, and will be invaluable to the novice chassis designer. This is the material that contemporary writers have often, unfortunately, left out.

The sections on suspension, while now dated, examine the conflicting forces that influence road-holding and vehicle dynamics, and assess the advantages and disadvantages of the various suspension types then in use. The technology may have developed, but the principles that applied then still apply today, and would be readily recognized by todays engineering student.

If you are a motorsports enthusiast, and particularly one interested in building your own racing or sports car, then this book, though now out of print, is well worth the search. Of course, if you are planning to build a monocoque, or a composite-bodied racer, then you'll have to supplement this book with more recent titles.

As a current Lotus-Seven-inspired-sportscar builder, I value and constantly refer to my copy, and strongly recommend it to like-minded enthusiasts.

Put it in your shopping cart now,...your copy is out there.

Written from the perspective of an engineer, this book, which I first read 20 years ago is always a nice reflection back to a time when the sport was more individual. Part technical reference , part coffee table reading, it has lots of pictures and even a brief set of simple calculations in an appendix. I always enjoy reading it again. In my opinion, a timeless work

If you are thinking of building a "Locost" replica of the Lotus Seven according to Ron Champion's Build Your Own Sports Car for as Little as £250 and Race It!, you would be well advised to consult this book to see how Champion's design could be improved. As reviewer Ian Carter can probably attest, a chassis built straight from Champion's book will not pass the Australian government's mandatory test of torsional rigidity. A Web search for "Locost" will yield thousands of hits from which you can eventually dig out some minor improvements to the Locost chassis that will allegedly double its stiffness. But if the principles so clearly presented by Costin and Phipps were applied in a complete redesign, the chassis stiffness could probably be doubled again due to improved triangulation and the use of round rather than square tubing. (Sure, square tubing is easier to weld but structurally it's equivalent to round tubing that has already collapsed on four sides!)

This book was fascinating from the first page until the last. Mr.Kunen has a way with words that will grip the reader as he did me. The intimate details of the crash and the lives of the young victims will bring a tear to your eye. And how Ford Motors was defeated in the end will have you cheering in a bittersweet way. A masterpiece. I have read hundreds of books and this book tops my list to this day even though I first read it 6 years ago.

I happen to know the grandparents (both sets) of one of the students killed in this crash. The book has a big impact on me, not only for the tragedy itself, but that it has a personal meaning also. I had a hardcopy of this book in the library in which I worked and now I want my own copy.

My math teacher was on the bus when it crashed and allowed me to read one of his two copies of this book, 3 of his friends were killed and if it was n't for his other friend he would have died too for he was sitting 3 rows from the front and saw the youth director get blown up when the explosion occured.

I had seen a road sign in Kentucky referring to a bus crash, but didn't know anything about it. One day I saw Mr. Kunen's book at a local bookstore and realized it was the same thing. When I started reading the book I couldn't put it down. Up until that day it was a road sign; afterwards it was a tragic memorial to the death of the innocent.

As one of the reviews suggested, we bought this book before we took our kids on a driving trip to Colorado. It really made the whole idea of a driving vacation fun and an adventure for our children. It's one of our favorite bedtime stories. Not only do the kids recite all the rhymes by heart but it brings back memories of our own wonderful vacation!

"Road Trip" will be great fun for kids and highly nostalgic for parents. Roger Eschbacher's newest children's book, amusingly illustrated by Thor Wickstrom, is a fond reflection on the various details of a family car trip. While people obviously take less long car trips in favor of flying these days, it's hard to imagine anyone who couldn't relate warmly to this story. Parents will undoubtedly read it, as I did, in terms of a classic "Americana" road travel past, replete with corny roadside attractions and pre-chain marginal motels needing a look from Mom or Dad before paying for the night. Children will read or hear it in terms of their own car trip experience, perhaps confusedly noticing the absence of handheld games, DVD entertainment and iPods. Ultimately, I see this book as a look back at childhood driving vacations of most parents, but one which kids of today, the book's intended audience, can also relate to - and it sure doesn't hurt for kids to get a glimpse of America before the inundation of name brand chain motels, franchised fast food and portable electronics. "Road Trip" certainly provides that kind of experiential glimpse, and on their next car trip, I suspect most children will unconsciously be looking at the scenery instead of an LCD screen.

What a cute book. It brought me back to my childhood where my siblings (3) and I piled in our Country Squire station wagon with a dog and a Grandma (not to mention 2 parents) and drove cross country. A must read for all kids who can't imagine driving to the grocery store without a DVD playing, let alone to Canada! Very funny and wonderful drawings.

Like any good road trip, its the journey, not the destination and in "Road Trip" Roger Eschbacher and illustrator Thor Wickstrom give the reader a heck of a fun ride.

Written for young readers (yet more intelligent than Tom Green's movie of the same name), the beautifully illustrated "Road Trip" takes the reader through the many wonders and staples of a two day family car trip in a warm, humorous vein. Told in playful and amusing rhyme, the story is one most parents can identify with. Eschbacher takes us through the family sing-a-longs, games like license plate bingo and "I Spy with My Little Eye", jackalopes, postcards, tourist traps (be sure to check out "Paul Bunyun's Hive"!) and the inevitable squabbling with siblings which leads dad to threaten to "turn this car around right now".

Kids are sure to laugh at moments everyone can relate to like: "Gotta go, go, go. Can we stop, stop, stop? Dad says no, no, no. Will I pop, pop, pop?"

Thor Wickstrom's illustrations are rich and clever, providing a lot to look at as one reads the book again and again (and the kids will want to read this one again--and unlike some kids books, that's something YOU won't mind doing either!). The great detail he puts into each page adds some nice jokes that go along well with Eschbacher's amusing story.

It's a good read for kids who are either on, about to go on or just finished with their own first family road trip, while providing adults with a nostalgic look back to the days when they occupied the back seat and wondered "are we there yet?" It is sure to stir some memories.

This is a very comprehensive documantion of one the most exclusive car manufactures in the world. Very useful guide on all things Bentley / Rolls Royce.

The title sums it up. Vivid color photos and good information
about pre 1915 vintage cars.

It's good to see a new version of an old favorite. I have two of the earlier editions. My only real complaint about the coverage in the new volume is that it's too bad that more details on the new Rolls-Royce Phantom could not have been included. This is a very handy book for the Rolls-Royce enthusiast.

My other complaint about the book is the printing quality. A number of the pages were printed on damaged paper which had streaks and other imperfections, pg 76 in my copy as an example. Since this was a personal gift to myself, I really didn't want to go through the aggrivation and wait for a new copy. I don't know if the steep discount on the book was due to the copies purchased by Amazon were irregular or not.

Anyhow enough said, the coverage maintians the level of RR history set down by Tony Bird.

If limited to one definitive book on Rolls-Royce and post 1931 Bentley this would be it. Very readable history as well as a comprehensive tecnical appendix. The idea format for a book on one make cars.

If you've ever been in the situation where you need to buy transportation and your mate is out of town, this book is for you. I found it at the library and it was 10 times more helpful than any other book they had in their collection. It is packed with useful information about cars and car dealers. The author could have entitled this book, "Everything you ever wanted to know about cars but were afraid to ask". The writing is clear and precise. Highly recommended.

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.