Cars and Culture: The Life Story of Automotive Technology by Rudi R. Volti | History of Car Innovation & Societal Impact | Perfect for Auto Enthusiasts & Technology Historians
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DESCRIPTION
"Cars and Culture provides a succinct yet comprehensive history of the automobile. While the book highlights the technical changes that altered the appearance and performance of automobiles, it also explores the political, economic, social, and cultural forces that shaped the car's development. Because of the wide-ranging impact of the automobiles, no history would be complete without covering the components essential for our automotive-based transportation system - roads and highways, gasoline production, traffic laws, governmental regulation - as well as the other aspects of our social and cultural history that were deeply affected by the history of the automobile - labor unions, suburbanization, travel and recreation, and the fast-food industry." Ideal for students researching the interaction of technology and society, or the general reader with an interest in a particular technology, the Greenwood Technographies series tells the "life story" of the objects and technologies that have become so vital to our daily lives. Narrative chapters trace the history of the technology from its beginning to the present, and a timeline, glossary, and bibliography round out each volume.
REVIEWS
****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I've just finished using this book in a course on car cultures, and for a quick survey of how we got to today, it is fantastic. It's accessible and crams enough into each 20 page chapter to spark conversations in a million different directions, whether one wants to delve deeper into the social implications of innovation or springboard into the larger historical forces that are entwined with the development of the car. The material is interesting enough to engage even those completely uninterested in cars for their own sake.As a teaching text, put this one high on the list for any anthropology/sociology/history class dealing with changes in the 19th-20th century (select chapters could also be of interest in politics or economics classes). The whole book can be covered in a week if you're driving your students hard, two weeks if you want more time to unfold the themes.For readers who are interested in how the car changed our lives in different decades, or who are trying to get a grip on any technological innovation, this is a good overview with a useful bibliography for learning more.