Synopses & Reviews
America was made manifest by its cars. From the assembly lines of Henry Ford to the open roads of Route 66 and Jack Kerouac, America's history is a vehicular history—an idea brought brilliantly to life in this major work by the acclaimed author of
Crash Course: The American Automobile Industry's Road from Glory to Disaster.
One of the nation's most eloquent and impassioned car nuts, Paul Ingrassia offers a wondrous epic in fifteen automobiles, including the VW Beetle, the Chevy Corvair, Robert McNamara and Lee Iacocca's Mustang, the Pontiac GTO, Honda's Accord, the BMW 3 Series, and the Jeep, among others. Through them, the author shows us much more than the car's ability to exhibit the particularly American tension between the lure of freedom and the obligations of utility; he takes us through the rise of American manufacturing, the suburbanization of the country, the birth of the Hippy and the Yuppy, the emancipation of women, and so much more, including the car's unintended consequences: trial lawyers, energy crises, and pollution. Narrative history of the highest caliber, Engines of Change is an entirely edifying new way to look at the American story.
Review
"A thoughtful, propulsive assay of the machine that changed a nation, a world." ---The Wall Street Journal
Synopsis
From Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Paul Ingrassia comes a narrative of America like no other: a cultural history that explores how cars have both propelled and reflected the national experience—from the Model T to the Prius.
About the Author
As the former Detroit bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, Paul Ingrassia speaks with authority and confidence about the automotive industry. In 1993, he won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the management crisis and boardroom revolt at General Motors. Ingrassia has chronicled the car industry's successes and epic failures over the past twenty-five years, and as a former executive of Dow Jones, he is one of the few authors who has been trained as a journalist and has direct experience in running a business. His is in demand on many media programs, including NPR's Morning Edition and The Diane Rehm Show; CNBC's Squawk Box; ABC World News with Charles Gibson; and Good Morning America. Sean Runnette, a multiple AudioFile Earphones Award winner, has produced several Audie Award–winning audiobooks. He is a member of the American Repertory Theater company and has toured internationally with Mabou Mines, an avant-garde theater company. Sean's television and film appearances include Two If by Sea, Copland, Sex and the City, Law and Order, Third Watch, and lots and lots of commercials, for which he apologizes.