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wesleyboy's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars.
Hyperbolic, and exactly the level of drama the title promises. I don’t disagree with his central thesis that cars are deadly and we as a society give them more leeway than pedestrians and other forms of transportation. Maybe I’m getting old but I’m left with the feeling while reading this that to make the kind of changes he’s talking about, you’d have to fundamentally restructure the entire way we use and think about transportation. And this method of dramatic and emotionally manipulative argument doesn’t seem to be the best way to accomplish it.
That’s the rub, I guess. I don’t disagree with the book, but reading it frustrated and irritated me. He says in the afterword he wrote this book to make people mad, so I guess he succeeded in his goal with me but was he trying to annoy the people who agree with him? And if not, how is further alienating those who disagree with you helpful?
I was left with the idea that this book was written for those who are into it to be kinda shitty and judgmental towards those who aren’t.
Hyperbolic, and exactly the level of drama the title promises. I don’t disagree with his central thesis that cars are deadly and we as a society give them more leeway than pedestrians and other forms of transportation. Maybe I’m getting old but I’m left with the feeling while reading this that to make the kind of changes he’s talking about, you’d have to fundamentally restructure the entire way we use and think about transportation. And this method of dramatic and emotionally manipulative argument doesn’t seem to be the best way to accomplish it.
That’s the rub, I guess. I don’t disagree with the book, but reading it frustrated and irritated me. He says in the afterword he wrote this book to make people mad, so I guess he succeeded in his goal with me but was he trying to annoy the people who agree with him? And if not, how is further alienating those who disagree with you helpful?
I was left with the idea that this book was written for those who are into it to be kinda shitty and judgmental towards those who aren’t.
antireading's review against another edition
3.5
Makes you think about driving in a different way and reaffirms my teenage fears of driving…
archivalghost's review against another edition
informative
reflective
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Death
robertrivasplata's review against another edition
4.0
Graphical creepily illustrated essay about car culture that asks why we tolerate drivers killing & injuring thousands of people a year with their cars. Mostly takes a philosophical psycho-cultural perspective on why we choose do drive cars, & why we accept their costs. Doesn't really go into the ways that car-centric transport choices are chosen for us by the transit decisions of our local, state, & national government. Makes a good case for driving slower & more carefully, but that is not really the main point. The endnotes contain the supporting statistics & are worth flipping to. Personally, I probably didn't need to read this book, since I already hate driving (which is probably why I never clean my car, or repair cosmetic damage on it). The illustrations of streets empty of cars or people were creepy; I couldn't decide if it was meant to evoke the dream of the open road free of any other people or vehicles getting in the way, or the isolation of the person in the car driving alone on the streets & highways. The emptiness of the visuals reminded me a bit of the Men's Recovery Project video "the Humans".
kristenbritt's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite books of the past decade or so is Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt (about the sociology and psychology of driving), so when I heard about Crash Course by Woodrow Phoenix on The War on Cars podcast, I figured it was right up my alley. It’s a graphic novel (which isn’t usually my favorite format) but the impact of the images is incredible. I highly recommend this exploration of what it means to be a pedestrian and/or a driver in a world built for cars.
mariahkatemartin's review against another edition
4.0
This book made me horribly angry—as it was meant to. I just wish it had offered solutions to our car-centric, deadly society. It is a graphic novel and a quick read, although I had to take breaks so my simmering rage could cool. Everyone needs to read this book.
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