{"product_id":"the-life-of-the-automobile-steven-parissien-9781250040633","title":"Life of the Automobile","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Life of the Automobile\u003c\/i\u003e is the first comprehensive world history of the car.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe automobile has arguably shaped the modern era more profoundly than any other human invention, and author Steven Parissien examines the impact, development, and significance of the automobile over its turbulent and colorful 130-year history. Readers learn the grand and turbulent history of the motor car, from its earliest appearance in the 1880s--as little more than a powered quadricycle--and the innovations of the early pioneer carmakers. The author examines the advances of the interwar era, the Golden Age of the 1950s, and the iconic years of the 1960s to the decades of doubt and uncertainty following the oil crisis of 1973, the global mergers of the 1990s, the bailouts of the early twenty-first century, and the emergence of the electric car.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is not just a story of horsepower and performance but a tale of extraordinary people: of intuitive carmakers such as Karl Benz, Sir Henry Royce, Giovanni Agnelli (Fiat), Andr  Citro n, and Louis Renault; of exceptionally gifted designers such as the eccentric, Ohio-born Chris Bangle (BMW); and of visionary industrialists such as Henry Ford, Ferdinand Porsche (the Volkswagen Beetle), and Gene Bordinat (the Ford Mustang), among numerous other game changers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAbove all, this comprehensive history demonstrates how the epic story of the car mirrors the history of the modern era, from the brave hopes and soaring ambitions of the early twentieth century to the cynicism and ecological concerns of a century later. Bringing to life the flamboyant entrepreneurs, shrewd businessmen, and gifted engineers that worked behind the scenes to bring us horsepower and performance, \u003ci\u003eThe Life of the Automobile\u003c\/i\u003e is a globe-spanning account of the auto industry that is sure to rev the engines of entrepreneurs and gearheads alike.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Steven Parissien\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1250040639\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781250040633\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e St. Martins Press-3PL\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/13\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 448\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.80lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.10h x 6.40w x 1.70d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/15\/2014 pg. 118\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/10\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/01\/2014 pg. 6\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 05\/15\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/17\/2014 pg. 20\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/01\/2014 pg. 636","brand":"Steven Parissien","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44046759133439,"sku":"9781250040633","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_6343ddd3-fc94-4993-972f-22d75bd44538.jpg?v=1684986326","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-life-of-the-automobile-steven-parissien-9781250040633","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}