Cars and Culture: The Life Story of a Technology

(Hardback)

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Description

Tells the story of a technology that completely transformed how people live More than any other artefact of modern technology, the automobile has shaped our physical, social, and cultural environment. At the same time decisions made by governments, entrepreneurs, and the general public have strongly affected the automobile's evolution. 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. No history would be complete without covering the components essential for a car-based transport system - roads, petrol production, traffic laws, governmental regulation - as well as the other aspects of our social and cultural history that were deeply affected cars - labour unions, suburbanization, travel and recreation, and the fast-food industry. Anyone fascinated by the history of the automobile will find much of interest in this volume. It is global in scope, with comparisons of how the automobile developed in the USA, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere. The volume includes a chronology of the automobile's evolution, a glossary of technical terms, a selected bibliography, and more than 20 photographs and illustrations. Part of the Greenwood Technographies series Relates the history of a technology to the social history of the twentieth century Has a wide appeal, will be enjoyed by readers who like cars as well as those interested in history

Reviews

Volti's history covers the technology behind the car's development, plus the accompanying roads, traffic laws, gas production, and regulation which accompanied fostering of the auto as a way of American life. An intriguing survey evolves.-MBR Bookwatch
"Volti's history covers the technology behind the car's development, plus the accompanying roads, traffic laws, gas production, and regulation which accompanied fostering of the auto as a way of American life. An intriguing survey evolves."-MBR Bookwatch

Author Bio

RUDI VOLTI is Professor of Sociology at Pitzer College in Claremont, California.