5 comments about Getting the Bugs Out: The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Volkswagen in America (Adweek Books).

1. This is a top of the line book. It takes the reader through the history of Volkswagon in America. It speaks of the successes and failures and takes the reader behind the scenes to see how the company was/is run. Due to the history of Volkswagon, the book is entertaining and hard to put down. Kiley does a wonderful job of telling the facts in an interesting way. At times though, it does focus a lot on advertising which is both interesting and tedious. Although it can be hard to keep all the dates and people straight throughout the book, the experience of reading the book is fantastic. This is a great book for those who know a lot about cars and for those who are just merely curious.



2. This is a top of the line book. It takes the reader through the history of Volkswagon in America. It speaks of the successes and failures and takes the reader behind the scenes to see how the company was/is run. Due to the history of Volkswagon, the book is entertaining and hard to put down. Kiley does a wonderful job of telling the facts in an interesting way. At times though, it does focus a lot on advertising which is both interesting and tedious. Although it can be hard to keep all the dates and people straight throughout the book, the experience of reading the book is fantastic. This is a great book for those who know a lot about cars and for those who are just merely curious.



3. Geez, the management folks at VW are a bunch of arrogant bastards - much like the folks at Ford, GM and Daimler Chrysler. This book is a great history and a really interesting and enjoyable read.



4. I'm an avid VW driver, and when I saw this book I had to read it. It's great! The VW story is incredible, I never would have guessed that there was so much interesting history there.

   The references to the advertising brought back some good memories. I remember each ad and how great they were.

   A dfinite must read!

   J.




5. I'm a die hard VW loyalist now. So when I saw this book I had to see what it was all about. Incredible story! Very well written!

   It was incredible to read about all the things that went on within and without the company, it helps to understand the car a lot better :) If you're at all interested in VW's or car company history in general, this is a must read.

1 comments about Tony Stewart.

1. The more I read, the more I love Tony Stewart. Great book for us loyal fans. He may not be perfect but he's my kinda guy!

3 comments about Bonneville The Fastest Place on Earth.

1. Basically any car enthusiast knows what Bonneville is. The legendary land of impossible speed and unlimited imagination that has captured all of our curiosity at one time or another has been captured by Motorbooks Classic. This is a place where the records were made to be broken and limits are pushed on a regular basis. The aura that surrounds this location has been captured nicely in this excellent look back at the rich history of the track. There are over 175 photos included in the book and all are of high quality and tell their own individual story. The collection of stories, historical data and timeless memories is very impressive as can be expected from Motorbook Classics. Bonneville: The Fastest Place on Earth is one of the most complete and fulfilling books to ever cover the famous Bonneville Salt Flats and it gives us all an explanation as to why we can't drive 55.



2. Landspeed Racers and Lover will love this look at the Salt Flats. Great pictures.



3. Excellent overall coverage of Bonneville & its history, lots of cool pics also.

3 comments about BMW 3 and 5 Series 1982-1992 (Haynes Manuals).

1. The writers assumed that the reader wouldn't be able to handle anything more difficult then an oil-change or brake-shoe adjustment. Doesn't include meaningful schematics and recommends that you take your car to the shop if having air-conditioning problems. When confronted with taking out the car stereo from the dash it recommends that you buy the "special tool" needed to do the job (you need a metric allen wrench, but you won't find that out by reading this book).



2. This is a thick book with most of the information you need. However there are no good drawings and the photos don't help too much. They try to cover too much and are not organized enough. I don't think telling you how to take apart and put together stuff is enough. Diagnostic tips, like the Bentley manual is what you need. However, this is alot cheaper.



3. Where can I start - I bought the Haynes manual to do some work on my E30. The book has two main problems - it doesn't contain the information you need, and some of what little information they bother to include is just plain wrong. It's the sort of book to put on the table in your reception area, if you're a dentist, where people will be so angry after reading a little of it that they'll forget their fear.

   If you're thinking of buying the book, here's what to do: Decide on the jobs you need to do, try and figure out from the book whether it tells you how to do them or not (it won't); then buy something else. I'm tempted to go into detail, but really, everything in the book is tackled in such a superficial and unhelpful way that there's no one area I can spotlight. But I'll just note one of the deliberate errors.

   If you need to change the water-temperature sensor which tells the engine management system how hot the engine is, just follow the instructions, using the picture provided. They're very specific about which is which... but you'll end up removing the sender for the water temperature gauge. How the guys in the parts department will laugh when they spend hours scratching their heads, trying to find a match for it.

   Good luck

4 comments about Formula 1 in Camera 1980-89.

1. As a student of Formula One, I found this and the book of the seventies marvelously photographed. I was a fan of Mario Andretti and Ronnie Peterson in the seventies, and Nigel Mansell and Kiki Rosberg in the eighties. There are plenty of pictures of all of these individuals as well as their on-track antagonists. You also get to see many of the behind the scences folk, whose presence at the races was often times more important than that of their "pilotes"......
   
   Another thing I love about this volume is that there are plenty of pictures of the "also-rans", whose photos you almost never saw in "Road and Track", "On Track" or the "Formula" magazines of the period. It, and the previous volume about the seventies, are well worth the price of admission if one was a fan of racing in the seventies and eighties....



2. Formula 1 in Camera 1980-89 is a great book from the series. The main players and acts of the decade - also known as the "Turbo Era" - are shown in carefully selected pictures. Some of them are stunning, others "only" interesting. The texts by Quentin Spurring are giving back the essence of that particular season. They are easy to read and understand, and usually spot-on, with plenty of great background information. I'd definitely recommend this book for the hardcore Formula One enthusiasts and collectors, as well as for casual observers.



3. For any Formula One fan this book is just the ticket. Covering the "TURBO" generation, this book contains many great Schlegelmilch Photo's of all the famous F1 drivers and teams.Senna, Mansell,Prost and piquet, along with many other's are included in this pictorial history. A great insight from this amazing period of F1 motorsport. All the information that accompanies the photos are very informative , some sad and others humorous. The book itself is well made and all pictures are bright and of extremely high quality.If you are a F1 fan or a general motorsports fan BUY THIS BOOK!



4. The photographs in this book are awesome. However, as in other books from Haynes (i.e. all Formula 1 Season Review) the print is low quality. This could have been an excellent art book if the photographs were printed right. Low color saturation, wrong hue, cooling filter effect (all photographs look blue). I've seen many of this pictures in other books and they are just beautiful... not here. I'm thinking in returning my copy.

1 comments about GM Full-Size Trucks 1980-87 (Chilton's Total Car Care Repair Manual).

1. This is a very helpful, detailed source of information. However, there appears to be an error in the ring gap location as illustrated on page 3-71, in figure 175. Both diagrams are identical. This could be accurate, but if so, why is it necessary to have two diagrams? Number 85773125 appears in the figure, which might be helpful to you in locating the figure in question. Is the figure correct, or incorrect? Shouldn't one diagram be a mirror image of the other?

No comments about VW Golf, GTI, & Jetta, '99-'05 (Automotive Repair Manual).

4 comments about Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals.

1. Written 10 years ago, the author spent just over a decade to finish this book. Having said that, there are still a lot to learn from this book. I am currently using it as THE textbook of my course (undergraduate and postgraduate).



2. almost all the areas concerning internal combustion engines are covered in proper detail. it is useful for related undergrad and grad studies, also an indispensable reference for grad research work in engine technologies.



3. This book is my Bible. It does not explain you how to add 2HP to the engine, it explains how all that works and why, with theory, numbers and serious real world tests.
   You may be interested in the theory: you'll find all you need to understand more detailled research papers.
   You don't need theory: you may simply trust very comprehensive and clear conclusions which explain with figures and numbers how thinks work.
   The book covers Spark Ignited and Diesel engines, indirect and direct injected.
   The book does not cover recent works on high speed SI (like Honda VTEC) and turbo-diesel engines, as well the indirect injected stratified combustion engines.



4. I'm not a mechanical engineer and I have been able to follow the book well. It goes really in depth in some places, so you have to know when to skip a few pages. But it is fine for a final year undergrad course, and I'm sure it would work for a grad course as well, but if you don't have a good math and science background (ie engineering), then just research www.howstuffworks.com and then subscribe to a few car magazines. There is a lot of practical info in here as well, but don't kid yourself, most of this is theoretical backround. I am an electrical engineer who wanted to get into hybrid vehicles, and I think if you are like me and want to just buy one book on ICEs, this is it.

5 comments about Hot Rod Pin-ups.

1. David perry (along with Chas Ray Kriger) is one of the two best photographic exponents of the future noir pinup genre. I waited a long time for the release of this book, and as I expected,the photographs are wonderful. Pity the book has been let down with some of the worst publishing design I have seen in ages. The cheesy slogans etc posted over the photographs and the annoying black boxes with model and car info in the corner of each photo are very distracting. The photographs speak well enough for themselves and would have been much better suited to full page spreads (as in David Perry's Hot Rod book) without the annoyingly colourful graphic design vomit on each page. Anyway if you dig pin up photography its still worth your dough..



2. David Perry not only gets the Hot Rod Kulture, he's part of it! and luckily, for us, he captures it on film, with mastery.
   The book is awsome. His choice of cars and models is right m*#@ing on!
   The only problem is keeping my friend's greasy mitts off my copy...
   I guess I'll have to get a couple more...books that is



3. Great photography,with some great babes draped over cool cars.
   Dave Perry has a way of photographing period perfect clothed girls in provocative ways that make the girls a counterpoint to beater rods. If you've got a grain of warm blood still pulsing though your veins then these girls will quicken the pulse.



4. I love this book. It shows fashion from various eras and adds the rough style of classic cars. The history is a good added bonus, but the pictures are more interesting to look at. Very colorful and exciting.



5. The cars are much better than the girls. The women generally are not classy looking. Maybe that is what David Perry had in mind. The cover shot is the best pinup shot. The photography is super.

2 comments about How To Modify Volkswagen Beetle Chassis, Suspension & Brakes (Speedpro).

1. The How To Modify Volkswagen Beetle Chassis, Suspension & Brakes was above my skill level.



2. As an overview of the Beetle suspension, brakes, and chassis, this book was excellent. The text is very comprehensive, clear, and useful, and there are many great photos and drawings. If you want to learn about this topic, I do recommend this book.
   
   Here are a few annoyances to be aware of though:
   
   1. I would not say this is a "how to" book, despite the title. This is a subject overview, to give the reader basic familiarity of a wide range of topics. I've noticed a number of "how to" books about cars, and this is not the only one that has stretched the truth in this way. I'm guessing it is the publishers who select such titles ... to help sales?
   
   2. Similar to annoyance #1, while sections of the book do cover "modifications" and "high performance", I would not say that these points are covered in any depth. Again, it is at the overview level.
   
   3. The book is advertised as having 128 pages. Well ... that includes all of the sheets of paper before the content of the book actually starts (title page, copyright page, etc). It also includes about 15 pages (!) of advertisements (of other books by the same publisher). So the content of the book is more like 110 pages.
   
   4. The book is priced at $26, whereas other books of similar content and similar size sell from $13 to $17 typically. Because this book is published in the UK and imported to the US (where I am), perhaps that has jacked the price up. However, the value of the book is on par with the $13 - $17 books.
   
   5. This is just a nitpick, but the photo on the cover shows the front of a Beetle with what looks to be a coilover suspension. No such modification is mentioned in the book. (If I am viewing the photo inaccurately, please feel free to comment.)
   
   Despite these points, they are but annoyances for the shopper to be aware of. If you are looking for a detailed book on "how to modify your Beetle for high performance", maybe this is not the book (and I might guess there is not one single book that would fill that bill entirely by itself). However, for a quite well executed overview of the topic, this book has my recommendation.
   
   Finally, as to the level of the writing, I found it appropriate for someone who knows something about car suspension, brakes, and chassis, although not necessarily about the Beetle. In reading this book, I learned a lot about how the Beetle is put together, but nothing really about suspension, brake, or chassis concepts.