Readers should know that this book is thorough and well written and while categorized as young adult audience, would be enjoyed by readers of many ages. The author posits that life = locomotion, starting with walking and how we then leveraged our bipedalism to make skiing, ice skating, and skateboarding all leisure pursuits, and used wheels and horses to take us to places further and faster. This particular statement stood out to me and simple yet insightful and sets the tone for book.
Newquist moves through each big transportation sector – water, rail, bicycle, road, and air. Each section is thorough but not overwritten. I found myself thinking ‘huh, never thought about that,’ ‘oh, good party trivia,’ and ‘hmm, good point’ throughout. Have you stopped recently to appreciate that train travel is the first form of transportation we can trace from its original invention? Did you know that the bicycle was likely invented as a result of a volcanic explosion (1815 Mount Tambora) by Karl Drais? The final chapter gives nods towards travel of the future based on recent inventions, complete with the non-hovering hoverboards (presuming the exploding issues are resolved). I recommend this book for the transportation enthusiast in your life.
[signoff predefined=”Social Media Reminder” icon=”facebook”][/signoff]