There seems to be good interest in having a Carfree Book Club. The next step is to select a book. So let's have everybody start making suggestions for a book to be discussed. You can nominate any books* you want, but try to keep a couple common-sense criteria in mind:
Since we all share an interest in two things--bicycles and carfree living--it would probably be good to pick a book that is relevant to one or both of these topics. You can, of course, suggest a different type of book if you like, but it will be up to you to convince enough people that they'd be interested.
It should be a book that everybody can get their hands on--even people in different countries.
Think about the budget and don't pick a book that's too expensive. If it is an expensive book, it should at least be available in most public libraries.So, make your nominations on this thread, not the first thread I started. If possible, include a short synopsis of the book. In some cases you could probably link to a review published on the Web. Your book(s) has a better chance of being selected if you share your reasons for nominating it (or them).

Let's leave this open for about a week, so everyone who's interested has a chance to put in suggestions. In a week we will try to narrow it down to a few picks, then maybe vote for a winner.

I think this is going to be a lot of fun!

*Plural--I think it's fine to make more than one nomination.

If you already nominated a book on the first thread, please copy it to this thread!

I'm a little worried about what I said about the book being "relevant" to bikes and/or carfree living. I want this to be a democratic process, so interpret "relevance" as broadly as you want. (Or just ignore it all together.) At this stage, I think everybody should feel free to nominate any books they want, with the awareness that eventually we'll have to narrow it down.

I suggest Momentum Is Your Friend byJoe Kurmaskie (seems to be a very funny touring story with children) or Divorce Your Car, Ending the Love Affair with the Automobile by Katie Alvord (very serious about being carfree)

Fred A. Birchmore's Around the World on a Bicycle.
It's hard to find though.

From the Smithsonian Collection
The donor, a resident of Athens, Georgia, bought this bicycle in Gotha, Germany, in July 1935. An "Original Reinhardt," it was made by Fahrradfabrik Otto Reinhardt, Bielefeld, Germany, and was bought for 67 reichsmarks. In the course of the next two years Mr. Birchmore rode it through western Europe, eastern Europe, Crete, Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, India, Siam, Indochina, and the Philippines, before pedaling his bicycle home across the United States from California.

It has been estimated that his travels covered approximately 40,000 miles, of which about 25,000 were on the bicycle, and the rest by boat. Approximately four saddle covers and seven sets of tires were worn out during the journey. The present tires were purchased from a shop in Calcutta, India.

It's his book about that trip. A fantastic read.

http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/img/media/l/535.jpg
Said bike

I suggest Momentum Is Your Friend byJoe Kurmaskie (seems to be a very funny touring story with children) or Divorce Your Car, Ending the Love Affair with the Automobile by Katie Alvord (very serious about being carfree)
Divorce Your Car is available in except at http://books.google.com/books?id=yVw0z-Vm1IAC&pg=PP1&ots=mBNnurMjuk&dq=Divorce+Your+Car&sig=0zn-HC8_rjx6x7lQ_F6tNHRhjaM

You can also buy it at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0865714088

or find a local bookseller at
http://www.booksense.com/product/info.jsp?isbn=0865714088

I'm not nominating this book, but I'll have a read first and nominate it if it looks good.

I nominate: Collapse by Jared Diamond. The book isn't specifically about cycling but some events that may make your bike quite probably a lifesaver.

brief review at Google, but no except.

http://books.google.com/books?id=_wyrAAAACAAJ&dq=jared+diamond+collapse


"As in Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond weaves an all-encompassing global thesis through a series of historical-cultural narratives. Moving from the prehistoric Polynesian culture on Easter Island to the formerly flourishing Native American civilizations of the Anasazi and the Maya, the doomed medieval Viking colony on Greenland, and finally to the modern world, Diamond traces a fundamental pattern of catastrophe, spelling out what happens when we squander our resources, when we ignore the signals our environment gives us, and when we reproduce too fast or cut down too many trees. Environmental damage, climate change, rapid population growth, unstable trade partners, and pressure from enemies were all factors in the demise of the doomed societies, but other societies found solutions to those same problems and persisted."--BOOK JACKET.


I have a copy of this book on request at my library, so you might be able to pick it up there or at the usual Internet spots.

I'm a little worried about what I said about the book being "relevant" to bikes and/or carfree living. I want this to be a democratic process, so interpret "relevance" as broadly as you want. (Or just ignore it all together.) At this stage, I think everybody should feel free to nominate any books they want, with the awareness that eventually we'll have to narrow it down.

Your're still a Marxist whether you admit it or not.

"The Immortal Class" by Travis Hugh Culley

It's the autobiography of a Chicago Messenger. Who is car-free.

"The Immortal Class" by Travis Hugh Culley

It's the autobiography of a Chicago Messenger. Who is car-free.
This sounds interesting to me.

"The Immortal Class" by Travis Hugh Culley

It's the autobiography of a Chicago Messenger. Who is car-free.
I second this nomination. I looked it over a couple months ago but didn't have time to read it. My impression is that it's a rather passionate view of carfree living. He writes about the messenger business and life style, which is pretty interesting too. He also loves bikes, and writes some poetic rhapsodies of them. There are also some nice B&W photos.

Is it widely available? I believe I had to special order it at my library.

Somebody put up a list of carfree books at Amazon.com (http://astore.amazon.com/alternabook). A few of them look pretty good.

I read Asphalt Nation by Jane Kay Holtz. It gives an interesting and well written history of how our world became so auto-centric, and thoughts on how we could change that. She covers the history of the automobile, the killing of the streetcar systems, the reasons behind sprawl, etc. She also writes about some of the activists who are trying to reclaim the cities for people. I think it would be relevant and a good choice.

The Death and Life of American Cities by Jane Jacobs is a masterpiece that gave birth to the urban redesign movement much as Silent Spring gave rise to the environmental movement. I think a lot of us would love reading it, but it isn't directly relevant to bikes and carfree living.

James Howard Kunstler, the Peak Oil guru, has also written several books about sprawl, urban design and other relevant topics. of course there's also a lot of interest in Peak Oil among forum members, so I know many would be interested in The Long Emergency. I know a lot of you have read his stuff. If you haven't, check out his web site (http://www.kunstler.com/) for a taste of his style and interests. He's an entertaining and opinionated writer, so one of his books would generate a lot of contorversy and discussion.

So, keep those ideas coming if you're still interested. There is a lot more to choose from than I ever thought about!

I haven't reposted mine because I think the directly related carfree ones posted here are better than my suggestions.

My vote would lean less towards one soliciting controversy and debate, than one which is inspirational and motivating.

I second this nomination. I looked it over a couple months ago but didn't have time to read it. My impression is that it's a rather passionate view of carfree living. He writes about the messenger business and life style, which is pretty interesting too. He also loves bikes, and writes some poetic rhapsodies of them. There are also some nice B&W photos.

Is it widely available? I believe I had to special order it at my library.

Book reviewed here:

http://historian2wheels.blogspot.com/2007/06/book-review-immortal-class.html

I'm still trying to determine if Culley actually believes all the BS he dishes out in the book, or if it's just a pose.

My vote is for Asphalt Nation. That is a book I am going to read.

I'd vote for either Asphalt Nation or Divorce Your Car.

When will a decision be made? How will the decsion be made? Is this actually going to pan out?

I'd vote for either Asphalt Nation or Divorce Your Car.

When will a decision be made? How will the decsion be made? Is this actually going to pan out?

I already nominated one book, but Asphalt Nation looks like it might be a good fit for this forum. You can read an excerpt at http://www.asphaltnation.com/AsphaltNation/index.html

Book reviewed here:

http://historian2wheels.blogspot.com/2007/06/book-review-immortal-class.html

I'm still trying to determine if Culley actually believes all the BS he dishes out in the book, or if it's just a pose.

I loved the Culley book and it changed my life....I went car free after reading it (car light now). It is a bit dogmatic about the car free lifestyle but I bought into it. Now...I have discussed this book in a couple of other threads and many folks bring up some of The Historian's concerns. If fact some guys claimed to know Culley and say they he fudged a lot of the messenger stuff.


It is very well written though and a great read.

So far there seems to be most interest in Aspalt Nation and Immortal Class. Personally, I could go for either one. Or not. :)

But I'm still hoping to get some more suggestions. (Or more resounding support for those books.) I'm not sure we've yet reached a "critical mass" of interest in any one book.

I loved the Culley book and it changed my life....I went car free after reading it (car light now). It is a bit dogmatic about the car free lifestyle but I bought into it. Now...I have discussed this book in a couple of other threads and many folks bring up some of The Historian's concerns. If fact some guys claimed to know Culley and say they he fudged a lot of the messenger stuff.


It is very well written though and a great read.

My review isn't bad either. :-) I found out after writing it that Culley had a whopping 9 months as a messenger before signing the contract.

I think it would be best to choose a book that's still in print and easily available.

I found some 1890s era books and essays about cycling that were available free on line and interesting to me, but the writing wouldn't hold the interest of many modern readers. The subjects are familiar but the sentences are too long.

I think it would be best to choose a book that's still in print and easily available.

I found some 1890s era books and essays about cycling that were available free on line and interesting to me, but the writing wouldn't hold the interest of many modern readers. The subjects are familiar but the sentences are too long.
Platy,
How about some links!...I have a pretty decent attention span;):D

Aaron:)

Platy,
How about some links!...I have a pretty decent attention span;):D

Aaron:)

Start here and see if you like it.
Frances E. Willard, How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle (http://www.barnard.edu/amstud/resources/women/willard.htm)

That's an abridged version. For the full version go to Google Books and search for it. Lots of links to scanned book images are dynamic, so you have to go in through a proprietary search engine to get your browser session set up properly.

One of the important aspects of cycling in the golden age was its liberating effect on women and its strong advocacy by several suffragette leaders. All that is mostly forgotten now.

Start here and see if you like it.
Frances E. Willard, How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle (http://www.barnard.edu/amstud/resources/women/willard.htm)

That's an abridged version. For the full version go to Google Books and search for it. Lots of links to scanned book images are dynamic, so you have to go in through a proprietary search engine to get your browser session set up properly.

One of the important aspects of cycling in the golden age was its liberating effect on women and its strong advocacy by several suffragette leaders. All that is mostly forgotten now.

And the fact that the roads were paved for the convenience of the cyclists!:rolleyes::D

Edit: WOW! I never knew that particular search section of Google existed. No problem with reading things written that far back. I was raised by English Majors:roflmao: (Dad was a PhD, Speech and Theater. Mother had a MA and taught high school English and Drama)

Thanks
Aaron:)