Engines of Change, Paul Ingrassia
Engines of Change, Paul Ingrassia
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Engines of Change
A History of the American Dream in Fifteen Cars

Author: Paul Ingrassia

Narrator: Sean Runnette

Unabridged: 11 hr 56 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 05/01/2012

Synopsis

America was made manifest by its cars. From the assembly lines of Henry Ford to the open roads of Route 66 and Jack Kerouac, America's history is a vehicular history—an idea brought brilliantly to life in this major work by the acclaimed author of Crash Course: The American Automobile Industry's Road from Glory to Disaster.

One of the nation's most eloquent and impassioned car nuts, Paul Ingrassia offers a wondrous epic in fifteen automobiles, including the VW Beetle, the Chevy Corvair, Robert McNamara and Lee Iacocca's Mustang, the Pontiac GTO, Honda's Accord, the BMW 3 Series, and the Jeep, among others. Through them, the author shows us much more than the car's ability to exhibit the particularly American tension between the lure of freedom and the obligations of utility; he takes us through the rise of American manufacturing, the suburbanization of the country, the birth of the Hippy and the Yuppy, the emancipation of women, and so much more, including the car's unintended consequences: trial lawyers, energy crises, and pollution. Narrative history of the highest caliber, Engines of Change is an entirely edifying new way to look at the American story.

About Paul Ingrassia

As the former Detroit bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, Paul Ingrassia speaks with authority and confidence about the automotive industry. In 1993, he won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the management crisis and boardroom revolt at General Motors. Ingrassia has chronicled the car industry's successes and epic failures over the past twenty-five years, and as a former executive of Dow Jones, he is one of the few authors who has been trained as a journalist and has direct experience in running a business. His is in demand on many media programs, including NPR's Morning Edition and The Diane Rehm Show; CNBC's Squawk Box; ABC World News with Charles Gibson; and Good Morning America.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Tommy on January 07, 2022

Paul Ingrassia's Engines of Change is a spirited ride through Americana, especially "the automobiles that have influenced how we live and think as Americans" (341). Hop in. You're going to enjoy the journey.But this book isn't intended to be about great cars, fast cars, or famous cars, although it c......more

Goodreads review by Lissa on March 19, 2025

I started this book very excited. Unfortunately, it was an agonizing read. It’s very apparent that there author never expected a woman (anyone beyond an older straight man, really) to pick up this book and it is full of boomer jokes, sexism. One notable example is a story about an exec who would gra......more

Goodreads review by Scott on January 17, 2025

Take that, Skippy!......more

Goodreads review by Charles on April 22, 2013

EofC is a really good look at the Detroit Big Three back when they really were the Big Three. Ingrassia covers fifteen of what he sees as the cars that changed America. Included are Mustang, Corvette, the Corvair. It was fun and interesting to read about the luck, the mistakes, the changes over 40 y......more

Goodreads review by Tim on July 29, 2012

This book (like the title suggests) is the American dream in fifteen cars. Some of the facts about those cars, the history behind their existence, and the history they represent were very surprising. I didn't know that the Corvette almost wasn't made and the war of the great tail fins happened. Nor......more

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