First published 2010
America stands at the threshold of transformation as Henry Ford's assembly lines make automobiles affordable for ordinary citizens. The nation's restless spirit finds perfect expression in these new machines that promise unprecedented freedom of movement. Workers can live farther from their jobs, giving birth to suburban communities. Families scatter across greater distances, reshaping social bonds that once held communities together. The petroleum industry expands rapidly to meet surging demand for gasoline. What begins as a simple desire for mobility becomes a complete reimagining of American life. Sandler traces this evolution from the automobile's earliest days through its integration into every aspect of modern existence. The book reveals how a nation's character and its chosen technology merged to create something entirely new. This is the story of Americans discovering they could travel where they wanted, when they wanted, and how that freedom changed everything about the way they lived, worked, and related to one another.
Genres: history, 20th-century, american, non-fiction, 21st-century, americana
Vibes: informative, insightful, thought-provoking
Tropes: social-commentary, technological-revolution
Setting: USA
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
63 pages · ebook · Oxford University Press, USA