by Evan Friss
First published 2019
Pedaling through the past, "On Bicycles" explores how the humble two-wheeler transformed urban landscapes, social norms, and everyday lives. From the raucous nineteenth-century fad for penny-farthings to today's racing tech and eco-friendly commutes, Evan Friss charts the bicycle's rocky rise to cultural icon. Swerving between McLuhan-esque analyses and engaging character portraits, this book illuminates the bicycle's power to spark revolutions - personal, political, and social.
Genres: history, 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century, activism, bicycles
Vibes: informative, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-portraits, social-revolutions
Period: 19th-Century, 20th-Century, 21st-Century
242 pages · Kindle Edition · Columbia University Press