A couple good books

      I managed to squeeze a couple good books about cycling into my frantic summer reading schedule.  

      The first was Camageddon: how cars make life worse and what to do about it.   The author, Daniel Knowles, is a journalist who lives in Chicago.  Thanks to his globe  trotting assignments writing for the Economist magazine, he is able to provide an expansive look at the effect the automobile is having all over the world.  His vision compares experiences in cities on every continent. 

This very well written book explains effects the automobile has had from Mumbai, to Kenya to Houston, New York and elsewhere.  It provides a macro world view of social problems, air pollution and concrete everything that has developed to support the auto industry.

     The second one is The Immortal Class; Bike Messengers and the Cult of Human Power.  The author, Travis Hugh Culley, is also a Chicago resident.

His is a more personal, gritty, street level look at urban cycling.  A former theater student who needed "A JOB" found his way into the life of bike riding for a profession.  It's a beautifully composed story of sweat, confusion and success living and racing on dangerous streets at high speeds.

     Carmageddon is a cold blooded analysis of the global insertion of the auto into urban life and the challenges it is creating for the future.  The Immortal Class is a shot of adrenaline straight off the street reaching the same conclusions.  They're both a pleasure to read.