Customer Reviews

The ABCs of Driving

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is NOT a book. It's a BOOKLET, stapled in the middle. The information is not at all what I expected from a father who wrote this BOOKLET for his teens. I did NOT find this helpful for supporting my teen in learning to drive! I must, however, commend the author on having had teens who were apparently more genius than hormone. Much of what information there is deals with the Physics of Driving, NOT the "ABCs" - NOT practical & not worth the money. I am returning my copy and will find myself cautiously checking the # of pages listed for a "book" so that I don't end up paying ten bucks for a BOOKLET ever again.

This is not a booklet, this is a pamphlet! Well, OK, I'll call it a booklet, but it is not 30 pages as advertised. They have numbered the cover as page 1, and the inside front cover as page 2. The actual text starts at page 6. Page 30 is the last page of the Glossary. The actual text ends on page 28. That makes 23 pages of text.
As far as the content is concerned, I have mixed feelings. The author introduces important concepts that many drivers do not think about. It is a great booklet for sparking thought about the complex issues involved in controlling a car. There are some ideas, though, that I do not necessarily agree with. For example, the emphasis on balance does not lead to any specific suggestions on how to drive, and it seems to assume that the reader drives some turbo-charged hot rod. The author tries to stress physics, but completely neglects any discussion of directional force vectors with respect to traction control. This is one of the most important things for an intelligent driver to think about while negotiating curves. On the good side, the author's discussion of cornering includes many good pointers on how a turn should be approached and the path that the driver should try to follow on a curve.
The text is written in a direct, no-fluff style, which can help to justify the overall brevity of the booklet.

Happy to read a to-the-point illustrated book that helped me get a better control of my car in wet conditions. My skills have improved and I was happy to see my kid reading it. Nice to eliminate some of that driving fear when it rains or snows.