Customer Reviews

Confessions of a Reformed Road Warrior

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This author has written a well put-together book, over all the chapters he has covered the topics very well. All the things he said in the book are true about the drivers I see today, I still see others driving crazy. It was easy to read. There are chapters about some psychology, some physical things and some that were spiritual. Matthew discusses a lot. I liked the history of it all, it is fascinating to read about. I only wished that people would realize about what's going on out there more. It took a lot of courage to admit what he did, like to follow people after they made him mad. This is well thought out. I was angry when someone got my copy! I would say to get your own copy and try to see what he's telling you. The bookmark in the back said he rushed through the editing to get done before the year 2000 so he apologized for "mistakes that have already been corrected." Then it said that was his whole point, to admit that he made mistakes and not to try and cover it up, like when some drivers don't admit they have a problem when they do. I got it after a bit. That was admirable. I'm looking forward to see the next one.

This book helped me to become much more aware of many issues relating to driving, including improving some of my skills, and also increasing my awareness of some of my own bad driving habits. But really, people who don't like the way I drive should just stay off the sidewalk.

I got this book out of curiosity, and found more than I'd planned. Apparantly, the author was a bad driver and then wrote this book as a sort of primer for other "bad" drivers to do the same. Specific driving events are narrated, none of them bloody, but the potential was there. I don't know why other reviews were so hyped about the so-called "religion," I only saw one chapter that was only a testimony. The eight main chapters have nothing to do with religion, only the author saying he did this, and such and such resulted. This book is classified as a biography so I guess this is where the author can say whatever he wants. It's amazing that this guy knows so much, yet had such a hard time, he confessed, dealing with other drivers who didn't care how they drove. So there's stuff in here that is more related about what not to do when driving than religion. I'm not a religious person myself, and I can see that is not the focus of McGinley's book, but that just to see how easy a simple drive can turn into an ordeal, a shouting match or worse. That's why i really got the book, I wanted to hear a formerly crazy driver tell me his side of the story. It had to do with people merely playing games while they drove because the rest of their lives {stunk.} The psychological chapter helped me. Chapter 5 tells me not to drink coffee and eat candy on an empty stomach, cause it'll go right to the rush centers in my brain. That and the test in the back make it more than my money's worth.

I was surprised at the length of this book, a book covering many aspects of driving today, including information about physical and emotional causes of bad driving, like driving on an empty stomach, problems with alcohol, and psychological "shortcomings" such as Type-A personalities (competitiveness, self-centeredness, aggression). I was particulary interested in the road rage evaluation in the back of the book, which seemed to have all important driving aspects covered, scoring on how they affect my driving. It was difficult to be honest, and I had to make several attempts at the questions just to see the point of being able to admit my mistakes--rage, impatience, revenge, and other "character defects." I suppose chapter 2 was most "entertaining," "I was the Worst Driver in the world" where there are several stories of road rage situations with McGinley against others, and how he dealt with them later. Although I would not have gone to the lengths of chasing another driver for such and such, the finger, being cut off, whatever, I admit that I had felt the swelling anger before. My favorite line on page 105: "If you will not follow this book, then at least follow your driver's guide.)" Just on the way home for me the drive is a terrible ordeal, the only way being one of two main freeways which are packed to the hilt during rush hour. If I could just back off the coffee and the gas pedal (I love both) everything would feel better than racing ahead. I like to drive fast; slow drivers annoy me, so that's going to take some getting used to. But, one thing leads to another, and the book alludes to stopping anger before it gets to other--the "other" yelling at other drivers, for whatever reason. I guess confession is the only way sometimes.

A bookmark at the back of "Confessions" said that it was "being revised." All in all this is an excellent book with relative illustrations throughout, and can even help a younger driver with understanding the physics of driving: turning, braking, obstacles ("The Moves," chapter four). It's hard to imagine what the author left out, including everything from road rage decriptions and results, to "spiritual" causes (he says there are demons who love to incite rage, not hard to believe), the effects of anger and music while driving. Not that the author could have thought up all this on his own, as I saw over 90 references to incidents of road rage from Minnesota to London, yet I was amazed to see that there was no staff in the writing of this book (last page, "technical info", says that he did it without any assistance.) Incredible. Nice to see a book that wasn't sterilized by corporate publishers.

I was stuck with some stranger in an elevator in New Orleans recently, and I had some time to read a section of this book. Not that I purchased the book myself; the fellow with me said that he found it in his hotel room. Hilarious! Apparently road rage is caused by Satan and his legions of dark forces. The only way to escape this evil influence is to devote yourself to the study of this book; overlooking, of course, the spelling and the grammatical errors that are liberally sprinkled throughout the pages. But those errors could have actually been caused by Satan and his previously mentioned legions of dark forces, who naturally wish to keep this method of resisting their evil influence secret; so one shouldn't blame the author much for his errors. If you're imprisoned in an elevator and looking for some reading, I definitely recommend this book. If you actually have a problem with road rage, you may want to look somewhere else - perhaps even consider a method that skips this sloppy religious hogwash.

I've never seen another book like this one. I thought it would be silly but it is serious and it made me feel like I had driven badly, too. The author says that he was a bad driver because of many things including overcrowded freeways, slow drivers and being bullied as a kid. He says that it is like hell when he became enraged and I totally agree. There are some points that Mr. McGinley seems off base on when it comes to his religious convictions, but as I read through the pages it started to make more sense. I never really thought about the devil making me mad when I drove, or wanting to make me mad, but after a while I somehow knew there was something missing in regards to wanting to not treat other people that way.

The confessions part is about some situations the author was in that I related to, like being cut off. He said that he really felt bad after doing that, so the apologies theme also made me feel that I can avoid what he went through. It is not at all a boring book. The road rage evaluation in back of the book was a great idea. It was even fun in a way to answer the questions and get a rating. It turns out that I was level 4 of 6 levels, level 1 being at the top. The author's point is that the more honest I was with myself I could be a better drive and feel better in the long run.

Basically I am beginning to feel, like the author said, that there is more happening than can be seen, and when I started to slow down and have more patience as suggested it did feel good in a way. Like I had to be told, I just never did it. I did not see this book in the stores yet and I am glad I have a copy, who got it from a friend. There is a cool certificate that came later just like the author said signed by him, because he felt bad that there were a couple of typos. Now the book is like a collectible. Highly recommended.

Yet another person who can't handle the basics of life without the help of supernatural beings. Don't waste your time on this one, unless you like reading about people who can't find a reason to not act like a jackass with resorting to religion.