Taking the Wheel: Women and the Coming of the Motor Age (Paperback)

by Virginia Scharff (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
This history of the automobile during its first decade focuses on how the arrival of the horseless carriage challenged Victorian attitudes towards women, changing their lives forever. Women were not long content to consider cars as men's machines, and they played a decisive role in effecting improvements in appearance, comfort, and safety. Throughout the book, Scharff documents the general resistance of men to women behind the wheel which, though muted, still persists today as evidenced by patronizing attitudes toward "women drivers." There are some interesting tidbits here, and the author has provided copious notes, but this book scarcely qualifies as significant social history. Furthermore, its intended audience is unclear. Not a necessary purchase.
- Anne Twitchell, EPA Headquarters Lib., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"If I had my way, I'd make Scharff's book compulsory reading for every Detroit executive." (The Women's Review of Books )

"Ms. Scharff is to be congratulated for her spellbinding contribution to the evolving literature of automotive anthropology." (New York Times Book Review )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 231 pages
• Publisher: University of New Mexico Press (July 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826313957
• ISBN-13: 978-0826313959
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #732,036 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)