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9780062999900

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A thoughtful, entertaining and substantive work about the joys of driving--and about the attempts by various scolds to relegate that joy, and similar expressions of independence. -- Wall Street Journal Crawford writes ecstatically of driving, evoking the sense of release and agency of flooring it out of the city as a shady country road reels out ahead in rhythmic curves. ... But Why We Drive is about driving like Moby-Dick is about whaling. ... Crawford has something important to say. -- San Francisco Chronicle Matthew Crawford's heartfelt riposte to a 'smart' future of driverless cars is persuasive and thought-provoking. ... A vivid and heartfelt manifesto against the drift of our world, against the loss of individual agency and the human pleasure of acquired skill and calculated risk. -- The Guardian A pleasure to read ... His thesis demands that he convey the pleasure of driving, and he's up to the task ... And he addresses some huge, fascinating issues: how people retain self-respect when computers are deskilling them, and sovereignty over their lives when computers are spying on them. Much of modern life raises these questions, but people's relationship with their cars perhaps best exemplifies them ... an enjoyable, scenic cruise round a fascinating landscape. -- Sunday Times (London) One of the most original and mind-opening studies of practical philosophy to have appeared for many years. -- John Gray, UnHerd Absorbing. ... Why We Drive is about a freedom that is being lost to the cynics of surveillance.. ... A defense of felt life against the intrusions of the technocrats. ... Plain funny. -- New Statesman A pleasure to read ... Addresses some huge, fascinating issues: how people retain self-respect when computers are deskilling them, and sovereignty over their lives when computers are spying on them. Much of modern life raises these questions, but people's relationship with their cars perhaps best exemplifies them ... An enjoyable, scenic cruise round a fascinating landscape. -- Sunday Times (London) A biographical, philosophical inquiry that explores a fascinating paradox: the whole allure of driving is freedom, but it's also dangerous, so it has to be regulated. ... This is a lovely book that applies history, philosophy and literature to one obsessive subject. -- Telegraph (UK) Fascinating... Crawford skilfully takes us through the gears as he intelligently, and in a very American way, flies the flag for individualism over dour corporative determinism. -- Mail on Sunday Crawford artfully argues ... the case that freedom of motion is essential to who we are as a species. ... This book is a celebration of humanity and what we're capable of with the right tools. And what is a car but a finely evolved instrument? We hope you read it. -- Road and Track A passionate appeal to the importance of the autonomous individual in the face of the dehumanizing pressure of automation. ... This book will have you pining for the freedom the open road. -- Kirkus Reviews The subcultures Crawford depicts...stand for individual sovereignty against centralized power's erosions of it. -- Times Literary Supplement (London) Perfectly captures the basic instinct that drives the common gearhead, the need for movement. -- David Booth, Driving

The subcultures Crawford depicts...stand for individual sovereignty against centralized power's erosions of it. --Times Literary Supplement (London) Crawford artfully argues ... the case that freedom of motion is essential to who we are as a species. ... This book is a celebration of humanity and what we're capable of with the right tools. And what is a car but a finely evolved instrument? We hope you read it. --Road and Track A biographical, philosophical inquiry that explores a fascinating paradox: the whole allure of driving is freedom, but it's also dangerous, so it has to be regulated. ... This is a lovely book that applies history, philosophy and literature to one obsessive subject.--Telegraph (UK) Fascinating... Crawford skilfully takes us through the gears as he intelligently, and in a very American way, flies the flag for individualism over dour corporative determinism.--Mail on Sunday One of the most original and mind-opening studies of practical philosophy to have appeared for many years.--John Gray, UnHerd Perfectly captures the basic instinct that drives the common gearhead, the need for movement.--David Booth, Driving A pleasure to read ... His thesis demands that he convey the pleasure of driving, and he's up to the task ... And he addresses some huge, fascinating issues: how people retain self-respect when computers are deskilling them, and sovereignty over their lives when computers are spying on them. Much of modern life raises these questions, but people's relationship with their cars perhaps best exemplifies them ... an enjoyable, scenic cruise round a fascinating landscape. --Sunday Times (London) A thoughtful, entertaining and substantive work about the joys of driving--and about the attempts by various scolds to relegate that joy, and similar expressions of independence.--Wall Street Journal Crawford writes ecstatically of driving, evoking the sense of release and agency of flooring it out of the city as a shady country road reels out ahead in rhythmic curves. ... But Why We Drive is about driving like Moby-Dick is about whaling. ... Crawford has something important to say.--San Francisco Chronicle Matthew Crawford's heartfelt riposte to a 'smart' future of driverless cars is persuasive and thought-provoking. ... A vivid and heartfelt manifesto against the drift of our world, against the loss of individual agency and the human pleasure of acquired skill and calculated risk.--The Guardian A pleasure to read ... Addresses some huge, fascinating issues: how people retain self-respect when computers are deskilling them, and sovereignty over their lives when computers are spying on them. Much of modern life raises these questions, but people's relationship with their cars perhaps best exemplifies them ... An enjoyable, scenic cruise round a fascinating landscape.--Sunday Times (London) A passionate appeal to the importance of the autonomous individual in the face of the dehumanizing pressure of automation. ... This book will have you pining for the freedom the open road.--Kirkus Reviews Absorbing. ... Why We Drive is about a freedom that is being lost to the cynics of surveillance.. ... A defense of felt life against the intrusions of the technocrats. ... Plain funny.--New Statesman

This book will have you pining for the freedom the open road has always represented. ... Employing memoir, journalism, cultural criticism, and political philosophy--and never shying away from the contentious--the author makes being human seem worthwhile. --Kirkus Reviews

Crawford artfully argues ... the case that freedom of motion is essential to who we are as a species. ... This book is a celebration of humanity and what we're capable of with the right tools. And what is a car but a finely evolved instrument? We hope you read it. --Road and Track A biographical, philosophical inquiry that explores a fascinating paradox: the whole allure of driving is freedom, but it's also dangerous, so it has to be regulated. ... This is a lovely book that applies history, philosophy and literature to one obsessive subject.--Telegraph (UK) Fascinating... Crawford skilfully takes us through the gears as he intelligently, and in a very American way, flies the flag for individualism over dour corporative determinism.--Mail on Sunday Matthew Crawford's heartfelt riposte to a 'smart' future of driverless cars is persuasive and thought-provoking. ... A vivid and heartfelt manifesto against the drift of our world, against the loss of individual agency and the human pleasure of acquired skill and calculated risk.--The Guardian One of the most original and mind-opening studies of practical philosophy to have appeared for many years.--John Gray, UnHerd Crawford writes ecstatically of driving, evoking the sense of release and agency of flooring it out of the city as a shady country road reels out ahead in rhythmic curves. ... But Why We Drive is about driving like Moby-Dick is about whaling. ... Crawford has something important to say.--San Francisco Chronicle Absorbing. ... Why We Drive is about a freedom that is being lost to the cynics of surveillance.. ... A defense of felt life against the intrusions of the technocrats. ... Plain funny.--New Statesman A thoughtful, entertaining and substantive work about the joys of driving--and about the attempts by various scolds to relegate that joy, and similar expressions of independence.--Wall Street Journal A passionate appeal to the importance of the autonomous individual in the face of the dehumanizing pressure of automation. ... This book will have you pining for the freedom the open road.--Kirkus Reviews A pleasure to read ... Addresses some huge, fascinating issues: how people retain self-respect when computers are deskilling them, and sovereignty over their lives when computers are spying on them. Much of modern life raises these questions, but people's relationship with their cars perhaps best exemplifies them ... An enjoyable, scenic cruise round a fascinating landscape.--Sunday Times (London)

Crawford artfully argues ... the case that freedom of motion is essential to who we are as a species. ... This book is a celebration of humanity and what we're capable of with the right tools. And what is a car but a finely evolved instrument? We hope you read it. --Road and Track A biographical, philosophical inquiry that explores a fascinating paradox: the whole allure of driving is freedom, but it's also dangerous, so it has to be regulated. ... This is a lovely book that applies history, philosophy and literature to one obsessive subject.--Telegraph (UK) Fascinating... Crawford skilfully takes us through the gears as he intelligently, and in a very American way, flies the flag for individualism over dour corporative determinism.--Mail on Sunday One of the most original and mind-opening studies of practical philosophy to have appeared for many years.--John Gray, UnHerd Absorbing. ... Why We Drive is about a freedom that is being lost to the cynics of surveillance.. ... A defense of felt life against the intrusions of the technocrats. ... Plain funny.--New Statesman A passionate appeal to the importance of the autonomous individual in the face of the dehumanizing pressure of automation. ... This book will have you pining for the freedom the open road.--Kirkus Reviews A pleasure to read ... Addresses some huge, fascinating issues: how people retain self-respect when computers are deskilling them, and sovereignty over their lives when computers are spying on them. Much of modern life raises these questions, but people's relationship with their cars perhaps best exemplifies them ... An enjoyable, scenic cruise round a fascinating landscape.--Sunday Times (London) Matthew Crawford's heartfelt riposte to a 'smart' future of driverless cars is persuasive and thought-provoking. ... A vivid and heartfelt manifesto against the drift of our world, against the loss of individual agency and the human pleasure of acquired skill and calculated risk.--The Guardian Crawford writes ecstatically of driving, evoking the sense of release and agency of flooring it out of the city as a shady country road reels out ahead in rhythmic curves. ... But Why We Drive is about driving like Moby-Dick is about whaling. ... Crawford has something important to say.--San Francisco Chronicle A thoughtful, entertaining and substantive work about the joys of driving--and about the attempts by various scolds to relegate that joy, and similar expressions of independence.--Wall Street Journal A pleasure to read ... His thesis demands that he convey the pleasure of driving, and he's up to the task ... And he addresses some huge, fascinating issues: how people retain self-respect when computers are deskilling them, and sovereignty over their lives when computers are spying on them. Much of modern life raises these questions, but people's relationship with their cars perhaps best exemplifies them ... an enjoyable, scenic cruise round a fascinating landscape. --Sunday Times (London)

Author Information

Matthew B. Crawford is the author of Shop Class as Soulcraft and The World Beyond Your Head. He is a senior fellow at the University of Virginia's Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. He earned a PhD in Political Philosophy from the University of Chicago, specializing in ancient political thought; he majored in physics as an undergraduate at UC Santa Barbara. Crawford has been working on cars since the age of fifteen and currently drives a 1970 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.

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