{"product_id":"why-we-drive-toward-a-philosophy-of-the-open-road-9780062999900","title":"Why We Drive: Toward a Philosophy of the Open Road","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the author of the landmark \u003cem\u003eShop Class as Soulcraft, \u003c\/em\u003ea brilliant, first-of-its-kind celebration of driving as a unique pathway of human freedom, one now critically threatened by automation. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA thoughtful, entertaining, and substantive work about the joys of driving. --\u003cem\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOnce we were drivers, the open road alive with autonomy, adventure, danger, trust, and speed. Today we are as likely to be in the back seat of an Uber as behind the wheel ourselves. Tech giants are hurling us toward a shiny, happy \"self-driving\" future, selling utopia but equally keen to advertise to a captive audience strapped into another expensive device. Are we destined, then, to become passengers, not drivers? \u003cem\u003eWhy We Drive\u003c\/em\u003e reveals that much more may be at stake than we might think.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTen years ago, in the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e-bestselling \u003cem\u003eShop Class as Soulcraft, \u003c\/em\u003e philosopher-mechanic Matthew B. Crawford--a University of Chicago PhD who owned his own motorcycle shop--made a revolutionary case for manual labor, one that ran headlong against the pretentions of white-collar office work. Now, using driving as a window through which to view the broader changes wrought by technology on all aspects of contemporary life, Crawford investigates the driver's seat as one of the few remaining domains of skill, exploration, play--and freedom. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlending philosophy and hands-on storytelling, Crawford grounds the narrative in his own experience in the garage and behind the wheel, recounting his decade-long restoration of a vintage Volkswagen as well as his journeys to thriving automotive subcultures across the country. Crawford leads us on an irreverent but deeply considered inquiry into the power of faceless bureaucracies, the importance of questioning mindless rules, and the battle for democratic self-determination against the surveillance capitalists. A meditation on the competence of ordinary people, \u003cem\u003eWhy We Drive \u003c\/em\u003eexplores the genius of our everyday practices on the road, the rewards of \"folk engineering,\" and the existential value of occasionally being scared shitless.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWitty and ingenious throughout, \u003cem\u003eWhy We Drive \u003c\/em\u003eis a rebellious and daring celebration of the irrepressible human spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e--\u003cem\u003eSan Francisco Chronicle\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e HarperLuxe\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/09\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780062999900\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 528\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.05lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.90h x 5.90w x 1.40d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLarge Print\u003c\/b\u003e","brand":"Matthew B. Crawford","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36634561085596,"sku":"9780062999900","price":26.34,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_5240cd8c-bea3-4454-aa70-483697146be9.jpg?v=1603837039","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/why-we-drive-toward-a-philosophy-of-the-open-road-9780062999900","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}