Confessions of a Recovering Engineer (Wiley, 2021) is an unusual book by a man who I imagine is charismatic in person, Charles Marohn. BikePortland readers who are not already familiar with Marohn will have probably come across the word he coined over a decade ago, “stroad.” Marohn is the founder of Strong Towns, a movement … Read more
Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021-06-15) is an essay on the meaning of the year 2020. If the gift of the virus was to interrupt us, author George Packer uses the interruption to take a close look at America, a “long middle-aged stare in the mirror.” Packer’s examination … Read more
Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World (Penguin Random House, 2020) is a much-needed guide for folks awash in numbers who are just trying to make informed decisions. Anyone working or advocating in transportation should read it. The preface begins with a definition of bullshit and a discussion of its different types. … Read more
The idea that cars = freedom is a pervasive American myth. The truth is that the rise of the automobile — and rampant illegal behaviors that have always accompanied it — helped give rise to an armed street security force that too often acts as judge, jury, and executioner. Sarah Seo’s book, Policing the Open … Read more
Sadik-Khan has given street fighters the weapons to transform our streets: data and success stories.
Jessie Kwak reviews a collection of articles edited by Elly Blue and April Streeter.
With over two dozen fun routes and loads of tips, trivia and historical insights, Todd Roll’s new book is a keeper.
Portland author Ellee Thalheimer’s new guide book will have you crossing the border into Washington for a summer of great rides.
When a book says it’s “all about the bike” and proudly displays images of disassembled bike components on its cover I assume it will eventually be sitting on a shelf in my garage, close to a pedal wrench and a bottle of chain lube. William Fotheringham’s Cyclopedia from Chicago Review Press is far from the … Read more
Cover of Bike Art. A new book published by Gingko Press has done something amazing. The 256 page coffee table book, Bike Art. Bicycles in Art Around the World has managed to collect a global sampling of bike-inspired art from more than 250 illustrators, painters, sculptors, industrial designers, and more. Here’s the publisher’s blurb:
Publisher’s note: Despite a recent BTA survey showing that 90% of respondents own a car, many people are finding that living without one (or several) is not only possible but enjoyable. Even the New York Times has noticed that in America, people are falling out of love with cars. On that note, here’s a review … Read more
Author Jeff Mapes (R) speaking with the BTA’s Scott Bricker at the 2009 National Bike Summit.(Photos © J. Maus) Author and senior political reporter for The Oregonian, Jeff Mapes, will be at Powell’s Books tonight to talk about his new book, Pedaling Revolution. Mapes is riding a wave of excellent reviews and buzz about his … Read more