Book Review: High and Mighty: The Dangerous Rise of the SUV

       
I've decided to put to use my love of reading by reviewing the books I read (for better or for worse).

Today we review: High and Mighty: The Dangerous Rise of the SUV by Keith Bradsher.


                                                                 



Rating: 9 out of 10.

Pros: Insults SUV drivers who put our safety in danger.  Lots of research and lots of good statistics.

Cons: Could insult SUV drivers more and more harshly for all the people that they have and will kill.  Book is a little dated as it was written in the early 00's and could use an update.

If you are looking for statistics that selfish SUV drivers on the internet constantly demand you quote to them look no further than Keith Bradsher's "High and Mighty".  Bradsher begins the book by describing the history of how SUVs came to be and how car companies brainwashed so many brain dead idiots into buying them.

He then goes on to describe who these SUV drivers are.  He points out by even the car companies own research they are usually highly insecure about many things in their lives (e.g. their parenting abilities and their marriages).  He points out that SUV drivers are often very reptilian people who are very fearful and anxious.

He then goes on to describe many of the dangers that SUVs pose.  One chapter that I found especially telling is the chapter on how SUVs are a huge danger to pedestrians.  He also points out this is not only or even mainly because of their size, but because of their flat frontal design.

He also goes on to make suggestions about what to do about the problem of SUVs.  He also points out that another problem is there are few environmentalists who are experts on the automobile industry and that this is a problem.  But to me his suggestions could have gone much further.

The book does include an update at the end, but the update needs at update as it seems to have been written shortly after the book.  Even without an update and being a little dated I still find this book a must read, especially for anyone who actually cares about vision zero (yes actually, as opposed to those who pretend to care).