Wake up America! Car dependence is calamitous, in so many insidious ways, many of which you might not have thought about before reading this book. As Rodriguez shows, car catastrophe extends far beyond environmental impacts, leaving its heavy mark on a whole host of social concerns, from racially-based policing and failed urban redevelopment policies to homelessness and disability rights. The paradox is that while car dependence perpetuates a raft of problems, car drivers themselves are often the victims. This book should be required reading for urban policy makers of all stripes.

Emily Talen, University of Chicago

A rich, no-holds-barred history of how the automobile shaped modern cities, for better or for worse. Joseph A. Rodriguez sensitively reveals how our most marginalized citizens have been victims of car culture and how they’ve fought back for their rightful place in our driving world.

Robert O. Self, Brown University