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 | How Cars Work
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 2008-06-12 - Like reading the chapter summaries of a textbook
The publisher's blurb on Amazon here is a bit vague on what this book is actually designed to do. I wish they'd published the author's quote on the Amazon description that they printed on the back of the book. It would have been a clue to me not to buy it (so perhaps that is why they didn't include it). So, I'll type it here for those who may also find it a useful clue:
"When I opened my tutoring center I couldn't find enough reading material for my teenage students, especially the boys. So I started writing short descriptions about car parts aimed at improving reading comprehension. I used simple drawings to help students visualize and associate the car parts with words. Eventually I had enough material for a a complete car book and... well... this is it!"
Having read that on the back, I thought, "Well, of course. This book does read just like a collection of definitions for a juvenile mind that doesn't want to learn as much as skim a concept."
When I got this book, I was hoping for a quick overview of the car. A quick read to look at to gain background understanding before jumping into more complicated books, since I know nothing about cars. It didn't help me much.
Yes, it's a quick read, but it's over-simplified. It's like reading a dictionary without seeing the words in context and hoping to retain the words you learn as useful vocabulary. Or it's like reading only the chapter summaries of a text book which are geared not to help you learn the concept, but to jog your memory after you've read the full material and understand it.
Generally, I have no difficulty absorbing technical information, but this book doesn't give you the full context to grasp the concepts behind the list of "car parts". I plan to keep this book in my library as a quick reference dictionary of sorts, but in retrospect, I wish I had not purchased it. It is badly overpriced and not much use for a novice looking for a cohesive understanding of cars.
 2008-02-08 - Bought for Grandson for Xmas...
My grandson is interested in cars & such so I thought he'd like to know what makes them tick. He started high school so this should help.
2007-11-14 - review of book how a car works
The information was clear and informative. I am glad I bought it. The order also arrived in timely fasion.
 2007-09-02 - Almost Perfect
I like the simplicity of How Cars Work. It has helped me communicate with my auto mechanic and has allowed me to make easy repairs and save money too. I've also been able to diagnose brake problems before they got out of hand.
2005-09-25 - helping me understand how a car operates
I changed jobs and became a parts delivery person. The knowledge I have received from the book as helped me in knowing what my customers are talking about and thus can relate messages to the sales staff. For my job and personally, I like knowing what the function of the parts are and where they are located. I am so glad to have the book. It was well written and made learning easy.
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