Transportation Books

It's the 21st. century and two stoke engines are a thing of the past. In the near future they will be OUTLAWED!

But until then. . .
This is an outstanding book for information on 2 stroke air cooled engines. There are plenty of diagrams, charts, and B&W photos that help to explain the text. I am very happy that I got this book for my tech-library before it went out of print. Lots of good tips for people trying to get an extra 10 or 20 MPH out of their old moped or scooter!

This is the best book you can buy on 2 stroke tuning. I have read it 3 times to try and assimilate all the information. If you want to modify a 2 stroke engine, this is the best starting point you can get. Well written, easy to follow and very practical. I have many other tuning books, but this is by far the best. Has up to date information and well worth the money.

I just finished reading the complete book and was amazed at the level of detail and mathematical formulas provided to caluclate just about every aspect of 2-stroke performance.

The book is written more for the racer than the home tinkerer but there are many hints and techniques provided that will help the hobbist to increase reliability and performance of any 2-stroke motor.

I strongly recommend adding this book to your knowledge base.

this is a revised version of his fist book very detailed with tons of pics and drawing great for dirt bikes and go carts i have used it to modifiy my moped. a must have for the super tuner of tinkerer.

This book is fantastic. It explains the intracacies of 2T tuning from the basics to the finer points. This is a great reference full of formulas and tips that can be used while building up a motor.

This little book is perfect for the glove compartment of a SMART forTwo, which I currently have on order. The book traces the SMART car line from its beginnings to the current day (DEC 2007/JAN2008) and so is a good source for those interested in the car. I bought two copies, one for the car and one for my desk, and I will likely buy a scale-model of the car for my desk also.....I'm HOOKED

Naming a car "smart" is a bold move invoking the question "What's so smart about it?"

My reply is "What's so chevy about your car?" The brand name smart started as a short form of "Swatch Mercedes Art." The inherent word meaning was a bonus.

Like the brand, the book title is all lower-case letters. the little book of smart is compact, at 5 1/2" square with 128 pages and over 100 photos. The book is packed with pictures provided by smart and smart car enthusiast Paul Guinness. Most of the copy is picture description, making this a quick, light read. Were it not for the small size, I would describe this as a coffee table book. I carry mine in my smart and show it to people when they ask about the car. It fits nicely in the dashboard storage tray.

Jackson's book covers the model history of this unusual vehicle. While the smart was only introduced to the United States in 2008, the brand has been available around the world since 1998 and in Canada since 2004. The brand now offers only the fortwo coupe and cabrio, previously known as the city coupe. Other models have come and gone, including the roadster, roadster coupe, forfour and the crossblade.

The author touches on the smart clubs, focusing on the UK club [...] but misses the largest smart club in North America [...]. Jackson also discusses fun smarts like the forfun2 monster truck as well as prototypes such as the crosstown and formore. He touches on safety, focusing on the Tridion safety cell and active systems such as stability control. As well, he celebrates the fact that like the old VW beetle, the smart is a pallet for artists and enthusiasts who want to create a statement.

For Americans not familiar with smart, the book is a fun introduction. The book is available direct from Veloce, but North American buyers will probably prefer Amazon or some other US-based online book store.

This book is a good read, for one who already knows about the cleverly designed smart cars or wants to learn some of the interesting story of the line's first decade. Loads of clear, interesting images and well written text, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

the little book of smart
by Paul Jackson

Upon a first glance, it would be easy to assume that the little book of smart by Paul Jackson is just a photo album, since the dimensions of the book is a square measuring 5.5 inches and a rather large picture of a smart fortwo cabriolet spans most of the glossy front cover. All thoughts of this just being another picture album are immediately forgotten the moment the reader cracks this glossy cardboard cover to reveal the 128 pages of very detailed and accurate data that accompanies the superb colored pictures that adorn virtually every page. The fact that the pages of the book are also a glossy paper similar to the finest new car brochures found at car dealerships just makes this book's photographs look all that much more impressive. Because the publishing company chose to incorporate a folded over cardboard flaps on both the front and back cover of the book, the book seems much more substantial than most paperbacks when being handled and held. This additional thickness and stiffness almost gives the reader the sense of looking at a thin covered hardback book, which serves to enhance the feeling of `quality' that this small book exudes.

The book's diminutive size is a very apt match for the tiniest car being sold in America. Paul Jackson's narrative is concise, informed, and best of all, extremely accurate. One of the pet peeves of most smart fortwo owners is that so many reporters and writers try to do a fair job of representing the vehicle and its decade long history but often attribute so many incorrect facts to their story that owners feel they "just don't get it". Mr. Jackson definitely "gets it" when it comes to writing about this little car and having the most correct and up to date information.

Each time I look at my little book of smart and re-read its pages, I come away impressed by a different facet of knowledge that it contains. Not only does the book pay tribute to the vehicles that have been produced in the past but also includes those that have recently been discontinued. Even those discontinued models are represented by the same level of excellent photos as the newest and latest models showing them from different angles and the different configurations in which they were available.

There are times I think the book's best feature has to be the magnificent and relatively large pictures that grace almost every single page. Then at other times, I am astounded by the details and how many things are included that only the real followers of smart's history may even be aware of, such as spy photos that preceded the latest 2008 models, or the tiny toys in the shape of smart cars that are available. Mr. Jackson also includes detailed pictures of the different engines that have been installed in smarts over the years. In short, there seems to be something for everyone who's interested in the smart car family or history.

I have purposely placed this book in several different locations in and around my home just to see how many people will pick it up and peruse it. It has been on my coffee table in the living room, the side door pocket inside my smart passion cabrio and even placed near the toilet in the bathroom as `library' material. One thing is for certain, people are drawn to this little book just like they are drawn to take a closer look at the little car. Anybody that's seeking to purchase a book about the smart car that is up to date, comprehensive, and a pure joy to behold should purchase this one. It's a giant of a book even though it's tiny.

My kids love this book so much, we took them to San Francisco to ride the cable cars themselves and went to the cable car museum!

this is a great addition to your book collection. however, there is too much political history on the cable car and not enough story. my child WANTS to like it because it seems like the other. But never underestimate a child's awareness that something is not exactly right. so it's up to the reader to add a little zip to the story to get through some of the "petition/city hall/lawmaker" stuff.

One of my favorite books one I was a kid, and enjoyable for grown-ups, as well. Some wonderful art illustrating the workings of a cable car, San Francisco scenery, hilly hills with loads of cable car track, and a sweet story giving a simplified history of the train with a cable, and some contemporary settings(contemporary for when this book was originally released)chronicling the rise and popularity of the bus. But not to worry, Maybelle and her sisters win an election to stay in the city by the bay. Extremely enjoyable and under-rated.

I am five and I can read. I love transportation books. I have books by Virginia Lee Burton- Katy, Mike Mulligan and The Little House. I got Maybelle for Xmas. I like the cable car and the Golden Gate Bridge. I like the artwork. I looked up San Francisco on my map and on the internet. If you like transportation, this is a great story!

I just bought this book for my 4-year-old son (and myself!). He loves it. The book is about cable cars in San Francisco and is practically a history lesson. It's also fun!

Fantastic book, goes beyond just technical specs and gives a lot of helpful hints. Rebuilds are not a problem with this info at hand. The only point lacking I found is that it does not give ECU reset sequences for the BTR LE range...minor problem...worth the purchase.

The actual coverage of all FORD transmissions is a damned lie. I was looking for the transmission for a 2002 Lincoln and it was not in the book nor was most recent ford automatic transmissions. This title is very missleading at best and a damned lie at worst.

This is a very good book,if you are attempting or trying to learn how to repair a transmission yourself.The step by step teardowns with complete pictures of each, is very useful for first timers.I would definetely refer this book to shops also to use as a reference manual for Ford transmissions.

The book was very informative but the date is wrong I returned the first book as it was dated 1960 to 2001 and you sent me the same book dated 1960 to 2001 I don't know what your problem is and if its a typo but the book is not to 2007....

One thing that should be pointed out first is that this book is published in Australia. So, the units jump from metric to english depending on the model and words such as whilst are sprinkled throughout the text. The first issue is somewhat annoying as I am used to thinking in English units. Also, the transmission application guide is incorrect (because it is for Australian vehicles).
I am only concerned about C4/C5 transmissions...so my nitpicks are regarding those. One, the gear ratios for the C4/C5 are wrong, which doesn't instill me with much confidence. Two, the intermediate band adjustment is given as the same for C4/C5 transmissions. The C4 requires you to turn the screw CCW 1 3/4 turns, the C5 is 4 turns. Lastly, the pictures aren't of the best quality...poor lighting and unfocused pictures abound. I must say though, almost all of the other models have satisfactory illustrations, it seems the C4/C5 is exception to the rule.

In summary, I would buy this book if you are going to rebuild one of the transmissions that are held within, but I also suggest buying Haynes "Ford Automatic Transmission Overhaul Manual: Models Covered: C3, C4, C5, C6 and AOD Rear Wheel Drive Transmissions, ATX", which I consider to be superior to the Ellery manual.

This book was purchased as a present for a relative that owns many John Deere tractors, old and new. He has told us thank you for this gift more than any other gift we have ever given him...so, with that being said, it must be a good book!!

Hi I received my book in good condition. I was very pleased with your company. I will shop with you again. I know my dad will be happy with his Christmas gift. Do you sell glass lamp globes. I have a pink lamp with only the bottom half. I am looking for the top. It is pink with roses and a small covered wagon with a couple of stands of wheat around it. It is raised design that you have to look close to see.

Thanks
Joan

I purchased this for my dad for Christmas and he loved it!

then this is the book for you. I bought it as a gift for a knowledgable friend and he was in raptures. I now know more about John Deere tractors than I ever dreamed it was possible to know! This book covers every John Deere tractor ever made and covers them in great detail. The photos and vintage posters add to the appeal of this tractor encyclopedia.

The big book of john deere tractors has a bunch of different types of tractors in all kinds of different styles. John deere tractors are very interesting.
I really like reading about tractors they are very interesting to learn about. It seems like every time I read about a tractor I learn a new fact. One fact that I really like that it tells the exact year that they were made. As you go along you find new ways to work on older John deere tractors.

I really liked this book because I like learning new things about tractors. I like looking and reading these books because you can find tractors that you may own yourself. It was very interesting to know all those facts.

Nothing was very confusing about this book I really enjoyed this book. There was only one confusing thing it was the diagrams. Other tan that there was nothing confusing about this book.

My well meaning mother bought me this shortly after getting my first motorcycle. There was nothing of use to be found in the book when I had a problem. It merely contained generic references and useless pictures of bikes that I did not own. It did not have anything useful for MY bike.

This is a good book for complete beginners. I had the tiniest bit of motorcycle knowledge and I found the book a little basic. The main problem with it is that it doesn't tell you anything that a good shop manual doesn't; but it can't really be used on its own. So it's sort of superfluous.

I would recommend it to parents who are trying to get their kids into motorcycling (and teaching them to be responsible for their own maintanance). The pictures are useful and the tone of the book seems to be aimed at teenagers.

A pretty basic book which unbeknownst to me when I placed my order is printed in China on cheap stock. I try to buy made/printed in the USA products when possible and never buy Chinese. I know it's hard to do but I don't need anything badly enough to sell out my beliefs for a couple of dollars in savings for a lower quality product. Save your money. I'm sending this one back.

This book is a great introduction into motorcycle repair. It also does a good job of explaining how different types of engines work. It has many pictures to help the reader understand the concepts being discussed. The book is very general becuase it tries to have wide applicabilty, but is great supplement for people who are just learning about motorcycle mechanics and repair.

This book reminds me of a children's book in its style. While it does give good information, one would be better suited to go with the Essential guide to Motorcycle Maintenance. This book has lots of pictures, but too little text. You will rapidly "outgrow" this book. Mark Zimmerman's book is one that you can "grow into."

Jimmy Liao is my favourite illustrator and I was excited to find his book translated into English. I have seen the illustrations before in the Chinese book and enjoyed them on a visual level. However, having the text in English really brought the story to life.

The story is of a young woman who is going blind - it is an exploration of sight and how imagination can compensate for the loss of sight. The ending is inspiring.

This book would be excellent to expose children to a different perspective of the world and also would make a lovely gift for any adult who enjoys detailed and whimsical illustrations.

The reason I bought this book is I rented a movie called "The Sound of Color". It is a movie about a woman who is blind, strong, resourceful and full of joy. In the movie she teaches a man who becomes blind how to live and navigate around the city he once knew. The movie has drawings from the book and I became intrigued. The director of the movie told how he loved the book but it was hard to bring it to film. I disagree with him because his film and the book tells of one persons joy with the world around her even though she becomes blind and can't see it anymore. The beautiful ink and watercolor drawings with the powerful story will show you another way to look at your world and inspire your imagination.

This books is good in English, but I preferred the Chinese version much better. In English, things got a little over simplified, where as they were more complex in Chinese. I recently saw the Chinese version available for sale on the China Books website.
This book is age appropriate for older children to adults, not exactly children. I wouldn't buy it for anyone younger than 10.

Captivatingly colourful and creative illustrations combine with dreamy inner dialogue to carry us along on a journey of reflection, isolation, loss and hope. This book envelopes our whole family and sweeps us away.

With allusions to "The Wizard of Oz," "Alice in Wonderland," and psychologist/anthropologist C. G. Jung, "Color of Sounds" tells teh story of a blind young girl who rides a vast subway network because "I have a journey to go on. There are some thing I need to find." What follows is a remarkable narrative about internal and external discovery, with some of the most luscious and creative illustrations in recent memory.

The girl disembarks at various subway stops (subway illustrations are always panelled strips running across the middle of a two page spread), and climbs colorfully patterned stairs (often reminscent of M.C.Escher) and arrives at archtypal settings: An apple tree sitting Eden-like in a verdant forest, alongside dolphis and atop a whale, a topiary-adorned maze. Jimmy Liao presents his metaphors on both adult and children's levels. While adults may recognize the symbolic conflicts and issues presented by a maze; for example, children benefit from the explicit text: "Sometimes the street twist themselves into a maze.But if you look hard enough, there's always a way out. Other sections may benefit from discussion at an age-appropriate level. At one subway station, there are four trains going in both directions, all filled with people, and all colored differently. THe girl stands between them, "Which is the right one? It's easy to get lost underground."

At his point, she seems to take her own route, riding a kiddie train (decorated with motifs decorated a la Guaguin, Matisse, and others), then abandons the train to a white swan swimming against a cloudy yet luminescent background (a mystically beautiful and serene illustration). She slowly arrives at her answers. "HOme is the place where everything I've lost is waiting patiently for me to find my way back." She realizes that because she "went forward, step by step, into the dark," used her other sense (listening "for the sound of colors I can't see"; smelling the shapes and tasting "the light and dark," and hoping for someone "who'll sit beside me, sip tea, tell me her hopes for the future, and listen to mine." (Here, the two-page spread depicts her sitting on a green oval-shaped chair, surrounded by four rows of empty chairs in various colors, shapes, and sizes.

Towards the conclusion, the young girl encounters a butterfly, whom she believes may offer the answers to her hopes and dreams:

She'll tale me
to the friend I need to find.
She'll lead me to the place
where all the colors are.

she'll bring me back to the light that I lost,
still glowing here, in my heart.

An enormously colorful mosaic of birds, flowers, eyes, and other motifs surround the now smiling girl, when Liao write "in my heart." It's neither saccharine or precious. While the book may be read at many levels, and it simulatneously present many emotions and moods (fear, comfort, solitude, hope, wonder) the overall effect is an almost staggering visual and narrative display of poetry. The undertones can be dark and may even frighten some children (know your audience), but for othos who have begun their own journies of self- and other- discovery, for those who feel lost or have experienced pain, poor health, or disability, this book highlights the fact and ignites thought of possibility and transcendance.

I thought this was a fairly good choice, I live in a rural area and some of the things they talked about didn't always seem pertinent to us but, it is always good to read all the material. Overall I would say read this but, always check your state drivers manual if you aren't shure about things.

This driver's ed curriculum is outstanding! My son knows things I don't. I would fail the final test if I had to take it. It is thorough and keeps the reader's interest with colorful illustrations. My son passed the DMV test with flying colors.

I have read some of the reviews and it appears to me that the ones who don't like this book are the children who had to read it. First of all this book is not written for each state, so you will have to check on your own state or county laws along with this book. As for this book not helping you pass the "TEST". Responsible drivers know that their is much much more to driving then passing the "TEST", which this book goes into great detail letting its readers know. I've been A police officer for almost 9 years and now work at a school and deal with children all the time and a lot of thing seem boring to them. But we as adults must continue the teach, and hope that some of what they read sinks in. When dealing with driving a vehicle, learning by experience a lot of times ends up to late. This book doesn't teach you how to pass the "TEST" it teaches you how to be a better driver, something we all need to be...

I must admit, this book is pretty lame in its organization and all. But there was still a load of stuff that I wouldn't have known, so there is some useful content here. (Heh...I couldn't have passed my test without it...)

As of now I am completing drivers Ed. We take tests over this book, and I feel it is rather outdated for what it is being used for. The pictures are helpful, but the text I found boring and most of the text seemed just to be fill. They streched out simple procedures, and filled the usefull information with unimportant details. If you want to pass the test, read your state drivers manual. If you think this will help you, try it, but I warn you, its not worth it. Your state drivers manual is worth you time, check it out!