Book Reviewed: Ingenious: A True Story of Invention, Automotive Daring, and the Race to Revive America, by Jason Fagone
This is a story of invention in old sense of the word. This is about what people in America are capable of when thrown back on their heels and forced to improvise in an inclement financial environment. It is about the ordinary men and women whose lives have been transformed by a remarkable quest that combines all the elements of preparing for Olympics, NASCAR race and junkyard wars.
When gas prices were going up and oil reserves were going down, X prize foundation in California offered a ten million dollar prize in 2007 to anyone who could build a safe mass-producible car that gives one hundred miles per gallon of gas. More than one hundred teams from all over the country jumped on this opportunity. The author picks four teams and follows their accomplishments and failures; one group of garage hackers from Illinois, the second team from Lynchburg, VA, the third from California and the fourth one is an inner-city high school. In 2010 they tested their discoveries in a series competition at a NASCAR track in Michigan.
This is a fascinating account of people and their lives engaged in a remarkable endeavor. What motivated these people is exploring a new terrain. A challenge to their thinking and doing something that they can be proud of. The work of Henry Ford at his Michigan farm and Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak at their California garage were all anonymous when they worked on their projects, but pursued their dreams relentlessly and eventually their inventions made this country very proud. This is a thoroughly an enjoyable book and I had fun reading it.
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