Next book

SMALL - ON SAFETY

THE DESIGNED-IN DANGERS OF THE VOLKSWAGEN

Nader himself headed the task force which produced this report, an alarming document which brands the Volkswagen as "the most hazardous vehicle used in significant numbers in the United States." Based on publicly available reports (Consumer Union; Cornell's Automobile Crash Injury Research Project), records of court cases instigated against VW, and individual case studies from the Auto Safety Center's fries, Small — On Safety charges categorically that the Beetle (Type I) has caused "the deaths and injuries of thousands of people" and that the Type II microbus is even worse — "by a wide margin the most dangerous four-wheel vehicle of any type designed for highway use and sold in significant numbers." Structural criticisms ranging from the Beetle's "erratic dance" (roll-over capability) before the crash to ejection problems during the crash (faulty door latches, etc.) to the "up in flames" potential after the accident (poorly designed fuel system, defective gas filler cap, etc.) are extensively documented; the microbus allegedly has all these defects plus lack of protection in front-end crashes, insufficient passing ability, inadequate uphill performance, frequent horn failure — the model "should be removed from operation entirely." VW is certain to contest the Nader blitzkrieg — in fact the campaign has begun in the company's trade publication Small World — but at the moment the people's car and the occupants in it seem headed for big trouble.

Pub Date: Sept. 11, 1972

ISBN: 0670652490

Page Count: -

Publisher: Grossman

Review Posted Online: May 22, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1972

Categories:
Next book

THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE

50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...

Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.

Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").

Pub Date: May 15, 1972

ISBN: 0205632645

Page Count: 105

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972

Categories:
Next book

NUTCRACKER

This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:
Close Quickview