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
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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