Life After Cars

Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile

By: Sarah Goodyear, Doug Gordon, Aaron Naparstek

Narrated by: Sarah Goodyear, Doug Gordon

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

From the hosts of The War on Cars podcast, a searing indictment of how cars ruin everything—and what we can do to fight back

When the very first cars rolled off production lines, they were a technological marvel, predicted to make life easier and better for all Americans; yet a hundred years later, that dream is running on empty.

Instead of unbounded freedom, the never-ending proliferation of automobiles has delivered a host of costs, among them the demolition of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities to make way for car infrastructure; an epidemic of violent death; countless hours lost in traffic; isolation from our fellow human beings; and the ongoing destruction of the natural world. Globally, SUVs alone now emit more carbon than the nations of Germany, South Korea, or Japan.

That’s why we need Life After Cars. Through historical records, revealing interviews, and unflinching statistics, Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon, hosts of the podcast The War on Cars, and former host Aaron Naparstek unpack the scale of damage that cars cause, the forces that have created our current crisis and are invested in perpetuating it, and the way that the fight for better transportation is deeply linked to the fight for a more equitable and just society.

Cars as we know them today are unsustainable—but there is hope. Life After Cars will arm readers with the tools they need to implement real, transformative change, from simply raising awareness to taking a stand at public forums. It’s past time to radically rethink—and shrink—society’s collective relationship with the automobile. Together, let’s create a better Life After Cars.

Critic reviews

“As a city planner and lifelong car nut, I hid my eyes from the truth for years. But I can no longer dodge the clear conclusion: The problem is cars, and the way we have allowed them to reshape the human environment around their needs, not ours. Against this backdrop, I owe my continued sanity to the best podcast in the world, The War on Cars. It’s all in this book. Read it.”
— Jeff Speck, city planner and author of Walkable City

“The car may be the feature of modern life we take most for granted. But as this brilliant book makes clear, we should be asking deep questions about whether we want to keep shaping our communities and our lives around automobiles: We’re ready for the shake-up these authors inspire!”
— Bill McKibben, author of Here Comes the Sun

“If the great American love affair with the automobile in the twentieth century was really an arranged marriage, then Life After Cars are the papers served for a conscious uncoupling. By fighting for what’s best for cites from the street to the schoolyard, the authors are ultimately fighting for what’s best for our people and the planet.”
— Janette Sadik-Khan, principal at Bloomberg Associates and former commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation

“No matter how bad you think cars are for our health, happiness, and well-being, after reading this book you’ll realize . . . it’s worse than you thought. Life After Cars proves people are hungry for something better.”
— Jason Slaughter, creator of Not Just Bikes

“Life After Cars offers a comprehensive account of why our unthinking allegiance to cars makes most things in life worse—and a vision for how to make them better. Valuable and timely, this book will make you believe change is possible.”
— Megan Kimble, author of City Limits

“Life After Cars is a much-needed ass-whooping for the city stewards who have us stuck in traffic. With verve and facts, it shows that car dependence is not inevitable. We built this hell, and, together, we can change it.”
— Charles Montgomery, urbanist and award-winning author of Happy City

“Inspiring and hopeful. After reading the authors’ exuberant call to arms, I’m ready to follow them into battle in the war on cars.”
— Henry Grabar, author of Paved Paradise

Good use of dual narrators

The back and forth style of this audiobook made it engaging. Good information about cars and culture.

Inspiring and hopeful

I think that many of us who are drawn to this book already have an idea of the stress cars place upon our whole world. That being said, what I loved most about Life After Cars is just how hopeful I felt, finishing the book.

Truly a wonderful read for anyone! No matter if you’re just a little bike curious, or if you’re already invested in pushing back against a car dominated world.

Incredibly poignant

I’ve followed The War On Cars for quite a while and this book really delivered <3 thank you for radicalizing me and opening my eyes to what could be <3