The reviewer does suggest Kunstler doesn't have enough faith in A) human ingenuity, and B) the will to continue living The Good Lifeâ„¢.

In America, we have a very small sub-segment of the population who would like to see the end of the automobile and the establishment of only mass transit. They write books about the evil of cars and some, like Ralph Nader, don't even have a driver's license.

That's the far-out-of-touch left. The majority love the unique freedom of the automobile and the privacy it provides. Drive from door to door anywhere roads will take you. Park by the beach and watch a sunset, go to the mountains and visit your cabin. You can't make out in a bus or a train either (Well one shouldn't anyway ;-).

The first automobiles were "sin-wagons" and were viewed as facilitating easy sex. No hotels, homes or barn lofts....it's those evil auto-mobiles!

Any good historian will be able to tell you that, in the old days, you could get a driver's license in a corner drugstore for a quarter. Kids could buy one and drive just as readily as adults. The almanac would list the times in the various states in which driving with lanterns was required. (half an hour before sunset till half an hour before sunrise in most states) As casualty rates rose, automobile driving became a "privilege" and more money was required and registration and insurance came upon the scene providing revenue for roads and a whole new class of insurance agents.

America has long had a love affair with the automobile. That won't change now or in thirty years. Once sales start slumping due to fuel costs, the manufacturers will look more seriously at alternative power sources for personal cars. Steam power provided impetus for some of the first cars and it wouldn't surprise me to see water-powered cars in the future. Turbines and fairly simple technology have not yet been fully exploited, much less solar power and more efficient alternating current generators for battery powered cars.

Nowhere in the world have they had as many automobiles as the US. The US geography lends itself to both personal and mass transit.

Oil, or the lack of it, wont kill the automobile. It will still thrive. It will simply become more refined and motive diverse. Anyone thinking that SUVs or other large cars and trucks will cease to exist, even if gas costs 15.00 a gallon, is still dreaming. In 1990, 7 out of 10 jobs in the US were automobile related.

Inventing a better mousetrap is the American way. We pioneer new technologies daily. I look forward to watching the metamorphosis!