Reading List
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 757
From: Chicago
My first-favorite driving book was Don Alexander's Think to Win (then again, I'm a professional philosopher, so perhaps I'm biased 
).
I have to gently disagree with houstonnw, Smith's Drive to Win has some of the very best explanations of driving technique I've seen (cleared up more than one confusion I had having read other books). The first chapter is definitely a primer on becoming a racer, and for what it's worth contains more than one problematic philosophical argument (on Smith's engineering and driving expertise I willingly bow, but on his philosophical views I'm happy to engage). Anyway, his "Section Two: Vehicle Dynamics" is flat-out fantastic and I would regard as mandatory reading for anyone who wants to not just execute fortuitously but begin to understand what they are doing (wrong and right).
Best,
-j
).I have to gently disagree with houstonnw, Smith's Drive to Win has some of the very best explanations of driving technique I've seen (cleared up more than one confusion I had having read other books). The first chapter is definitely a primer on becoming a racer, and for what it's worth contains more than one problematic philosophical argument (on Smith's engineering and driving expertise I willingly bow, but on his philosophical views I'm happy to engage). Anyway, his "Section Two: Vehicle Dynamics" is flat-out fantastic and I would regard as mandatory reading for anyone who wants to not just execute fortuitously but begin to understand what they are doing (wrong and right).
Best,
-j
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 162
From: Texas
I have to gently disagree with houstonnw, Smith's Drive to Win has some of the very best explanations of driving technique I've seen (cleared up more than one confusion I had having read other books). The first chapter is definitely a primer on becoming a racer, and for what it's worth contains more than one problematic philosophical argument (on Smith's engineering and driving expertise I willingly bow, but on his philosophical views I'm happy to engage). Anyway, his "Section Two: Vehicle Dynamics" is flat-out fantastic and I would regard as mandatory reading for anyone who wants to not just execute fortuitously but begin to understand what they are doing (wrong and right).
Best,
-j
Best,
-j
Just curious, have you also read Going Faster? If so, would you say that Drive to Win should be the first book for someone to read?
-Wayne
Last edited by houstonnw; Apr 7, 2009 at 10:37 PM. Reason: grammar
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 757
From: Chicago
Hey houstonnw,
I haven't read Going Faster, but I've heard good things about it.
As for what to read first, I would not recommend Drive to Win as a first-time read. I think the material is great, but I also think if you know very little about driving and vehicle dynamics you are also not likely to get much out of it (or it may raise too many confusions that Smith doesn't see fit to address, and rightly so at his level).
Actually, for a first driving-read I would currently recommend a book Smith himself praises, A Twist of the Wrist, by Keith Code. The catch is that it is a motorcycle driving book. Still, the basics of reading and interpreting the road as well as what your vehicle is doing are all covered very clearly and accessibly. There's also a video (in DVD or VHS) that goes with it, so if you're one of those "visual learners" you'll appreciate this. As a bonus, the video has some pretty funny psychological tidbits in it.
Best,
-j
I haven't read Going Faster, but I've heard good things about it.
As for what to read first, I would not recommend Drive to Win as a first-time read. I think the material is great, but I also think if you know very little about driving and vehicle dynamics you are also not likely to get much out of it (or it may raise too many confusions that Smith doesn't see fit to address, and rightly so at his level).
Actually, for a first driving-read I would currently recommend a book Smith himself praises, A Twist of the Wrist, by Keith Code. The catch is that it is a motorcycle driving book. Still, the basics of reading and interpreting the road as well as what your vehicle is doing are all covered very clearly and accessibly. There's also a video (in DVD or VHS) that goes with it, so if you're one of those "visual learners" you'll appreciate this. As a bonus, the video has some pretty funny psychological tidbits in it.
Best,
-j
Last edited by Philostang; Apr 8, 2009 at 07:45 AM.
5th Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,179
From: College Station, TX
This is a "reading list"... so as long as you can read it, I would say it can go here. No reason we should have 2 separate threads for reading material just become some is online and some isn't. Just IMO, though. I guess it's ultimately up to the OP.
Thread Starter
4th Gear Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,692
From: Ontario, Canada
When I get a chance I intend to create and maintain a consoldated list of all of the books/URLs in the first post.
6th Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,635
From: state of confusion
Online is fine, but with one big caution that cannot be over-emphasized.
Not everything you find out there in cyberspace has been proofread for technical accuracy by anybody other than the preparer (which doesn't count for a whole lot in most engineering professions). Some of the errors aren't particularly troublesome, but others might be depending on what the topic is, how knowledgeable the preparer was, and what was written.
I will mention that books - softcovers, mainly - are not guaranteed to be free from problems either (I specifically know of a few errors and inconsistencies here and there). But books are much more likely to be in better shape.
Norm
Not everything you find out there in cyberspace has been proofread for technical accuracy by anybody other than the preparer (which doesn't count for a whole lot in most engineering professions). Some of the errors aren't particularly troublesome, but others might be depending on what the topic is, how knowledgeable the preparer was, and what was written.
I will mention that books - softcovers, mainly - are not guaranteed to be free from problems either (I specifically know of a few errors and inconsistencies here and there). But books are much more likely to be in better shape.
Norm
Thread Starter
4th Gear Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,692
From: Ontario, Canada
Online is fine, but with one big caution that cannot be over-emphasized.
Not everything you find out there in cyberspace has been proofread for technical accuracy by anybody other than the preparer (which doesn't count for a whole lot in most engineering professions). Some of the errors aren't particularly troublesome, but others might be depending on what the topic is, how knowledgeable the preparer was, and what was written.
I will mention that books - softcovers, mainly - are not guaranteed to be free from problems either (I specifically know of a few errors and inconsistencies here and there). But books are much more likely to be in better shape.
Norm
Not everything you find out there in cyberspace has been proofread for technical accuracy by anybody other than the preparer (which doesn't count for a whole lot in most engineering professions). Some of the errors aren't particularly troublesome, but others might be depending on what the topic is, how knowledgeable the preparer was, and what was written.
I will mention that books - softcovers, mainly - are not guaranteed to be free from problems either (I specifically know of a few errors and inconsistencies here and there). But books are much more likely to be in better shape.
Norm
2nd Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 355
From: TX
Here is a link on ackerman . It is not for beginners IMO . But I think it Qualifies as good reading .
http://www.smithees-racetech.com.au/ackerman.html
Just a few Quotes that stood out to me and sparked interest in the subject that most people would understand are the following .
1. A rule of thumb is more toe (in or out) required for tyre operating on large slip angles (soft side wall), and less toe for low profile tyre operating on smaller slip angles (stiff side wall).
2. With Ackerman steering, if we can toe out the inside wheel sufficiently, there is greater drag on the inside wheel than the outside wheel, thus creating an oversteer torque around the vehicle centre of gravity. This will help turn in, or in his words "yaw the vehicle into the corner".
Just a tidbit . The article has many references and sources that may lead someone in the right direction on the subject if the are thirsty for more .
http://www.smithees-racetech.com.au/ackerman.html
Just a few Quotes that stood out to me and sparked interest in the subject that most people would understand are the following .
1. A rule of thumb is more toe (in or out) required for tyre operating on large slip angles (soft side wall), and less toe for low profile tyre operating on smaller slip angles (stiff side wall).
2. With Ackerman steering, if we can toe out the inside wheel sufficiently, there is greater drag on the inside wheel than the outside wheel, thus creating an oversteer torque around the vehicle centre of gravity. This will help turn in, or in his words "yaw the vehicle into the corner".
Just a tidbit . The article has many references and sources that may lead someone in the right direction on the subject if the are thirsty for more .