Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but repetitive
Review: I found the premise of this book interesting. Ms. Kay clearly feels passionate about the subject. However, the book was not rooted in well researched data. It was also somewhat repetitive- she said the same thing several times throughout the book! I felt the best section was about the history of the automobile, which is in the middle of the boo
Rating: 
Summary: Deep and persuasive recounting of the car culture
Review: I had heard of this book and heard the author but didn't realize how compelling and well-written the actual story would be, not only in delivering insights on the way we have become car-dependent but in portraying the root of so many of our environmental and urban ills. Not just a diatribe, this book offers a broad and literary tale of our massive shift to automobility. Both more eloquent and factual than similar books (e.g. "The Geography of Nowhere" and "Fastfood Nation") it is a a good read and influenced my outlook on current events from global warming to farm and forest destruction to being just plain stuck in traffic. I heartily recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A good introduction to its subject
Review: I was interested in reading this book after I saw a documentary about the way automobile companies helped put an end to the streetcars which were once common in American cities--even in Los Angeles.What I found here was both fascinating and disturbing; the book really had an impact on the way I look at and think about the man-made environment around me. I have since gone on to read more about this subject; I would have to say that although this book is a good introduction to this topic, Kunstler's Geography of Nowhere is both more comprehensive and more compelling. Kay's book really seems to lose its focus somewhat when it offers suggestions for change, a few of which seem reasonable, but most of which seem unlikely to ever win the support of the majority of the public.
Rating: 
Summary: Nice !
Review: I'm glad I read Asphalt Nation. Kay touches good points that we all should keep in our minds. Some readers argue that she does not provide solutions but I see no immediate possible solutions.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy thesis, well presented
Review: I've noticed how much design caters to car traffic for some time now. Not only are bus systems left behind in plans, but it is also difficult to walk anywhere these days. I'm not crazy about her ideas like raising gas prices, or anything that raises the misery factor for low income people struggling to keep their jalopy running (like harsh smog test requirements) but the idea of making alternative transportation easier and more attractive is good. There could have been a little more attention to using the already in place car infrastructure for alternative fuel vehicles. But that doesn't take away from the basic idea behind the book.
Rating:
Summary: Long recounting of our auto-dependent culture
Review: I, too, am concerned about the decay of our cities in the name of car culture. Asphalt Nation is a nice light reptitious long read about the problems, how we got here, and a few ideas on how to fix the problems autos have wrought. While clearly written, the author is repetitive, and I think would have had more impact in a 10-20 page article.
Rating:
Summary: Long recounting of our auto-dependent culture
Review: I, too, am concerned about the decay of our cities in the name of car culture. Asphalt Nation is a nice light reptitious long read about the problems, how we got here, and a few ideas on how to fix the problems autos have wrought. While clearly written, the author is repetitive, and I think would have had more impact in a 10-20 page article.
Rating:
Summary: Asphalt Nation: Step One of Twelve
Review: If this country did not have the First Amendment, Asphalt Nation would probably have been one of several books banned from public circulation. Asphalt Nation justly attacks one of the most influential inventions of the modern age, the automobile. This book is an attempt to define our addiction to the personal automobile and the negative effects of this addiction. If you have ever lived in an environment designed for human beings rather than motor vehicles, then you will understand why the people of our country should read a book like this. Places like Paris, Barcelona, Venice, and thousands of small-scaled European cities are examples of the anti-thesis to modern American cities that were built around the daily use of the automobile. I was extremely fortunate to have lived in Europe for half a year and without that experience I would probably not be interested in this topic. The decisions that propelled the automobile into all of our daily lives were made before most of us were born. Past governing officials, business leaders, and our grandparents made these decisions during a period of time before the now evident problems could be foreseen. The development of our built environment (mainly suburbs and shopping centers) can be directly related to the increasing influence of the automobile. Our own culture is very much intertwined with the car, and the problems that it brings effects our society deeply. The car is not the American Dream, it does not symbolize freedom, and, if we act responsibly, it will not be the only option for our children as it was for us. Read this book to see the problems of automobile addiction and not to find solutions to the problems defined. There are no books currently written that have solved, or even come close to solving, the problem associated with this addiction or the secondary problems of urban decay, suburban sprawl, co-dependence on Middle Eastern oil, destruction of our natural environment, drive-thu culture, separation of the extended family, etc. The admittance of the addiction is the first and most important step in finding a solution. This is the point of Asphalt Nation. As people become familiar with the ideas contained in Asphalt Nation, as well as other books, some alternatives like New Urbanism and Co-Housing (community/shared living) will begin to spawn better and better concepts toward a more human-scaled way to live in the next millennium.
Rating:
Summary: A little more of this, a little less of that...
Review: Less a book than a book-length sort of reportage, Asphalt Nation builds the case against the automobile to almost absurd heights. After reading the first half of the book, you wonder why cars are even legal in this country! Cars pollute, pollution is toxic, OK, we get that. Enough already.
I was more taken with the second part, where Kay reports the history of how automobiles, and specifically traffic planners, conspired to create the sprawling, pedestrian-hostile multilane disaster we call the modern American city. This portion of the book was fascinating, and I would have liked twice as much of it.
At the end of the day, however, I was hoping the author would have a more nuanced and thoughtful point of view than, "Cars are bad, walking is good." I already knew that. Still and all, a great book if you're inclined to think that maybe what your city needs is NOT one or two more left-turn lanes.
Rating:
Summary: Nice history, lacks conclusions
Review: Most of the other reviews say a lot about toe book, so I won't repeat. Being 'one of those radicals' :) who thinks the car has gotten us into trouble I have read a lot on the subject together. I found Kay's book to be a great 'intro' or 'history of how we got here'. I foudn most of the facts a repeat of other texts or History channel shows. The biggest problem is the lact of a good conclusion - you read through the text and then 'well, what can I do?', only to be left high and dry. Again, a nice history and overview. If you want to do some serious reading, you're best off going to her bibliography reading some of her source material (I found I had read lots of them alredy! ;-) Get this to introduce yourself or your friends to the topic, but given a choice read "geography of nowhere" or "edge city" for more content.
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