Traffic (Object Lessons)

"Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. Speed. Bump. Speed. Traffic considers the history and philosophy of roundabouts, speed bumps, the pedestrian mall, and other efforts to manage traffic. Exploring ways to reign in the power of the internal combustion engine, ramp back century-long efforts to increase the flows of traffic, and establish greater balance between humans and machines, Paul Josephson considers the history of traffic, and the political and other controversies that frame the belated technological efforts to calm it. Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic."-- Provided by publisher Speed. Bump. Speed. Traffic Considers The History And Philosophy Of Roundabouts, Speed Bumps, The Pedestrian Mall, And Other Efforts To Manage Traffic. Exploring Ways To Reign In The Power Of The Internal Combustion Engine, Ramp Back Century-long Efforts To Increase The Flows Of Traffic, And Establish Greater Balance Between Humans And Machines, Paul Josephson Considers The History Of Traffic, And The Political And Other Controversies That Frame The Belated Technological Efforts To Calm It. Mushrooms In Minsk -- Speed Bumps In Twentieth Century Philosophy -- Utopian Visions Of Machines And People : A World Without Speed Bumps -- Mumford And Moses -- The Historical Concatenation Of Congestion -- Speed Bumpology -- Crashworthy Automobiles As Speed Bumps -- Race, Equality And Traffic -- Pedestrian Malls As Large Scale Speed Bumps -- The Woonerf : The Neighborhood Speed Bump -- Taming Roads Themselves -- Curb Cuts For People, Roundabouts For Automobiles -- The Bicycle As A Neo-luddite Traffic Solution -- Gendered Speed Bumps -- If Stopped In Traffic, Hope For A Crashworthy Automobile -- Safety Delays In The Name Of Freedom -- Speed Bump Downsides -- Waxing And Waning Of Brazilian Speed Bumps -- Potholes And Paper Money -- Speed Bumps For Other Hopeful Technologies. Paul Josephson. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Title Page Copyright Page Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Mushrooms in Minsk Chapter 2 Speed Bumps in Twentieth-Century Philosophy Chapter 3 Utopian Visions of Machines and People: A World without Speed Bumps Chapter 4 Mumford and Moses Chapter 5 The Historical Concatenation of Congestion Chapter 6 Speed Bumpology Chapter 7 Crashworthy Automobiles as Speed Bumps Chapter 8 Race, Equality, and Traffic Chapter 9 Pedestrian Malls as Large-scale Speed Bumps Chapter 10 The Woonerf: The Neighborhood Speed Bump Chapter 11 Taming Roads Themselves Chapter 12 Curb Cuts for People, Roundabouts for Automobiles Chapter 13 The Bicycle as a Neo-Luddite Traffic Solution Chapter 14 Gendered Speed Bumps Chapter 15 If Stopped in Traffic, Hope for a Crashworthy Automobile 16 Safety Delays in the Name of Freedom 17 Speed Bump Downsides 18 Waxing and Waning of Brazilian Speed Bumps 19 Potholes and Paper Money 20 Speed Bumps for Other Hopeful Technologies Notes Index Acknowledgment