A Brief History of Motion

Beginning around 3,500 BC with the wheel, Tom Standage moves through the eras of horsepower, trains, bicycles and cars, revealing how each successive mode of transit embedded itself in the world we live in - from the geography of our cities, to our experience of time, to our notions of gender. Today, after the growth of ride-sharing and the rise of autonomous vehicles, the social transformations spurred by coronavirus and climate change create a unique opportunity to critically re-examine our relationship with how we travel. With this book, Standage overturns everyday myths about one of our most fundamental forms of technology, and invites us to look at our past with fresh eyes.