Driver's License (Object Lessons) by Meredith Castile

Object Lessons

by Meredith Castile

Please Read Brand New, International Softcover Edition, Printed in black and white pages, minor self wear on the cover or pages, Sale restriction may be printed on the book, but Book name, contents, and author are exactly same as Hardcover Edition. Fast delivery through DHL/FedEx express.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Microhistory

Paperback

First published December 4, 2014

Reviews

[Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in the Object Lessons, and I think it stole my heart for favorite. I didn't really know much about the history of the driver's license, and I liked the tone she struck here throughout. I also really enjoyed the mediations on media representations of driver's licenses. Basically this book series is like candy to me.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been trying to get my hands on one of the "Object Lessons" books since I first heard about the series. I finally came across, this one not on driver's licenses so much as U.S. driver's licenses. If you have dealt with U.S. licenses and the weird phenomenon that their role as a driving certification is secondary to their role as an identity document, this is a pretty interesting text, especially when it talks about how licenses and the culture of licenses have changed since 9/11. I would have liked something a little less narrow (the little non-U.S. stuff feels very "added at the demand of the publisher" rather than properly integrated), but I definitely found it an interesting and educational quick read. I'll have to look for other books in the series.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first Object Lessons book I've read, picked up impulsively from a small pile at the register in my favorite used book store. I think I'd like to try and track down 'refrigerator' next.

The author does an acceptable job of leading the reader through a surface exploration of the driver's license and its place in America; the author covers a lot of ground I was expecting to be ignored after the first few pages, especially the place of race and class in who gets licensed and who doesn't.

The parts that I found most interesting came at the end- the author brings a lot of diverse threads in history and philosophy together very well, especially regarding the growth of licenses and road maintenance as a lever of social control and on the license as an identity document versus an identification one.

I have no idea why the blurb mentions the "kerouacian" opening- it was the most cringeworthy part of the entire experience, but after the author settles past that, past a grating NPR-ish patter, and into what feels like an authentic voice, the writing improves markedly.

Read this if you like stuff like "A Very Short Introduction To" books, can deal with a little insecure writing, and are interested in car culture / cold war American culture. Not what I was looking for, but I don't feel my time was wasted, and I would probably check out future books written by the author.

[Đinh Anh Phương · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Threatening to suspend someone's license is the single most effective way to get Americans to pay up. Think about it: the no-license threat is even more effective than a court summons."

who knows one day i'm gonna read a whole book about driver's license? the Object Lessons series is so interesting - as a big fan of John Green's The Anthropocene Reviewed, i was naturally drawn to this book when i caught a glimpse of it at a book space.

a page turner, informative but not boring at-all. filled with personal anecdotes, references & observations from different socio-economical, political viewpoints surrounding the key subject of the driver's license. never knew one object can reveal that much about a nation :)))

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating! And a little worrying...who would have guessed how decisive this little piece of laminated card could be! Horrified to realise how it is used to influence U.S. election outcomes. A very well written, interesting book.

[Rich · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure what i expected, but this wasn’t it. Never inspired to finish.

[Cev · Rating 5 out of 5]

cute

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book exploring a very humble object: the driver's license. Part of Bloomsbury's Object Lessons series, Driver's License delves into the history and ever changing meaning of this all important identity document that was once just a proof of payment of car registration fees. Castile takes us on a tour of American car culture and public transit obsolescence, gender identity and immigration status, individual freedom versus government surveillance and homeland security, underage drinking culture in the US, bad license design and the perpetually unflattering license photo, and more...a thoroughly enjoyable read!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read -- definitely lived up to the proposed spirit of the "Object Lessons" series, as I learned a lot more about the cultural history and policy travails of the driver's license that I imagined would fit into the relatively slender volume. The writing was also very witty and engaging, and more than occasionally quite funny as well. Definitely recommended.