Ask Click and Clack: Answers from Car Talk

by Tom Magliozzi, Ray Magliozzi

What's the perfect car for a pizza guy? Does that "Check Engine" light indicate a bona fide problem? And, should a teenager drive a minivan? The hilarious hosts of NPR's Car Talk answer all your car conundrums. For more than two decades, the Tappet brothers, a.k.a. Click and Clack, have been answering automotive questions in their highly successful column "Click and Clack Talk Cars," syndicated in over 400 newspapers around the country. Collected here for the first time are 100 of the best questionsand, more importanttheir answers, with a smattering of wisecracks, sidesplitting anecdotes, and genuinely useful advice. It's for anyone with a sense of humor and a car.

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2005

Reviews

[Kristie Lock]

A few of my favorites:

How can I ruin my dad's minivan?

The equation to find the cost of sending a car to college: M=C-ADP- (ADB x 1.5) + GPA x 2/SAT + R/S + NFBHT ... (Trust me, it's funny!)

and

Covet not thy hardbody (They called Dr. Ruth for help with this one.)

[Steven Gauthier]

If you listened to the show, you know the rhythm of the jokes. Illustrated with charming pictures which in some cases repeat 2 or 3 times across the text.
Still, was I left with some practical advice about how to treat my car? Yes!

[Joel]

Still miss these lovable knuckleheads.

[Marti]

I miss the radio show.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)]

This is selections from their newspaper column. People write in with questions. Very similar to the radio show, but in print. They switch back and forth in "voice," playing off each other just like on the radio.

These guys are a kick in the pants, and there's actually even some good car advice here and there! :0

[Wes Metz]

If you have listened to them on NPR and enjoyed their quirky style of humor, you'll probably enjoy the book. A little useful information, and a lot of laughs. It makes good bathroom reading, because each answer is short - read as many as needed in the time available.

[Julia T.]

If you’ve ever laughed yourself silly listening to NPR’s CAR TALK, you’re going to love this new book from the Tappet Brothers. It’s full of funny stories, wit, and free expert advice.

[Jamie]

Hilarious anthology of Click and Clack's Car Talk newspaper column. Funny addition for any Car Talk listener. Laughed a lot- and learned something about cars too!

[Mary]

It was good, just like their radio program on NPR!

[Mark]

Simply put: it reads like a transcript from their radio show.

[Bridgette H]

Hmmm...not as fun as listening to the show and hearing them laugh at everything every 2 seconds. It's all in the delivery after all...

[Douglas]

Radio humor just doesn't translate well to written word.