New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/automobiles/adventuring-on-the-printed-page.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0&hpw
“Memoirs of a
Hack Mechanic reminds me of
summertime Saturdays when I was a boy and Dad and his buddies would park their
rides — Mercs, Caddys, Chevys — in our broad dirt dooryard and make out with
them. It was a wrench-twisting ardor full of grunts, cursing and the sizzle of
beer bottles bursting open. Rob Siegel, a writer with permanent grease under
his nails, would’ve totally been into it. And this funny, frisky book tells
why.”
“Rob Siegel, a Newton resident, has produced one of the
best auto memoirs I’ve read in a long time."
Boston Area Small Press: http://dougholder.blogspot.com/2013/05/memoirs-of-hack-mechanic-by-rob-siegel.html
“This
book is written by a car guy for car guys about car guy experiences. It is part
autobiography, part encyclopedia, and part advice column. It is chocked full of
useful hints about everything from acquiring a car, repairing a car, and even
when the sad event is necessary, disposing of a car. It is a lifetime of
experience hard-won and passed on gladly.”
“Rob Siegel writes observations on the Life
Automotive that are centered on both his personal quest towards Wholeness by
fixing broken BMWs, telling the world (at least those readers of Roundel) about his journey towards this goal, tossing
in what he accurately calls “actual useful stuff” along the way, and comes across as the
sort of person who you pray will sit at your table at a dinner because you KNOW
you will have a good time. Yes, he is funny in the way that those who never
quite grasp the notion that life is supposed to be an A to Z proposition are,
and, therefore, approach life on their own terms.”
“The
tone and Zen-seeking flavor makes Memoirs of a Hack Mechanic an
easy read that often makes you chuckle (because you've been there) or marvel at
the clever solution to a potential landmine of a repair ("cascading
failure" is Siegel's apt descriptor). Talking about the process of auto
repair not from the "put-tab-B-into-slot-A" perspective, but from the
"stand back and look at the big picture" point of view that the book
takes is due, in part, to the author's day job as an engineer. It's good
advice, and it's why the book has appeal beyond fans of Neue Klasse Roundies.”
Jeremy Walton, Automotive Writer: http://www.jwarthog.com/hack-mechanic.html
“Siegel’s expletive-undeleted sense of
humour and intelligence rule and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The hard-earned
mechanical knowledge shared is worth triple the price of the book, especially
that on painting a car and degrees of rust. I think that’s summed up best by
this observation: “I think I can safely say that one has ever taken a car in
for restoration and been told, ‘You know, that rust isn’t nearly as bad as we
thought.’”
FlatSixes.com: http://flatsixes.com/porsche-products/gift-ideas/10-porsche-gift-ideas-for-fathers-day-and-graduates/
“This is a must read for any self professed
“car guy.” We're only about half way through it and so far it's fantastic! In Memoirs of a Hack Mechanic
, Rob Siegel shares his secrets to buying, fixing, and driving
cool cars without risking the kids' tuition money or destroying his marriage.”
, Rob Siegel shares his secrets to buying, fixing, and driving
cool cars without risking the kids' tuition money or destroying his marriage.”
Classic Motoring: http://www.i-foundry.com/bmw/history/memoirs-of-a-hack-mechanic-by-rob-siegel/gallery-3706-13.html
“Inspired by John
Muir's VW 'Idiot Book' (aren't we all), Rob Siegel spins a fab mix of Zen and
20w50; engine rebuilds in the kitchen, a hated GT6, an obsession with BMW's
2002 (he owned 25!), song-writing, guitars and the meaning of life via a greasy
tool kit. The wealth of advice and humorous stories will strike a chord with
any classic car nut.”
Winston-Salem Journal, article about The Vintage: http://www.journalnow.com/community/scene_and_heard/article_d8b7b1cc-cb28-11e2-b29a-001a4bcf6878.html
“Author
Rob Siegel from Roundel magazine came to the Vintage with his 1973 3.0CSi.
Siegel signed copies of his new book, Memoirs of a Hack Mechanic, and talked
about parts of the book that might surprise people. “I have a chapter in the
book titled ‘Why Men Love Cars,’ and it offers insight into the mind of a car
guy,” Siegel said. “Cars are useful to men as objects of passion in a way
that’s difficult for women to understand. But it’s also healthy and
constructive in terms of long-term relationships. It’s maintaining passion
within a sane set of boundaries.””
Received your book 5pm yesterday. Exactly 23 hours later have it read. Simply outstanding. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteAlden