Dive into "The Perfect Vehicle" for a journey that transcends a mere love affair with two-wheeled machines. Melissa Pierson's prose carves through the romanticized dangers and stereotypes, offering a rich blend of personal narrative and a sweeping overlook into motorcycling's storied past. Whether you're a seasoned rider or simply intrigued by the culture, Pierson's insights will give you a newfound appreciation for the road and its riders.

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"This book, a polished, winding meditation on the theory and fractiousness of motorcycles, celebrates both their eccentric history and the wary pleasures of touring."― The New Yorker In a book that is "a must for anyone who has loved a motorcycle" (Oliver Sacks), Melissa Pierson captures in vivid, writerly prose the mysterious attractions of motorcycling. She sifts through myth and hyperbole: misrepresentations about danger, about the type of people who ride and why they do so. The Perfect Vehicle is not a mere recitation of facts, nor is it a polemic or apologia. Its vivid historical accounts-the beginnings of the machine, the often hidden tradition of women who ride, the tale of the defiant ones who taunt death on the racetrack-are intertwined with Pierson's own story, which, in itself, shows that although you may think you know what kind of person rides a motorcycle, you probably don't.

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