Book excerpt: These stories highlight the inventors, racers, and show-winners from both past and present who have made hot rodding the art it is today! Hot rods are built for speed and each is a unique creation reflecting its builder's vision. The Hot Rod Reader offers similar features with writings and excerpts that capture the excitement of hot rodding, the history of how it came to be, and the major events, people, cars, and builders who have brought hot rods to national attention. The anthology includes diverse contributions from popular writers covering hot rods and custom cars--writers like Tom Wolfe, Jay Leno, Peter Vincent, and more. Also included are stories about the most daring, cutting-edge innovators in the hot rodding field today. The entire collection works like a field guide, helping readers to explore various themes within hot rodding through news articles, essays, fiction, interviews, and more, with more than 60 color and black-and-white illustrations and photographs to illuminate each excerpt and story. Dig deeper into a hobby that's all about tinkering with machines to make them go faster, look cooler, function better, and exceed expectations. Motivated by both craftsmanship and performance, hot rodders encourage us to push the limits of both mechanical objects and social acceptance, and in the process, they have redefined the driving experience. Read the full story of the hot rod with The Hot Rod Reader.