Small Wonder: The Amazing Story of the Volkswagen Beetle (Volkswagen)

Average customer rating:

Too corporate

"Small Wonder"

Extremely insightful on a car that shaped the industry.

Small Wonder- Great result

The amazing story of the VW is still applicable in 2001

Small Wonder: The Amazing Story of the Volkswagen Beetle (Volkswagen)
Walter Henry Nelson
Manufacturer: Bentley Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Transportation | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0837601479

Book Description

First published in 1965, "Small Wonder: The Amazing Story of the Volkswagen Beetle" is the most successful book of all time on the Beetle. Originally selling over 1.2 million copies, "Small Wonder" is often quoted as the source by many subsequent histories. Now, Bentley Publishers is releasing this new edition, with new foreword by the author, in honor of the new Beetle and the renewed interest in the original Beetle.

Given complete access to Volkswagen archives in both Germany and the U.S. at the time of writing, author Walter Henry Nelson gives a highly detailed account of the Beetle's development and success. Nelson gives many behind-the-scenes details and glimpses into the people who shaped the company, providing a rich picture of how and why Volkswagen and the Beetle evolved as they did.

Filled with numerous personal tributes and valuable insights, "Small Wonder" provides the reader with a better understanding of the Beetle's "cult car" status.

Customer Reviews:

Too corporate.......2007-06-13

I loved Volkswagens ever since I was a lad of twelve, and so had a natural interest in this book. It starts off well enough - the story about the car's development in Nazi Germany was fascinating - but I soon tired of the excessively corporate style in the later years (details about various VW executives and their industrial philosophies) and didn't bother to finish it.

They used to give these out when you bought a Bug in the 1960's.

"Small Wonder".......2004-12-16

"Small Wonder" Review

The book "Small Wonder" was a very descriptive book about how the Volkswagen car as we know it today came about. It started when Ferdinand Porsche designed the "peoples car." When the car first came into production people didn't want such a different looking car. Some people thought it was ugly. There were a couple of different prototypes for the first VW car. A few were not excepted. The one that finally made it was different then the other ones because it had a window in back and a little different front end.
The cars were tested day after day. The cars were run until they didn't run any more. They kept running the cars until every problem was fixed. There were a lot of problems with the cars. Some were more serious then others. VW came out with 5 different cars first. They were the k, s, ss, ssk, sskl. . They were less powerful then most cars today . although smaller cars today have around the same amount of horse power and the cars are lighter.

I personaly do not like the book because of how detailed it is . If it was less detailed and more of a story then it would be more of what I like to read. If you like books that are really detailed and have a lot of facts then this is a good book for you. Also if you would like to know the history of the Volkswagen then it is also a good book for that.

Extremely insightful on a car that shaped the industry........2003-05-02

Just what I was looking for, and then some. This book starts at the very beggining, with the Beetle's mentor and VW's founder Dr. Porsche. (Did you know he was Czeck?)
It follow's the company's history (which is to say, the car's history) with just the right amount of coverage to its amazing journey from WWII to the car's EOP (end of production) in Puebla, Mexico. The cronology of this book is excellent. Worthdly of a movie script, this book is extremely enganging. As you read its history, names like Ford, Peugeot, Renault amongst others keep poping up narrating each one's influence on the company's history. (Did you know H. Ford II was offered the factory, for free?)
The only thing that I'd wish from this book was to have the author do either a follow up or a revised update. This book finishes with the beetle's last production car, but the company has certantly not. I wish I could get more info from the company's developement from that point forward, including the launch of the new beetle among other superb new VWs...

Small Wonder- Great result.......2002-11-14

On of the world`s most informative and well resourced books on the VW history.Gives an insight to the early vehicle development,political hurdles that had to be overcome as well as the generic industrial resistence that was present.H.Nelson, a gifted author,not only writes about the "first row" people but also about production personnel and production techniques.
Sales and marketing development & especially how the U.S. market was won not only fascinates the VW buff but everyone who ever had anything to do with the automotive industry.

The amazing story of the VW is still applicable in 2001.......2001-10-25

In 1969, after I had purchased a new VW, the dealer sent me "Small Wonder" by Walter Nelson. I have just finished reading this book once again, 22 years later, and the book is as applicable in todays society as it was back when it was first published. This book is not only about the Volkswagon car. It contains a good deal of history surrounding pre-war Germany, the rise of Hitler to power, WWII, and reconstruction of the bombed out factory with American assitance following the war. Any person considering a sales career should read and study this book.

The Story of Volkswagen Beetles (Classic Cars: An Imagination Library Series)

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The Story of Volkswagen Beetles (Classic Cars: An Imagination Library Series)
David K. Wright
Manufacturer: Gareth Stevens Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0836831942

Average customer rating:

Herbie Fully Loaded! NH
Cuter Than Cute!

Herbie: Fully Loaded (Junior Novel)
Irene Trimble
Manufacturer: RH/Disney
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0736423230
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Book Description

Herbie, the lovable little Bug, is back in all-new adventure! This time the energetic auto helps a young race car driver follow her dream to compete in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Young readers will love every twist and turn in this exciting book that features eight pages of full-color stills from the new live-action movie Herbie: Fully Loaded, starring Lindsay Lohan.

Customer Reviews:

Herbie Fully Loaded! NH.......2006-02-09

I liked this story it was really interesting and it is funny and it is cool how the car can do all those thing. When I saw the cover I thought it would be boring but it was very interesting I liked the movie the best but I liked the book to and I loved when she was looking for a car I thought that she was going to pick a diffrent car and then she picked herbie and it was awesome she did not like him at first and then she saw kevin and she loved herbie and they fixed herbie up really good and bet the best race car driver in the world and herbie had a mind of his own and it was awesome to see that she loved the car after they washed it up and she was keeping a secret she said she was maxx and she wasn't and she lied to her dad and the news and every body and the bad thing about it is that she lied to her dad and that is very very very bad and I wish that she would have just told them and not have to be in that kind of thing she did it I would not have done that if I were her I would not have lied and be in a bigger mess I would have just went on and told the truth but I don't like her ling because it is just not right for her to lie right in her dads face it hurt him more but then he was really mad because she did not tell him the truth the first time and that is why he was mad because she lied to him the first and then he was there when she toke off her helmet and he was very mad at her because he thought that she would not lie to him but then he saw her and then he did not beleive her no more then her brother got in a car reck and he picked magie to drive and her dad said it was okay with him and then her dad was happy again when she won her dad was so proud of her. that is all i had to say.THE END!!!!!!!!!!

Cuter Than Cute!.......2005-06-15

Twenty-one-year-old Maggie Peyton has just graduated college, and is about to start a high-ranking, behind-the-scenes job at ESPN in the Big Apple. But first she must survive a month-long stint in her hometown of Riverside, California, where she is sure she will spend her time skateboarding. Oh yeah, and looking for a job that will cover her new apartment's first and last rent payments. However, when her father takes her to a used car lot, she is quickly drawn to Herbie, a white, '63 Love Bug that could use a bit of a paint job, as well as some other work under the hood. Which is how Maggie ends up getting involved with her best friend from high school, Kevin, who intends on fixing up Herbie, free of charge. The only catch is that Herbie has a complete mind of his own, and a heart for racing, which is how he and Maggie, along with Kevin, get mixed up with Trip Murphy, a professional racecar driver who bugs Herbie just as much as Maggie. Now the little car has decided that he's going to beat Trip in a race that Maggie's not even sure she wants to participate in. But when Herbie's driving, she has no choice.

I adore the past HERBIE movies, so hearing about the newest release HERBIE FULLY LOADED starring Lindsay Lohan, I knew that the film would capture my heart instantly. However, waiting is not one of my virtues, so when I saw the HERBIE FULLY LOADED novelization recently, I had to pick-it up. Irene Trimble has done a fabulous job of bringing the movie to life with this novelization. The characters are quirky and fun, and Herbie is completely adorable. While it is obvious from the movie trailers that the novelization cut parts of the movie out, it features enough to tide over any HERBIE fan until the movie is released to theaters. Overall, this is a must have novelization for HERBIE or Lindsay Lohan fans. You won't be disappointed!

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Average customer rating:

Very good book!
The beetle and me a love story
The beetle and me a love story
The Bug Called Love
This Author knows Volksies!

The Beetle and Me: A Love Story
Karen Romano Young
Manufacturer: Greenwillow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0688159222

Book Description

Fifteen-year-old Daisy Pandolfi wants more than anything to rebuild her parents '57 Volkswagon Beetle.For Daisy the Beetle has always been special, almost magical. It must run again, and it will be her very own set of wheels if it does. But she's determined to fix the Beetle herself, with no assistance from concerned family or friends who recognize that Daisy's got a lot more invested in her project than elbow grease and midnight oil. And then there's Billy. He wants to help, but should Daisy let him into her heart -- or let him go?

A singular first novel about an unforgettable family and the blossom of first love.

01-02 Young Hoosier Book Award Masterlist (Gr 6-8), and 00-01 Tayshas High School Reading List

2000 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)

Customer Reviews:

Very good book!.......2004-01-15

I really enjoyed this book. It had everything from Volkswagons to love and it really showed that girls CAN be mechanics and that cars aren't just for guys. The author did a really great job describing how a fifteen year old acts and what it feels like to be in one's first real romance.

Daisy Pandolfi, the main character had strong will and tons of determination. She knew what she wanted, which was a 57' purple Volkswagon that had been her dads and was being neglected in the icehouse in their meadow. After Daisy begged her dad to let her have the Volksie, he finally gave in and she recieved the barely fixable old car. Daisy fixed it up all by herself without help from her family, all of whom are excellent mechanics. This book was really enjoyable and I reccomend it to everyone!

The beetle and me a love story.......2002-02-27

this was a great book, this is the first book i have read in a long time my dad asked if it was good and i said yes and he said it must be becuase i never read and i never put this one down. I found this book after asking the librarian what some good books are and he handed me this book i thought it was going to be dumb but it wasnt. This book is about a 15 year old girl who is becoming a freshmen and doesnt have a car everyone in her family are mechanics and she wants to rebuild her dads old puple VW bug and he doesnt think it is a great idea because it had been sitting in their ice house for so long but he gave in and let her take it out and work on it she spent her whole summer working on this car but then when the school year starts she and her friend billy take it out for a spin and something happens and there is oil everywhere and she doesnt know whats wrong and she doesnt want anyhelp from anyone so she finaly lets Billy look at it and he finds out that their is a crack in her crankcase and she will have to get a new one so for christmas her parents buy her a new one and the car is fine and runs so on christmas eve after church Billy comes over and she gives him the bug on loan till she turns 16 because when Billy was little his dad left them and doesnt send money so he cant go to college and works at his moms garden shop for christmas to sell trees. This was a great book and i would like to read more of her books...

The beetle and me a love story.......2002-02-26

This is a great book i dont like to read books and i love this one the author does a great job wrighting this book and does a great job keeping you hoked. This is the first book i have read in a long time my dad asked if it was good because he hasent seen me ever not put a book down i love this author and i am looking for more books by her. This book is about a young 15 year old girl who wants her dads old puple vw bug that he has put in the there ice house she works on it all summer and gets it up to shape to drive the one day her and her friend billy are driving it and and the find oil all over the ground she finds out later that there is a split in the crank case and it will have to be replaced so for christmas her parents and her buy a new one so now the beetle is all fine. Her friend Billy has graduated and doesnt have a car to drive and is in love with Daisy and wants to marry her but she doesnt know if she feels the same way and as a present the him she gives him the beetle on loan till she is 16 and can drive it, this is how the book ends and i am kinda wanting there to be another book after this one but thats just me.
sincerly Charity Summerlin

The Bug Called Love.......2002-01-24

In simple, straightforward language, Karen Romano Young unfolds how a seemingly awkward yet strong and determined heroine comes to terms with her dreams, her family, and herself. Daisy Pandolfi is a believable heroine who makes no excuses for wanting what she wants. She doggedly restores their old VW Bug and discovers heartbreak, disappointment, and love in the process. Her strength was an inspiration to me -- and I'm 23! I wish I was like that when I was 15.

The book is a love story, true, but not in the mushy line of commercial teen flicks. The romance aspect develops slowly, surely, imperfectly. But at the heart of it all was how Daisy tackled her independence. In a quiet exchange that moved me to tears, Daisy tells her father not to tell her what to do, just to tell her when she's doing it wrong. In the end, it IS a love story -- of a girl for her dreams, of a girl for her family.

I sincerely enjoyed the different characters that Karen Romano Young painted in this book, and I look forward to reading her other works.

This Author knows Volksies!.......2001-10-17

I really enjoyed this book. The author obviously knows her way around Volkswagens. I'm so glad she made Daisy use the bible of Volkswagens - John Muir's "Idiot's Guide".

Amazon.com

The release of the new Volkswagen Beetle in 1998 triggered a new wave of enthusiasm for this most endearing of cars, and Beetlemania pays tribute to a worldwide love affair.

The book abounds with tidbits of Beetle trivia--for example, in Bournemouth, England, 103 students once squeezed themselves into a single Beetle, and secured a new record. (They also managed to drive the car for 15 feet!)

The birth of the Beetle is traced back to the Berlin Auto Show in 1933, and a historic meeting between Ferdinand Porsche and Adolph Hitler. As Porsche sketched his visions for a small car suitable for ordinary people, Hitler added his ideas. How many Beetle owners today realize the impact that this notorious dictator had on their beloved car?

The car's rise and fall is then charted, through war, economic slump, the swinging '60s, and beyond. An entire chapter is devoted to the new Beetles--first unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 1994, and stopping traffic ever since.

Illustrated throughout with dozens of photographs, Beetlemania will delight Bug addicts everywhere.

Book Description

Here is the first book to showcase the new Beetle since its advent. The Volkswagen Beetle is one of the world's most beloved automobiles. The very mention of its name evokes fond recollections, from that "first car" to a road trip from one's youth. Today's new Beetle is drawing crowds whenever it pulls into a parking lot, and is so popular that new owners include celebrities like Jerry Seinfeld, Cindy Crawford, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Beetlemania explores our fascination with this lovable automobile icon, both past and present. In this graphic, colorful volume, author Kate McLeod shares the wealth of exciting inside information she collected from the Volkswagen company archives, including a rare interview with the Beetle's original designer. Filled with fascinating trivia and great four-color photography, both new and old, Beetlemania pays fond tribute to the Beetle in this fun, informative volume.

Customer Reviews:

What a great book!.......1999-11-28

This book was a totally awesome book. The pictures were fantastic and the info. was very valuable. It gave me lots of ideas for my own '61. I would say this book is great for all readers, even non VW enthusiasts

pathetically un-original.......1999-08-05

Kate's motive is simply to make a quick buck off of the impetus of a corporate-induced wave of nostalgia. To call this "book" the first to chronicle the history of the Type 1 since its advent is patently ridiculous. See some of the titles that pop up in the related section--that were published before the New Beetle was released--for the real deal...

An excellent, entertaining and well written story........1999-07-27

I used to play tennis with a beetle owning friend. I picked up the book, not expecting much excitement, and was surprised at how compelling the history of the little car turns out to be. The story is so well told, and the writing so fine that even a person who usually prefers to take the bus, like me, is intriqued. As a post script, on a recent trip to California I had a ride in a bottle green beetle and it is a great car! So amazingly improved over the old models and sexy besides! I may buy one.

I love the car and really like the book.......1999-05-06

I think this is a fun and clever book that's odd and colorful (sort of the way I feel about the car too.) It shows most of the model years, their differences, prototypes, even a few photos of engines, but it's all presented in a fun and very un-stuffy way. The book covers the original Beetle and it's culture and today's Beetle. It also shows how the new Beetle builds on the legacy of the original.

Small Wonder: the Amazing Story of the Volkswagen Beetle (Volkswagen)

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Small Wonder: the Amazing Story of the Volkswagen Beetle (Volkswagen)
Little Brown
Manufacturer: Bentley Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000KKNFAC

Book Description

Letters have a mysterious and cabalistic quality that has inspired artists through the ages. Calligraphers, painters, and engravers have never ceased to shape and decorate them, using them as a starting point for limitless dreams and fantasies. The illuminated initials of medieval manuscripts, ranging from Romanesque exuberance to Gothic excess, paved the way. Here were not only Biblical scenes but also mythical beasts and human figures that were direct precursors of the zoomorphic and anthropomorphic alphabets of the Renaissance and later. With the invention of printing, the inventiveness of artists knew no bounds. Ornamented letters presented historical and mythical events, romantic landscapes, trees, flowers, buildings, clowns, devils, children, and every kind of animal. There was, indeed, no subject that could not be put to the service of the animated alphabet. Hugues Demeude shares his passion for the decorated letter in a succinct historical text and a vast range of beautifully reproduced examples from the eighth to the twentieth century, from sacred illuminated manuscripts to mass-produced postcards. Lovers of art and design will relish the decorative profusion, which includes examples from the Corbie Psalter and Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, and the work of artists such as Albrecht Drer, Hans Holbein, Lucas Cranach, Honor Daumier, and Kate Greenaway.

An Animated Alphabet (Pocket Paragon Series,)

Average customer rating:

Simply beautiful!

An Animated Alphabet (Pocket Paragon Series,)
Marie Angel
Manufacturer: David R Godine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Calligraphy | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1567920233

From the Publisher

This is not your average, whitebread alphabet book! Marie Angel is arguably the finest miniaturist to have worked in this century. Her luminous, delicate, and fanciful paintings are executed with the care and skill of a Medieval artisan, but her palette, as well as her figures, are entirely modern. Almost thirty years ago, Marie Angel was commissioned by Philip Hofer of the Houghton Rare Book Library at Harvard University to create a new Animated Alphabet, one that would be comprised of animals Angel knew and loved (and her knowledge of animals, as well as of flowers, is both prodigious and entirely eclectic). Harvard published her results in a small, utterly delightful booklet, but printed the illustrations only in black-and-white.

Now, for the first time, this phenomenal alphabet has been reproduced as it should be: in full color. Here are all twenty-eight drawings (every letter, plus title and colophon pages), slightly larger than actual size in 300 line screen, and printed on a paper nearly as sensuous as the vellum on which the originals were painted. This is a jewel not only for collectors of alphabet books by for anyone who appreciates the genius of a master doing what she loves best.

Customer Reviews:

Simply beautiful!.......2001-10-04

My entire family of various ages, particularly my 3 year old ,enjoys looking at this book,over and over again.Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a familar or unfamilar animal, accompanied by a finely detailed drawing.An inspiration of artwork!

Average customer rating:

Buy this program now!

Colors, Shapes & Counting
Richard Caudle , and Brad Caudle
Manufacturer: Rock 'n Learn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: DVD-ROM

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ASIN: 1878489445

Customer Reviews:

Buy this program now!.......1998-11-05

This is the finest in childrens edutainment. Never before have pop music, sound effects, and humor come together to teach children so effectively. Basic and advanced colors, counting up to 20, dozens of shapes... it's ALL covered here! WOW!

Average customer rating:

Alphabet
Richard Caudle , and Brad Caudle
Manufacturer: Rock 'n Learn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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ASIN: 1878489453

Average customer rating:

Animated Alphabet: Study Set

Manufacturer: BBC English
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Mi Primer Abecedario Animado/ My First Animated ABC's (Adivina)

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Mi Primer Abecedario Animado/ My First Animated ABC's (Adivina)

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

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Animated abc
William Wiesner
Manufacturer: Garden City Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Collecting | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007GWQCW

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An Animated Alphabet
Marie Angel
Manufacturer: Harvard College Library 1971.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O5MC5C

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An Animated Alphabet
Marie ANGEL
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RJGF9E

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Animated Alphabet: Book

Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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