This is the book that made me think I could do it. Nineteen years ago, I resolved to live without owning a car for a year. As I’ve often said, it’s the only New Year’s resolution I’ve ever kept. I’ve renewed it every year since.

When I stopped owning cars, I began to see and feel how non-drivers navigate their days. And I became, almost without meaning to, an advocate for things like public transportation and pedestrian downtowns. But it was only after doing some research that I began to sense that I was part of a movement, small but growing, a pushback against the ubiquity of the car culture and the damage it has wrought.

When I stopped owning cars, I became, almost without meaning to, an advocate for public transportation, bicycling, and pedestrian-friendly communities. Only after I began to do some research did I realize that I was part of a movement, small but growing, a pushback against the ubiquity of the car culture and the damage it has wrought. I discovered a whole body of literature on the theme of relinquishing cars and reducing the harm that they do.