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Ghost Road

Beyond the Driverless Car
3.76 goodreads logo

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( 67 ratings, 8 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Ghost Road by Anthony M. Townsend explores the evolving landscape of autonomous transportation. Rather than focusing solely on self-driving cars, Townsend reveals a future where buses, bikes, delivery vans, and even buildings become part of an interconnected, automated network. This transformation promises safer, smoother travel and a boost in instant delivery of goods, reshaping urban life and challenging existing mobility systems.
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Format: Hardback
$5299
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ghost Road is ideal for readers interested in the future of transport technology, urban planners, policy makers, and those curious about the societal impacts of automation on mobility.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A penetrating look at near-future disruption as truly autonomous vehicles arrive.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

For decades we have tried to build a car that will drive itself. Anthony M. Townsend's Ghost Road argues convincingly that the driverless car is a red herring. When self-driving technology infects buses, bikes, delivery vans, and even buildings, a wild, woollier future awaits.

Technology will transform life behind the wheel into a hi-def video game that makes our ride safer, smoother, and more efficient. Meanwhile, autonomous vehicles will turbocharge our appetite for the instant delivery of goods, making the future as much about moving stuff as it is about moving people. For-profit companies will link the automated machines that move us to the cloud, raising concerns about mobility monopolies and the privatization of "the curb." Our cities and towns will change as we embrace new ways to get around.

Ghost Road explains where we might be headed together in driverless vehicles, and the choices we must make as societies and individuals to shape that future.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

According to Nature, Townsend envisions "ghost roads" filled with corporate driverless vehicles catering to an increasing demand for rapid goods delivery. Scotland on Sunday's Alistair Dalton notes that the book presents a future with great potential but also risks, offering readers a thorough understanding of these emerging dynamics.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781324001522

Publisher: WW Norton & Co

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 16 June 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: WW Norton & Co

Illustration: 17 illustrations

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 30.0mm

Width: 163.0mm

Height: 244.0mm

Weight: 609g

Pages: 336

About the Author

Anthony M. Townsend is the author of Ghost Road and Smart Cities, and the president and founder of Star City Group, a strategic foresight and urban planning studio. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey.

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