"Unbelievable Car Transformations!"

"Mea Culpa"- I have to confess, I never watched the Discovery Channel's television series, Monster Garage. Then again, for that matter, I have refrained these days from watching television altogether!

Monster Garage, as I have been informed by several television mavens, is one of the hottest realty shows, and after reading the fan book Inside Monster Garage," written by Ken Vose, I can fully understand why people are attracted to this fascinating series.

Relying on glossy and detailed photos combined with Vose's crafted words, this 175- page soft cover book show- cases how these unbelievable feats are accomplished. It is as if readers are given a backstage pass where they can witness what goes on behind the scenes, listen to the interviews with some of the principal characters, and savor tidbits of trivia mentioned in the pleasurable sidebars. The trivia will surely come in handy at cocktail parties.

The book traces various episodes, wherein readers are privy to the workings of a group of skilled, imaginative and creative individuals, who nearly do the impossible by transforming an automobile into something outrageous. Bear in mind that their budget is limited to three thousand dollars, and the time frame to accomplish the feat is five days.

Without doubt, readers who have seen the series, will vividly remember some of these mind boggling inventions such as: the school bus pontoon boat: the Lincoln Town Car Limousine turned into a fire truck: the Chevy Suburban transformed into a wedding chapel, where a couple actually performs their wedding ceremony: turning a Ford Mustang into the world's fastest lawnmower.

In addition, each episode lists the members of the crew, the specs, and comments made by their leader Jesse James pertaining to the objectives of the transformation, his final remarks, as well as some intriguing information concerning the vehicle or the project. An example- I bet you did not know that in 1939 the official color for school buses was changed from Omaha orange to chrome yellow. How about this tidbit-the largest pipe organ in the world is located not in a cathedral in Europe, but in a department store in Philadelphia.

As an added bonus, the book includes interviews with some of the "movers and shakers" of the show. One that is particularly interesting is with Jesse James, whom the book states "may well become the first blue-collar television hero who actually works with his hands for a living. He is not an actor, singer, or an entertainer. He's definitely not a talking head. He's a welder and a fabricator, one who makes awesome machines that look great, work the way they should, and go fast." James comes off, as a down to earth guy who maintains all he wanted to do was to focus on people making something out of nothing. As he says, "people dig that."

Vose successfully achieves a delicate balance between the stunning images and his words that are so critical in creating this memorable, solid, and sumptuously illustrated book. Inside Monster Garage is moreover a fun read, and to re- quote James, "people dig that." I am sure one day the book will even become a collector's item.

Reviewed by Norman Goldman
Courtesy Bookpleasures
Posted December 22, 2003