The God of Driving How I Overcame Fear and Put Myself in the Driver's

by Collins, Amy Fine

• ISBN13: 9781451631692
• ISBN10: 1451631693
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-01-15
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Summary

As a top correspondent forVanity Fairmagazine, Amy Fine Collins leads a glamorous life, a charmed whirlwind of gala parties, couture clothing, and five-star travel. In Manhattan, where she is whisked around in taxis and limousines, she has been able to disregard her long-standing fear of driving, a legacy handed down from her accident-plagued family. But when the brilliant and determined Amy finally decides to confront her driving phobia, she does not foresee how far from her elegant turf this resolution will take her.A mysterious, good-looking Turk named Attila is dispatched to her doorstep in a dual-brake Acura, and in him Amy discovers not only a superhumanly skilled instructor but also a wise, patient, and capable man who, inexplicably and irresistibly, over the course of their yearlong lessons, begins to transform and transport her.Both a compelling portrait of an elusive, charismatic hero and an inspiring adventure story,The God of Drivingrecounts the evolving relationship of Amy and Attila as they zoom in and out of urban interstates and country byways, as close to home as Park Avenue and as far away as Hamburg -- in muscle cars, turbocharged Bentleys, and hang-on-for-your-life motorcycles. And while Attila is completely changing her life, Amy is entirely remaking his, prompting him to uncover -- and redeem -- his shadowy past. Vibrant and funny,The God of Drivingis an offbeat, romantic odyssey -- a true-life tale of unlikely soul mates who bump into each other at the crossroads of high gears and high style.

Author Biography

Amy Fine Collins is a Special Correspondent to Vanity Fair, where for the past fourteen years she has written about design, art, fashion, vintage Hollywood, and society. She has received three degrees in art history from Swarthmore College and Columbia University, and lives in Manhattan. One day she hopes to drive a Bentley of her own.

Table of Contents

Contents

It Shouldn't Happen to Us

The Driving Instructor

Moving Chicane

Breakthrough on Bear Mountain

Real Life

The Colossus of Roads

The Scissors Effect

Reform School for Drivers

The Big Picture

The Cadillac and the Car Show

Attila's Apostles

The Bentley Boys

Snakebite

Diva at the DMV

The Queen Seat

Two-Up

Mercedes Joe

Bell Jar on Wheels

Bird of Prey

Rednecks Steering Left

Past-Future

The Red Convertible

The Best Cabbie in New York

Off- and On-Track

The Mighty Maybach

Ducati Dudes, Maserati Men

"Happy New Year"

Independence Day