What will I learn about: why modern debates surrounding electric vehicles, renewable fuels, and urban planning have actually existed since cars first rolled off the assembly line?

Discover why modern debates surrounding electric vehicles, renewable fuels, and urban planning have actually existed since cars first rolled off the assembly line.

What will I learn about: Learn how the invention of the wheel likely originated in the copper mines of the Carpathian mountains before evolving into lavish ancient status symbols?

Learn how the invention of the wheel likely originated in the copper mines of the Carpathian mountains before evolving into lavish ancient status symbols.

What will I learn about: how early Roman innovations, including steerable front wheels and grid-like traffic systems, laid the crucial groundwork for modern urban transit?

Understand how early Roman innovations, including steerable front wheels and grid-like traffic systems, laid the crucial groundwork for modern urban transit.

What will I learn about: why riding in carriages was originally considered unmanly for noblemen until military applications and scheduled stagecoaches transformed wheeled travel?

Find out why riding in carriages was originally considered unmanly for noblemen until military applications and scheduled stagecoaches transformed wheeled travel.

What will I learn about: how the overwhelming pollution of horse manure in major cities and the logistical strain of trains pushed society to eagerly embrace the first horseless carriages?

Discover how the overwhelming pollution of horse manure in major cities and the logistical strain of trains pushed society to eagerly embrace the first horseless carriages.

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A Brief History of Motion

From the Wheel, to the Car, to What Comes Next

Tom Standage

★ 4.3 / 5(95 ratings)

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History Society & Culture

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Did you know that the automobile was originally hailed as a 'green' solution to a massive environmental crisis, only to create the very problems we’re struggling with today?
💡Have you ever wondered why our entire social and urban landscape was redesigned to suit the car, and what a post-automobile future might actually look like?
💡Are you curious about why electric cars lost the battle for dominance over a century ago, and what that secret history reveals about the future of self-driving vehicles?

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Key Takeaways from A Brief History of Motion

✓Discover why modern debates surrounding electric vehicles, renewable fuels, and urban planning have actually existed since cars first rolled off the assembly line.
✓Learn how the invention of the wheel likely originated in the copper mines of the Carpathian mountains before evolving into lavish ancient status symbols.
✓Understand how early Roman innovations, including steerable front wheels and grid-like traffic systems, laid the crucial groundwork for modern urban transit.
✓Find out why riding in carriages was originally considered unmanly for noblemen until military applications and scheduled stagecoaches transformed wheeled travel.
✓Discover how the overwhelming pollution of horse manure in major cities and the logistical strain of trains pushed society to eagerly embrace the first horseless carriages.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from A Brief History of Motion

Mind Map

A Brief History of Motion

Origins of Wheeled Transport+

The Rise of the Automobile+

Car Culture & Consumerism+

Modern Reckoning & The Future+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 10

According to recent carbon dating mentioned in the text, where might the invention of the wheel have actually originated?

A. Mesopotamia
B. The Carpathian mountains
C. The Indus Valley
D. Ancient Egypt

Question 2 of 10

How were carriages and wheeled vehicles generally perceived by noblemen in Rome and well into the Middle Ages?

A. As essential tools for masculine military campaigns
B. As unmanly modes of transport meant mostly for women
C. As a universal symbol of extreme wealth and power for kings
D. As practical vehicles exclusively for merchants and farmers

Question 3 of 10

What was a primary driving force behind the public's desire for the invention of the 'horseless carriage' in the late 19th century?

A. The need for faster intercity travel than trains could provide
B. A desire to escape the overwhelming noise and manure pollution caused by urban horses
C. The discovery of cheap and abundant oil reserves in the Middle East
D. A push from early urban planners to create massive interstate highway systems

Question 4 of 10

Why did Gottlieb Daimler's petrol engine ultimately triumph over the steam engine car in early automotive competitions like the 1894 Paris-Rouen race?

A. The steam engine car was significantly slower than the petrol car
B. The petrol engine was much better at climbing steep hills
C. The steam engine required a team of operators to constantly keep it fueled
D. The petrol car was the only vehicle that featured a modern steering wheel

Question 5 of 10

How did General Motors (GM) revolutionize the automotive industry and overtake Henry Ford in the 1920s?

A. By perfecting the single-model assembly line to make cars cheaper than the Model T
B. By introducing a hierarchy of brands, yearly model updates, and payment plans
C. By focusing exclusively on electric and ethanol-powered vehicles
D. By lobbying the government to build the first interstate highway system

Question 6 of 10

What was the result of the 1930s debate regarding whether city roads belonged to pedestrians or cars?

A. Cars were strictly limited to newly built superhighways outside the city
B. Pedestrians retained the absolute right of way on all city streets
C. Laws were passed requiring pedestrians to use designated crosswalks, giving cars the right of way elsewhere
D. Urban centers banned cars entirely to protect pedestrians and reduce accidents

Question 7 of 10

Why were early electric cars in the 1910s frequently marketed specifically toward women?

A. They were significantly cheaper than petrol cars
B. They could travel much longer distances than petrol cars
C. They did not require difficult hand-cranking and were ideal for short city trips
D. They were the only cars legally allowed to be driven without a chauffeur

Question 8 of 10

Despite being a renewable fuel option that the original Model T could use, why did ethanol struggle to be adopted over gasoline?

A. Ethanol produced significantly more toxic exhaust than early gasoline
B. Ethanol had lower engine efficiency and sparked fears that mass-producing it would cause food shortages
C. Standard Oil held an exclusive patent on ethanol production
D. The government heavily taxed ethanol to discourage its use during Prohibition

Question 9 of 10

What is currently one of the main technological hurdles delaying the widespread use of autonomous vehicles (AVs)?

A. A global shortage of the lithium-ion batteries required to power them
B. The inability of machines to quickly and safely recognize unpredictable changes in their surroundings
C. A lack of high-speed internet connections on modern interstate highways
D. The refusal of city planners to build dedicated AV-only lanes

Question 10 of 10

What is a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) program?

A. A government initiative that provides free cars to low-income families
B. A smartphone app that bundles various modes of transportation, like bikes, scooters, and public transit, into one platform
C. An automated vehicle network designed specifically for delivering goods and groceries
D. A subscription service that delivers a new electric vehicle to your home every year

A Brief History of Motion — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
21 — The wheel’s invention brought both practical uses and royal status symbols for ancient kings.
32 — Roman roads and innovations paved the way for coaches and, eventually, trains.
43 — People wanted a cleaner, quieter horseless carriage.
54 — As prices fell, attitudes toward cars shifted from hostility to acceptance.
65 — From the 1920s onward, cars became major status symbols.
76 — By the 1930s, the car industry was thriving and choices with lasting consequences were being made.
87 — Marketing, politics, and science all helped drive the dependence on gasoline.
98 — There are encouraging signs that people may reclaim the streets.
109 — Although automated vehicles are still out of reach, bundled transportation apps are becoming more popular.
1110 — Final summary

A Brief History of Motion Summary & Overview

A Brief History of Motion (2021) provides a revealing overview of the history, and possible future, of the automobile. From the invention of the wheel, to early steam engine contraptions and the enticing promises of automated cars, you’ll find out how these vehicles changed the course of human history, and the unexpected problems they’ve caused along the way.

Who Should Listen to A Brief History of Motion?

Gearheads
Anyone concerned about climate change
Investors wondering about the future of transportation

About the Author: Tom Standage

Tom Standage has been a writer for the Economist since 1998 and now serves as the publication’s deputy editor. He is also a popular commentator and keynote speaker, often on the subjects of technology and social trends. He is the author of numerous best-selling books including A History of the World in Six Glasses and An Edible History of Humanity.