The automobile is a prestige symbol to the American teenager. A symbol that has coaches gnashing their teeth …, parents worried silly …, and law officers fearing who will next ride the city hearse. Henry Felsen, whose "Hot Rod" was the forerunner of this genre of book, and whose "Street Rod" should have helped to cure this national illness, has probably won the crown once and for all with this truly frightening book ["Crash Club"]. It should be required reading in every freshman classroom. It tries to explain what makes a boy drag, investigating the emotional and mental strains that make them rebel at being called chicken….

Although this book certainly deserves an award, the greatest reward we could wish for Mr. Felsen would be that "Crash Club" would be read by all concerned.

Learned T. Bulman, "Their Weapons Are Cars," in The New York Times Book Review, Part II...