Mark Donohue is the subject of this book. His career as a race-car driver is the main story line. The book traces many details of this. For those who are not already familiar with race car driving, the book opens up a whole new world. For those who have extensive knowledge of this subject area, they should enjoy the details and a more in-depth understanding or appreciation for what is taking place during the course of Donohue's career.

The author covers the whole world of racing: the drivers and their driving. The book's title is named for many tricks of the trade associated with the engineering and performance maintenance of race cars. Relevant tracks, teams, and people are all included. Funding is also described and explained in ways that journalism normally overlooks. For race fans, this book is a great way to delve in greater depth into what goes on surrounding the time of the race itself.

Technology makes the pace of racing fast in another way. Change enthusiasts will enjoy that this book also functions as a great history of auto racing. It covers the 1960s and early 1970s. There are three different main types of auto racing covered during the book. The survey of cars that the author uses in races is included. The relationships between the manufacturers, builders, engineers, drivers and pit-fellows are all incorporated into this personal insider account of what it is like to be a real race car driver.

The book is the autobiography of a career. What it lacks in the personal, it makes up for in its thoroughness. Readers can almost feel as if they are with him while some of these things are going on. At the very least, they feel well informed about what goes into each race. Midway through the book, Mark comments that a man wealthy enough to buy into having a race car team does not seem to understand how much goes into it in relation to what people get out of it. It takes a lot, the author explains, to race cars.