|
|
|
|
Inside Monster Garage
|
I'm really
not the type of person that's into cars in any way. I don't own a car, I
dislike driving, and there really isn't' too much about them that
impress me. There are a few things however that I do appreciate. I enjoy
racing games quite a bit on the home consoles, and have logged more than
my fair share of hours on games like Gran Turismo. I really love
watching rally racing, and it's probably one of the only reason I would
even have the Speed Channel on my cable. Lastly, I really do like
Discovery Channels hit series Monster Garage. Discovery has done a fine
job marketing the series with t-shirts, DVD's, and having host Jesse
James, if you would consider him a host, show up on the late night talk
show circuit. However, that apparently still isn't enough, and for all
of you Monster Garage fans, there's now Inside Monster Garage, a book
that gives an inside look into the hit show.
More or less, this is essentially an episode guide of sorts, but that's
not to keep it from being the perfect thing for any fan. What you have
here is 175 pages of garage mayhem filled with all the dirty details.
For those that are unfamiliar with the show though, the book starts out
with the one basic thing that you'll need to understand, and that's the
rules. Most of us already know them though: the design team has a limit
of $3,000 to spend on parts, the build must be done within seven days
which includes one day to design, five to build, and one to race, and if
successful, the team members take home a nice set of tools. It seems
easy, but it's not.
The book is broken up not by the episode order, but by the vehicle type
including off-road, maintenance, and utility to name a few. There are
before and after pictures of each machine, including some that show the
work in progress. You also will get the lowdown on who was involved with
the build for that particular team and the specs on each ride. You'll
see a 1997 Ford F-150 transformed into a nut shaker, a Lincoln Town Car
Limo becomes a fire engine, and even a 1995 Geo Tracker is magically
transformed into a hot air balloon. Aside from learning more about the
cars involved and seeing what the end result was, there are also
factoids, just like on the series, a summary of the events during the
build, and even quotes from Jesse and those involved. There's even a
look at the first seasons only failure, the Grim Ripper.
But there is more than just information about the builds from the show.
There's a section devoted to Thom Beers, the man behind the Monster
Garage concept detailing exactly how this phenomenon came into
existence. There's a behind the scenes look at the team that makes the
filming of the show possible, a look at the whole California car
culture, another write up on the women that have been a part of past
design teams, and even a look at the artist that adds those fine touches
on a complete build. But, when you're talking about the Garage, there's
of course one man that you need to pay tribute to, and that's none other
than the man himself, Jesse James, and don't think that he's gone
unnoticed.
Filled with information and full-color pictures, this is the ultimate
guide for any fan of the show, and perfect for those that may have a
mild interest. The fact remains that Monster Garage is a show that's
spawned others interesting concepts, such as Monster House, and I don't
think I'm alone in the fact that if I'm going to flip on to Discovery
Channel, I'm going to want to see something besides a feminine man doing
a show about interior decorating. This is one book that you have to
have. You may not be able to build any of these in your own garage, at
least not most people, but it's always great to see what an ordinary man
can do with the right tools, a decent group behind him, and a little
imagination, and that makes this, an excellent book to have.
-mike-
|
|
