Smart, creative, driven -- words aptly applied to Henry Ford. Here are a few more: ruthless, bigoted, unstable. Undaunted by his subject's complexity, Robert Lacey undertook the task of telling Ford's story thoroughly and objectively. While researching the book, he even moved to Detroit and worked on a Ford assembly line. Happily, the experience shows. Detailed without being gossipy, intelligent without being windy, Ford: The Men and the Machine is a fascinating ride.

Tom Nord