Tom Swift And His Electric Runabout: Or The Speediest Car On The Road Paperback – 1 January 2019

Great story

It was fun to read this tale from a different era. Back when lads were stout and things were black and white.

Trivia note: The modern TASER takes its name from this book. The acronym stands for Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle.This book, like all of the original Tom Swift books, sometimes referred to as Tom Swift Sr., are artifacts of their time. They are highly politically incorrect by modern standards and reflect a complete disregard for the environment. While it is an enjoyable adventure story, it is arguably no longer suitable for the adolescent readers for which it was originally intended a century ago. Should this book be banned, buried or rewritten reflect modern sensibilities? absolutely not! It is a piece of history that gives insights into the mindset of a previous era and attempts to bring the story 'up to date' would only serve to dilute and undermine its integrity. Enjoy it for what it is and don't expect it to be anything that it is not.

This is another adventure of Tom Swift with the now recognizable friends and enemies of the earlier books in the series. Mr. Damon and Mr. Sharp help Tom in his work with the electric runabout. He is supported by his father Mr. Swift, their housekeeper Mrs. Baggert, Garret Jackson the elderly engineer, and Eradicate Sampson the man always handy with whitewash. On hand to bedevil Tom are Andy Foger and his pals Sam Snedecker and Pete Bailey. The older generation have their conflict, too. Andy’s father, Mr. Foger, starts a new bank to compete with the old bank where Mr. Swift and Mr. Damon have considerable deposits. It is not a fair competition due to the dirty tricks of Mr. Foger. Tom’s electric car actually has a role in helping keep the old bank afloat. Of course, Mary Nestor, Tom’s love interest, appears in spots in the book and at the end.This isn’t Shakespeare or Ibsen. It isn’t Hemingway or Faulkner. However, the Tom Swift books have their place in the world of literature. I read them when I was in elementary school, and I am reading them again — the entire series, from first to last. They are an escape from the world around us. The good guys win, and the bad guys lose. I think that we all need to have that experience from time to time.

Excellent! It was so good I think I'll read another one, okay? I didn't really like all that blessing stuff.