Not at all what I was expecting. I was hoping it would be more about the history of pickup trucks in America. Not a memoir of a man’s life, with a truck thrown in as connective tissue. not enjoy the book. Could not finish it. Sorry.

Fred Haefele’s "The Essential Book of Pickup Trucks" is less a mechanical treatise and more a lyrical, introspective memoir—one that uses twelve trucks as mile markers in a life full of hard work, reinvention, and quiet revelation. Part love letter to American motor culture, part meditation on masculinity and purpose, this book surprises with its depth and dry wit.

Haefele—a former arborist, teacher, and self-proclaimed “blue-collar intellectual”—chronicles his five-decade relationship with pickups, from his youth near Flint’s GM plants to rugged Montana backroads. Each truck becomes a character: a faithful companion through career shifts, family trials, and existential questioning. His prose shines when detailing the tactile joys of manual labor (chainsaws, climbing gear, and yes, oil changes) or the absurdity of straddling blue-collar grit and academic ambition.

While the title may mislead gearheads expecting specs and models, the book’s real engine is Haefele’s reflective voice. His musings on fatherhood, failing marriages, and the myth of the “American work ethic” resonate. It's definitely a Baby-Boomer-era memoir (anyone younger might feel some rage at how people used to be able to pay bills and craft the lives they wanted at the same time), but it's highly readable just the same.

Verdict: A 4-star ride for memoir lovers and Americana buffs. Think Educated meets Shop Class as Soulcraft, with a dusting of motor oil. Not for those seeking a Consumer Reports of trucks, but perfect for readers who’ve ever pondered life’s journey—with or without four-wheel drive.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.