I’ve often thought how life might be if, instead of two cars in the garage, my wife and I had only one—or maybe none.

The author, Chris Balish, an Emmy award-winning television anchor at a California station, has “liberated” himself from car ownership and he tells of the experience in his book, “How to Live Well Without Owning a Car”. The subtitle to the book is, “Save Money, Breathe Easier, and Get More Mileage Out of Life”.

The book is divided into four sections: 1) Why you’re better off not owning a car. 2) Getting to work without a car, 3) Non-work transportation and, 4) Living well without a car.

In describing why you would be financially better off by not owning a car, Balish describes a recent study by AAA which listed the annual cost of owning a car at $8,410. That’s $700 a month! These costs include car payments, interest on the loan, taxes, insurance, fuel and, repairs and maintenance.

Invested at 8%, that $700 would grow to $51,433 in five years, $128,062 in 10 years and $1,043,251 in 30 years. We could all be millionaires if we forsook those sleek and shiny mechanical beasts that spend over one-half of their existences in our garages. Even at an annual return of 5%, the non-car owner could amass nearly $600,000 in the same period.

Throughout his book, Balish includes testimonials from carless people from all parts of the United States and from all walks of life.

Balish cites a transportation study that found public transportation ridership increased 22 percent from 1998 to 2004. While the “tipping point” has not been reached, the momentum to car-free commuting is increasing as gas prices rise, traffic jams multiply, and car ownership costs increase.

But what about the quality of life for a carless or one-car family? What about getting to and from work? The key to these questions relates to the amount of inconvenience one can tolerate. If a couple—or even a couple with several children—could eliminate the second car and learn patience and accommodation, the second car would be unnecessary. Many of us can remember our parents as one-car owners. Are the demands upon us so much greater that we must have that second car?

Balish is a realist. He knows that many people have bought into the dream of an acreage miles from work. He knows that there are those who would need at least one car in their lives, but he wants the reader to explore options such as bicycling, carpooling, and—if available—light-rail commuting. In writing this book, Balish wants the reader to think about what he is gaining by being less car dependent and how a decision to sell off one or more of “…your cars might be the soundest and sanest lifestyle change you can make.”

The Friends of the Columbus Public Library will be sponsoring a “One Book, One Columbus” reading program this spring. The title at we are all going to read and discuss is “Marley and Me” by John Grogan. Although the book has been a best seller for a year or so, it will be a great one to discuss as everyone has had encounters with dogs. We all like to talk about our dogs. As new events related to “One Book…” are developed, we will keep the public informed. The Library will be circulating 8 copies of the book and they will also be sold by the downtown Tooley Drug and