Book Review

Jerry Aaron’s love affair with trucks began when he was six years old when his uncle took him for a short ride in his Autocar. That fateful ride, on Christmas Eve 1948, led Jerry to a career in trucking that would last 45 years. Most of his time behind the wheel was spent in California and Nevada, crossing various treacherous routes over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Wanting to document his own personal experiences from behind the wheel, as well as others that had come before him, Jerry recently wrote and published “Diesel Smoke Over Asphalt Ribbons: Dreams in the Rearview Mirror” – a book that is now available in softcover for $21.95 or hardcover for $27.95. This book is an affectionate, detailed look at trucking and truck drivers in Nevada and California who hauled loads over US 40 and the infamous Donner Pass during the 1930s and on, into the day of modern trucking along Interstate 80. Jerry’s life-and-death experiences provide insight as to how dangerous a trucker’s life can be. He put this book together to not only tell his stories, but to also give a unique perspective to those not familiar with trucking or for those young drivers who are just getting started. Jerry vividly explains how hard work, common sense and luck were all key aspects of his successful career. This 222-page book is filled with 120 black and white photographs and all sorts of stories and revealing interviews, and is a must-have for trucking historians and old big rig fans alike. Now available from the publisher or online at www.amazon.com, the author can be contacted via mail at Diesel Smoke, 5296 Santa Rosa Avenue, Sparks, NV 89436 or via e-mail at jerryaarondiesel@att.net. At first, you will love flipping through the old pictures in this book, but once you start reading the text, you will be drawn in to Jerry’s unique look at the fascinating world of trucking!