Postscript to Just Fine the Way They Are

You might think that, when a book is published, the story it tells is finished. Not true!

In the final illustration for the picture book Just Fine the Way They Are, Richard Walz reaches into a mythical future to imagine what a post-automobile era might look like. He envisions a jet-pack like invention – a personal flying machine – that will surely set young readers’ hearts racing. Imagine being able to fly anywhere!

A recent article in BusinessWeek suggests a different, and, to me, less enticing future: driverless cars that can be packed like sardines onto interstates while still moving at high speeds. Passive “drivers” could snooze while the car takes them where they want to go and anti-crash technology would eliminate accidents.

Frankly, I’m hoping for the jet-pack!