Edited by Barbara Brownell Grogan (National Geographic Society, $40)

Reviewed by Richard Truesdell

If there ever was a book that epitomizes what we stand for here at Automotive Traveler, it would have to be Drives of a Lifetime from the National Geographic Society--our editors' pick as the top book of the year.

This spectacular 318-page volume profiles 500 different drives in every corner of the world. I recently spent an evening poring over this special book, and discovered that I've driven all or part of 75 of the trips described, most of them in North America and Europe.

After putting the book down, I realized it represents a scrapbook of places I've toured during the four decades I've been driving--and of the places I've long dreamed of going.

And, I started pondering which car would be perfect for each journey.

My reminiscing began with the cover photograph, the ribbon of concrete that literally flies over Lake Sylvenstein, south of Munich on the way to the ski resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany. It is one of my favorite drives--preferably in an early 911.

If the bridge over Lake Sylvenstein looks familiar, it should. Countless exotics and vintage cars have been photographed there by the British shooters of Car, Octane, evo, and many other automotive publications.

Driving a rare or exotic car may enrich the road-trip experience, but it's certainly not necessary. I've driven the English Lake District, profiled on Page 95, and some of the world's best driving roads in Scotland, outlined on Page 295.

But my chariot on that Highland Fling adventure was a Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet (we featured the trip in the third issue of Automotive Traveler).

And when I lived in Albuquerque, I frequently drove the Turquoise Trail, also known as NM 14 (Page 237). The Turquoise Trail was the scenic drive to Santa Fe, as opposed to the quick route up Interstate 25. At the time, my daily driver was a 1986 Fiero GT Coupe.

The book is divided into eight chapters: Over Hills & Mountains; By Sea and Shore; Rivers, Valleys, and