The Detroit bureau chief of "The New York Times" exposes the dangers posed to the people who drive SUVs and the drivers who must share the road with them, tracing the vehicle's history, environmental impact, and crashworthiness.

Early rumblings -- Reviving a corpse -- Creating the Ford Explorer -- Paving the road to ever bigger SUVs -- The SUV economy -- Reptile dreams -- The myth of four-wheel-drive safety -- Rollovers -- Kill rates -- The SUV insurance subsidy -- Trouble for cities -- Global warming, gasoline mileage, and a gentlemen's agreement -- Seducing the press -- The green prince -- The Ford Explorer- Firestone Tire debacle -- The next drivers of SUVs -- Crossover utilities -- The Schwarzenegger dividend -- The triumph of SUVs -- Finding a way out.