Driven: A Photobiography of Henry Ford

Reach for this book when your middle schooler begins to notice that people are rarely just heroes or villains. It is a vital resource for a child who is fascinated by technology and innovation but is starting to ask deeper questions about ethics, history, and how a person can do great good while holding harmful beliefs. This photobiography provides a sophisticated look at Henry Ford, the man who put the world on wheels. While it celebrates his engineering genius and the creation of the assembly line, it does not shy away from his darker legacy. Parents will appreciate the balanced approach to Ford's complex personality: his pacifism and fair wages for minority workers contrasted against his aggressive anti-Semitism and anti-union stance. It is an excellent tool for teaching critical thinking and historical context. Aimed at ages 10 to 14, it uses National Geographic's signature high quality photography to bring the industrial revolution to life while fostering a necessary dialogue about the importance of integrity and the impact of one's personal biases on their public legacy.