Ted Evanoff, longtime auto industry reporter at the Indianapolis Star, and former Star features writer Abe Aamidor, an auto/motor afficionado, have pooled their talents to pen a book whose title is self-explanatory:  "At the Crossroads: Middle America and the Battle to Save the Car Industry."

The book, due out around March 1, is published by ECW Press (inidependent, based in Toronto, well-established at 30 years).

The work is 390 pages and provides an indepth look at "Wall Street's influence on the Detroit auto industry; the role of the unions in last year's (2009) crisis; and the impact on small towns in Indiana, including Kokomo, Marion, and Bedford," says Aamidor in an email.

"Dozens of interviews were done; Ted has cited a massive library of economics books as they relate to auto industry trends, too, and did some national interviews," he adds.

Here is the link:

http://www.ecwpress.com/books/crossroads

Aamidor says their Midwest backgrounds paid off:

"The publisher was thrilled at the prospect of having two writers who actually live and work in the heartland, the affected Middle America and rust belt, rather than relying on people who just fly in from NYC and Washington. He was right, too...

The book is aimed at a mass market.

Here's a little more explanation from Aamidor, who has had several books published in the past and was hands-down the most prolific writer I had the pleasure to work with at the Star, as well as one of the most gifted:

"Ted did the 'big picture' economics, and the influence of free trade, an emphasis on shareholder value, growing auto industry indebtedness and Wall Street generally on the Detroit auto industry. We do some analysis of product, which was deficient, but the big picture is essentially economic theory.

"I mostly traveled around the state talking to leaders and rank-and-file in various UAW Locals from Kokomo to Marion to Bedford, and followed the paths of several small-town mayors, most notably Greg Goodnight of Kokomo, but also former Olympic skater Wayne Seybold of Marion, former police detective Kris Ockomon of Anderson, and former medical social worker Shawna Girgis, the mayor of Bedford. I also spoke to many small business owners in the affected auto towns. Ted contributed some interviews here, too.

"I also looked closely at UAW history and past and current UAW contracts, and tried to explain things in layman's terms as best as possible. My union background helped me with access - buying (former Star columnist/editor) John Strauss' Chevrolet Camaro Z28 in 2008 didn't hurt me, either, in making contacts (I've since traded that car on a red 2002 Camaro Coupe with low miles and T-tops).

"We each read and edited each other's chapters, and we developed the outline for the book in unison. I was more or less responsible for continuity, and did the Index. Ted's estimate that we each did about 50 percent of the writing is correct, and we worked very well together."

Congratulations and good luck in sales.