Margaret Guroff visited Google's office in Cambridge, MA to discuss "The Mechanical Horse: How the Bicycle Reshaped American Life". The book reveals how the bicycle transformed American life. As bicycling caught on in the 19th century, many of the country's rough, rutted roads were paved for the first time, laying a foundation for the interstate highway system. Cyclists were among the first to see the possibilities of self-directed, long-distance travel, and some of them (including Henry Ford) went on to develop the automobile. Women shed their cumbersome Victorian dresses—as well as their restricted gender roles—so they could ride. And doctors recognized that aerobic exercise actually benefits the body, which helped to modernize medicine.