Chris Balish is a man on a mission. The author of a new book, “How to Live Well Without Owning a Car,” wants all of us to challenge the notion that we need a car. Most important, he says we all should re-evaluate the cost of car ownership.

Can more of us live without our cars?

I think it’s about time we all seriously contemplated this question and not just because of the whiplash we’ve been getting with gas prices.

Balish, who lives in Southern California and is an award-winning broadcast journalist, began his car-free existence in 2003 after deciding to sell his $36,000 Toyota Sequoia SUV because of its gas addiction. His intention, he writes, was to buy a smaller, more fuel-efficient car that was still “sexy and impressive.” He sold the SUV before he found a replacement.

Those initial days without a car liberated him and his budget, he writes. In the three years he’s been without a car, Balish said he’s saved $36,926.

There are other reasons to go car-free. Balish, who is 39 and single, said his social life actually improved.

Mostly, Balish gets to where he wants to go on his own by taking public transportation, a taxi, a rental car or biking.

Now before you get all defensive, even Balish admits not everyone can do without a car.

“Most families with children in the U.S. have at least two cars,” Balish said. “For them, the best way to approach this is to begin by getting rid of one of the cars, what I call living ‘car-lite.’ I think families will be surprised how easy it is.”

Even if living car-free or car-lite isn’t for you, you’ll still learn a lot from this book. I did. If nothing else, I’ll be driving less.