Straphanger

December 12, 2011
Getting there might be half the fun, but it’s also a point of serious consideration in the latest from journalist Grescoe (Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood). Chronicling his voyage around the world to research different transit systems, Grescoe covers cities from Paris to Portland, Ore., examining the ways our means of transport affects how we function as a community. His exploration of the different aspects of train travel abroad—as compared to the U.S.—suggests how transportation tension can be quelled through better service. His illustrations of the benefits of bike travel in Copenhagen and Montreal show how bike riding merges health and environmental perks with emotional benefits. The crucial point is enunciated by a University of Tokyo professor of urban transport: “The kind of lifestyle you want to have in the future depends on your values, your way, your decisions; whether you are willing to pay more money to support public transport.” While the book raises intriguing points about public transportation reform, it proves one-sided in its argument, and a contrary reader can’t help pondering the difficulty of implementing automobile alternatives on a large scale. However, Grescoe presents a strong and timely argument for moving metropolitan motorists away from their cars. Agent: Michelle Tessler, Tessler Literary Agency.

February 15, 2012
A unique look at mass transit in 13 major cities. In his latest, Grescoe (Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood, 2008, etc.), who "has never owned a car," chronicles his global travels as he discusses the evolution and function of mass transit in a wide variety of international cities: his hometown of Montreal, Shanghai, New York, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Paris, Copenhagen, Moscow, Tokyo, Bogota, Portland, Vancouver and Philadelphia. In each, the author examines the car-vs.-mass transit debate, discussing how culture and history affect the conversation. "Though I grew up with romantic tales of gasoline-fueled escape," writes the author, "I'm fine with a slower, more rooted life." Grescoe explores the major problems, mainly inefficiency and overcrowding, faced by each city's mass-transit experiment. The book is rife with bits of interesting trivia, and it almost reads like a travelogue as the author revels in the wonders of his diverse destinations. With a smooth, accessible narrative style, Grescoe inserts himself into the story enough to create a narrative thread but not so much that the book becomes about him. Each chapter is packed with important information, so some readers may find it more appealing to read the book in pieces in order to process the larger implications for each city. "[A]round the world, there is a revolution going on in the way people travel," writes the author. "It rewrites the DNA of formerly car-centered cities, making the streets better places to be, and restoring something cities sorely need: real public space." A captivating, convincing case for car-free--or at least car-reduced--cities.

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November 15, 2011

With the rising cost and dwindling supply of petroleum, soon we'll all be straphangers--that is, users of public transportation, which is undoubtedly underfunded but rescued here from its bad rap as a noisy, dirty means of conveyance limited to the not-so-rich. Grescoe (Bottomfeeder) offers a global survey of this efficient, world-smart way to go. Don't overlook, even if you're far from buses or subways; they're the future.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2012
The whimsical title of freelance travel writer Grescoe's paean to public transportation refers to the people who stand while riding metropolitan subways and buses every day to their jobs instead of adding their cars to increasingly congested traffic streams. Grescoe admits his bias up front. He has never owned a car and has ridden buses or trains to work every day of his life. His entertaining and illuminating look at the revolution in public transport now taking place around the world is grounded in the hard reality that automobiles have been detrimental to both air quality and citizen-friendly urban development. To look at the emerging alternatives, Grescoe takes us to cities as far-flung as Moscow, Tokyo, and Bogota, where new subway systems and electric-powered buses are increasingly enticing commuters to abandon their gas-powered vehicles. Grescoe's adventurous, first-person inspection of the world's latest high-tech transit systems keeps readers engaged while underscoring the importance of developing greener forms of transportation.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)