Traffic

July 28, 2008
Vanderbilt looks at the psychology of driving and the many false impressions drivers use to operate their vehicles. He also looks at other subjects potentially unconsidered by the average driver, such as traffic control centers and smart technology that improves driving decisions. David Slavin's diverse application of tone and personality make him a great choice for this production. Vanderbilt's writing is accessible, but it changes in tone depending on the context (ranging from life-and-death issues of accidents to reflecting about traffic controllers protesting during the Academy Awards). Slavin balances these shifting thoughts and maintains an overall energetic personality throughout the production. The big challenge of this audiobook is how much drivers who listen to audiobooks will adjust their habits while listening to it. A Knopf hardcover. (Reviews, May 19).

May 19, 2008
In this lively and informative volume, Vanderbilt (Survival City
) investigates how human nature has shaped traffic, and vice versa, finally answering drivers' most familiar and frustrating questions: why does the other lane always seem faster? why do added lanes seem to intensify congestion? whatever happened to signaling for turns? He interviews traffic reporters, engineers, psychologists studying human-machine interactions and radical Dutch urban planners who design intersections with no pavement markings, traffic signs or signals. Backed by an impressive array of psychological, sociological, historical, anecdotal and economic research, the author's presentation is always engaging and often sobering: his findings reveal how little attention drivers pay to the road and how frequently they misjudge crucial information. Sections on commuting distances and the amount of driving done by women versus men (guess who runs more household errands?) feel fresh and timely. Referring to traffic as “an environment that has become so familiar we no longer see it” and a “secret window onto the soul of a place,” Vanderbilt heightens awareness of an institution and its attendant behaviors that are all too often taken for granted.

Starred review from June 15, 2008
Everyone gets stuck in traffic at some point, and here freelance journalist Vanderbilt ("Survival City: Adventures Among the Ruins of Atomic America") provides a fascinating look at the whys and hows of the traffic we confront on a daily basis. Deeply researched and rich in facts, his sociological study of driving habits and traffic patterns could not come at a better time. Rising fuel costs, deferred road maintenance and construction, increasing populations, and growing congestion mean that traffic is not going to get better. Among the findings here are that traffic increases by one third when parents ferry kids to school; most car crashes happen on clear, sunny days; men honk more than women; and highways can handle more cars at 55 mph than at 80 mph. In researching the book, Vanderbilt consulted government documents, behavioral journals, census and demographic data, engineering studies, and local, state, and federal transportation reports. He even provides a comparative study of traffic in other countries. Anyone who drives will not be surprised overall but may be shocked at some of the analysis that is presented here for the first timeand may become a safer driver because of it. Even pedestrians are affected by traffic and should read this book. Recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 4/1/08.]Eric C. Shoaf, Brown Univ. Lib., Providence, RI

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2008
This may be the most insightful and comprehensive study ever done of driving behavior and how it reveals truths about the types of people we are. The author tackles some of drivings most persistent unanswered questions (Why does the other lane always move faster? Why do we turn into other people when we drive? Is it better to merge early or late?) and offers, if not definitive answers, at least sensible, plausible, and well-argued ones. Vanderbilt shows how road engineering and human nature sometimes clash and sometimes work in harmony; how most of us arent as safe on the road as we think we are (and why this is so); dispels some common myths (talking on a cell phone doesnt noticeably affect our concentration; dialing does); and makes us take a long, hard look at our own driving habits. The author, a technology and design writer, has a clear, unadorned style andbacks up his observations with information derived from studies conducted by a variety of researchers around the world. Of particular interest are the numerous comparisons between American driving rules and habits and those of various foreign countries and some of the experimentation being done to find ways to make the roads safer (such as ways for drivers to receive feedback about their performance from their fellow drivers). Definitely written for a general audience, the book is both informative and engaging. Expect off-the-book-page attention.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)