Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)
by Tom Vanderbilt
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Book Summary Information
Author: Tom VanderbiltEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Deckle Edge
Published: 2008-07-29
ISBN: 0307264785
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Knopf
Book Reviews of Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)
Book Review: "Driving" more than "Traffic"
Summary: 3 Stars
Sitting in traffic one often wonders about the cause of the delay and what can be done about it. The idea that drivers could still be sitting in congestion long after the cause has dissipated is fascinating and consistent with day to day observations. This book examines traffic congestion, accidents, driving patterns and the implications for road design. It is written for the casual reader rather than the specialist.
The first chapter is a long and meandering discussion of driver psychology which made me think that Driving would have been a more appropriate title than Traffic. It is more about people than about vehicles and less about the mechanics of traffic flow than about human behavior. This is both enlightening and frustrating, because the author seems to imply that much of what determines traffic cannot be quantified or rigorously modeled. This makes the tone somewhat unscientific. Much of the discussion of driver behavior relies on quotes from various authorities rather than a critical evaluation of their data. Presumably a conscious choice was made not to include charts, diagrams or equations. A pity, because the subject matter would have been better illuminated with visual aids. The examination of interesting concepts like rolling traffic jams strikes me as superficial.
The book's biggest flaw is the poor editing. The material is presented without much organization, with disparate ideas not only sharing the same chapter but often the same paragraph. Because of the meandering and halting flow (akin to downtown traffic) the author's thesis is unclear. `What is the bottom line?' one wonders. Findings of different researchers are lumped together with no effort to divide them into arguments for or against a particular conclusion or to distinguish between stronger and weaker lines of reasoning. The author presents the opinions of different experts but makes no attempt to seriously evaluate them or to present a contrary opinion. The result is a curiously bland discussion with no hint of any disagreements within the field.
In summary, Traffic examines issues of interest to any driver and touches upon interesting concepts. The lack of critical analysis and poor organization detract from what could have been a fascinating book.
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