Notes from the Underground

Notes from the Underground explores the many ways in which each city's subway is emblematic of its urban character, demonstrating how the passenger experience provides a deepened insight into the city's "brand identity". Think of how closely our perception of London, Paris, and New York is associated with their tube, metro and subway. The book's orientation is neither technical nor historical, but rather visual, allowing the general reader to see the subway through the whimsical and affectionate design lens of a "transit tourist." Notes from the Underground shows that subways are not just a means of transport--they are an indelible part of a city's DNA, and to understand a city, you really need to understand its subway. At the end of each chapter, the author "grades" each subway from one to four tokens based on its convenience, ease of use, design quality, and personality. Not just a book for "trolley jollies," this book should appeal to urbanists, design aficionados, and armchair travelers everywhere.