Traffic: Why We Drive The Way We Do | Teen Ink

Traffic: Why We Drive The Way We Do

February 10, 2009
By Lindsay Quintana BRONZE, Plano, Texas
Lindsay Quintana BRONZE, Plano, Texas
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Tom Vanderbilt expresses his views about the modern day driver in his nonfiction
novel Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us). Although
highly informative, it was very hard to grasp as a young adult. The content of the
book comprised of mostly statistics and historical references that made it dry and
repetitive.

Although the novel was relatable for all drivers, it was unrelatable when it came to
the actual text. Vanderbilt dragged on and on about how people are the source of
problems in traffic problems. It is more redundant than anything, and does not
really get to the point fast enough. This caused the reader to lose focus a lot, and
lead to confusing context that seemed to go nowhere.

The novel often talked about how people drive just to go somewhere, and is
constantly repeating what he is talking about with statistical views that make the
book dry. The elaborate context often leaves the reader bored and unentertained.
There were some parts of the book that were intelligently and cleverly put together,
but was not consistant throughout.

After about the first fifty pages, the reader finds themselves confused and thinking
to themselves "what have I just read," and leaves a sour taste in their mouths.


Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.