Summary of Tom Vanderbilt's Traffic

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 We are what we move. When we move from people who walk to people who drive, we experience a change in mode, and this affects how we view others. We view people who walk as harmless polluters, while people who drive are seen as invincible monsters.

#2 The more we drive, the more we struggle to stay human. We become mute in traffic, and instead of complex vocabularies and subtle shifts in facial expression, we use basic signals that convey only the simplest of meanings.

#3 Traffic is full of asymmetries in communication. You can see a lot of other drivers making mistakes, but you are less likely to see yourself doing so. This makes us desperate to communicate, and we often respond to other drivers by honking or giving them the middle finger.

#4 We get angry in our cars to watch ourselves get angry. We are constantly constructing moral dramas in which we are the wronged victims, and the avenging hero.

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Release date

Ebook: 18 May 2022