cover image International Express: New Yorkers on the 7 Train

International Express: New Yorkers on the 7 Train

Stéphane Tonnelat and William Kornblum. Columbia Univ, $35 (304p) ISBN 978-0-231-18148-8

In this thought-provoking book, ethnographer Tonnelat and sociology professor Kornblum (At Sea in the City) explore how mass transit shapes the identities of New Yorkers. The authors use a wide array of perspectives from the 7 subway line, which was designated a national landmark for its role in the lives of the varied communities of American immigrants who live along its route. The ethnographic approach is academic, but the authors avoid jargon. The book covers the expansion of the subway lines into Queens and the concomitant effects on the city’s population. Its strength lies in the analysis of interactions among the various non-passenger players at a major station, such as vendors, Metropolitan Transit Association staff, and the police, as well as the etiquette and unwritten rules of riders. New Yorkers will especially be fascinated by the authors’ examination of subway competencies, including how savvy riders maximize their chances of getting a seat. Through their study of the subway system as a microcosm of a diverse society, Tonnelat and Kornblum make a significant contribution to urban studies. (Apr.)