I'm fascinated by New York City. I lived there as a teenager and as an intern following my PhD. I am therefore always eager to read books about the city. INTERNATIONAL EXPRESS looked quite different from what I am used to reading, so I gave it a try. It's a sociological/anthropological study of the New York City Transit Authority 7 subway line, and those who ride it.

Especially recommended for anyone who has experience on the NY subway, but also anyone who's ever commuted using a subway system. Really enjoyed this.

(In some ways, this reminded me of The New York Nobody Knows by William Helmreich, which I would also recommend.)

Sociological / anthropological study of how the New York subway helps new urban residents become urban citizens acclimated to the US. Doesn't seem to have a ton new to say, but instead draws from lots of the classic urban sociologists, which makes it useful as an intro to social science. The fact it uses a wide range of methods (neighborhood walk interviews with subway commuters, gleaning themes from message boards, aggregating police and census data, observing vendors at subway stops, participant observation, having high school students make subway diaries) is very impressive as well, and is a good model for how social science should use a multi-method approach to best understand complex concepts.