This is almost a railfan book, even if the author does not describe himself in that way. He is a journalist who goes out of his way to ride trains. He even did his honeymoon on the Trans-Siberian Express. He sees both people and things -- this is not always true of rail buffs. The opening trip in the book is circling around the United States with his 20 year ld son, which is fetching. There is commentary on time-keeping and the way different cultures approach it (or don't). A book to relish. ( )