Riding Backwards: Tales and Tips from a Seasoned New York City Metro North Train Commuter

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Review Reviewed By Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite Riding Backwards: Tales and Tips from a Seasoned New York City Metro North Train Commuter by Vin De Fina is a humorous yet very eye-opening look at the New York City Metro System. The author takes a personal interest in sharing how you can commute on the New York train system and get to your destination in a pristine condition. Vin De Fina shares his insights into how to use elbows (and how often), finding the best seat on the train (or any seat, to be honest), what to do when you need to pee, saving your feet and stepping out of danger's way, to name a few. His advice and tips are invaluable and you cannot help but be in awe of his courage and the way he got familiar enough with the train system to compile these tips to help other commuters out. The illustrations were very detailed and added a nice touch to every chapter. The dry humor and the witty sentences made reading Riding Backwards very interesting. I think this book will be a great way to help someone out who has just moved to New York City (or any big city for that matter) and is intimidated by the metro system. The narrative is easy to understand, easy to connect with and even easier to 'get' the tips the author gives. I don't think I have ever enjoyed a self-help book this much as I did this one. Author Vin De Fina has done a commendable service to new commuters of the New York City Metro North Train Commuters with his insight into the system. Very detailed, entertaining and educational.Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite Riding Backwards is a work of non-fiction in the comedy vein penned by author Vin De Fina. Subtitled 'Tales and Tips from a Seasoned New York City Metro North Train Commuter', this is a short read filled with anecdotal stories that make for a great coffee table rib-tickler. The accompanying illustrations by cartoonist Kyle Orozovich bring the comedic moments to life in delightful ways, adding another element to the storytelling and charming comedy of Vin De Fina's prose. What results is a superb little book of relatable fun for commuters and an eye-opening experience for those who have never been on the NYC railways. This short and sweet little nugget of comedy gold feels like delving into a really satisfying stand-up comedy set. One of its many good qualities lies in the presence of the author, Vin De Fina, who attacks the material with a great attitude for highlighting the sublime and ridiculous experiences of the daily grind on the Metro North. Having occasionally traveled on this network myself (albeit as a tourist), I found the atmosphere highly authentic and brought to life really well by the dynamic descriptions and clever word choices that De Fina inserts into his tales. Kyle Orozovich's artwork makes the experience all the more delightful as key moments come to life, and sometimes the turn of a page brings a genuine laugh out loud with the one-two punch of the prose and the pictures. Overall, Riding Backwards is a fantastic and fun pick me up for comedy fans everywhere.Reviewed By Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite Riding Backwards: Tales and Tips from a Seasoned New York City Metro North Train Commuter by Vin De Fina, with illustrations by Kyle Orozovich, is a contemporary non-fiction book that highlights both the highs and lows of train commuting. Written in bite-sized vignettes, De Fina provides humorous accounts of their experiences and a sprinkling of the stories others have conveyed, ranging from mismatching socks and color coordinating as a result of a low wattage light bulb to a sleepy passenger dropping a filthy old sock as he went to exit the train, which necessitated an intensive hand scrub. Each story in this anthology is accompanied by a sketch by Orozovich, lending an illustrated depiction of what's to come, such as a man with his hand stuck in the train's toilet bowl, resulting in heavy commuter delays while rescue workers freed "The Moron".As a daily commuter myself on the London Underground, I found Vin De Fina's stories in Riding Backwards to be absolutely hilarious and eerily relatable. My personal favorite was the short story Milk Before Sugar, where De Fina rationalizes why they put their coffee condiments in the opposite way everyone else seems to...a rationale I'd have to agree with, although here it would be in tea rather than coffee (with no concern over decaf or regular, as it's all highly caffeinated on this side of the pond). There are billions of train commuters in densely populated urban cities all over the world, alongside those without the benefit of a public transport network who must drive themselves to work. This book of comedy and sketches are for both, offering laughter and good-natured peeks into the life of daily commuters to people who will absolutely relate and those who are simply curious. Read more From the Author The genesis of this book took place over a decade ago when Iwas transferred from a Connecticut branch office of my company to the New YorkCity National Office.  My regionalManager at the time (let's call him Steve) and NYC Manager (let's call herJoneth) thought that I would do well bringing in business for the company ifofficed in NYC rather than where I was very happy near my home in Stamford, CT.I dreaded taking the train into NYC and the commute. It turned out that they were correct as to my beingsuccessful in NYC, and I adapted to the commute by writing true accounts ofhappenings taking place during the rides back and forth. This book is a productof those commutes-a selection from the many stories written while commuting. Ihope that you enjoy reading them. 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