What they're reading underground...

Aline writes: The Tube is such an fascinating place - how so many people can coexist in such close proximity and yet maintain their solitude amazes me every time I ride it at rush hour. This ability to exist in your own little world has been enhanced by the iPod; I think one in every two tube riders is now wearing headphones. But not to worry, there are still plenty of riders maintaining their own little world the old-fashioned way: by reading books.

When I am not wearing my iPod, I amuse myself by covertly people-watching. In addition to wondering why English men seem to love pink ties with blue shirts, I spy on people who are reading. Here are the last few titles I have seen (yes, I do have a little notebook I write them down in, so maybe I am not as covert as I think!):

King of the World by David Remnick

Colossus: The Price of America's Empire by Niall Ferguson

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Fighter Boys by Patrick Bishop

The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

Fatal Error by Colleen Thompson

Invitation to Awaken by Tony Parsons

The Trial by Franz Kafka

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson