For those of you not familiar with his multifarious and astounding body of work, David Byrne is a 21st century Renaissance man. Even before reading this book (which is the very first book of his I have read), I have long considered David Byrne to be probably the coolest guy around today (in that hipster, geeky definition of "cool"). Byrne is the former lead-man for the Talking Heads, who were easily one of the most progressive, fun/serious, and awesome musical acts of their time (consider the album "Naked"... amazing... simply amazing). But his talents and interests extend so far beyond the reach of the Talking Heads that I even hesitate to begin there. So let's just get to the book, since that's what this dog and pony show is really about anyhow (cover pictured above, with Byrne in his classic ironic pose).
"Bicycle Diaries" is Byrne's most recent book (published in 2009), of which he has written six. Essentially, this non-fiction book is a personal and meandering exploration of cities and thought from the vantage point of a bicycle seat. I have to admit that at first I was a tad vexed by the seeming lack of direction in this book; but I quickly realized that the book doesn't need a direction. Surprise, surprise!! It's a little like riding a bike! As an avid bicyclist myself, I fully understand that one of the most liberating and fun aspects of bicycling is the exploration and rambling inherent in this mode of travel. When you are on a bike, you can cruise at your own pace, let the mind wander, and soak up the world around you. "Bicycle Diaries" manifests this attitude in book form. The product is delightful.
At about 300 pages, this beautifully hardbound book is chocked full of random photos and drawings, maps and replicas, and small printing details (like a flip-book feature that results in a biker riding his way across the bottom right of the pages) that really make the final product an endearing and "heirloom" type of book. You can tell that Byrne is a keen visual artist when you navigate the thoughtfully laid out pages and binding. Though this hardbound first edition it was a bit expensive (at about $30), I really enjoyed the elegant composition of the book as a whole.
Inside, the reader discovers the varied exploits of our eccentric navigator. Byrne takes us around the world relating to us his sometimes impressive, sometimes weird, sometimes esoteric, and always thought-provoking experiences. The book is divided into chapters dedicated to a particular world city: Buenos Aires, Manila, Berlin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Istanbul, Sydney, and, of course, New York (his home city). As he navigates the city on bike, meets up with artist friends, and contemplates the ramifications of modern society, we get a revealing perspective on an individual who has a remarkable (and, I think, accurate) take on the world around us. It's tough to pin down any themes through the book (because ideas are fleeting and somewhat schizophrenic), but I really enjoyed hearing the author's take on city design and planning, transportation alternatives, art, music, language, local culture, the effects of immigration/emigration and assimilation, traditions, politics, war, philosophy, and anything else under the sun. Usually I would probably complain about a book that fails to take on any one idea fully (with the exception of maybe bike transportation and it's ramifications in the modern world). But I think that Byrne effectively and reasonably limited the intended scope of his book such that the reader is not disappointed when he abruptly ends his spiel on, say, subways and begins ruminating upon his latest public art installation or Wittgenstein.
As long as you don't expect any real answers from this book, you stand to get a lot out of it. Byrne is, if anything, an extremely progressive thinker and tinkerer. He is so open minded and his ideas seem to operate in possibilities rather than limitations. Simultaneously, he is ostensibly a critical human being and a cynic. In short, he is a dynamic guy who is so much a reflection of his time and place that it is almost scary. Strike that; he is a bit scary. But I like scary.
I would highly suggest this book for a travel read (I really wish I had this book while hitch-hiking in Patagonia). It is engaging, but it is easy enough to drop off and pick right back up where you left off at a later point in time. I look forward to reading another David Byrne book in the near future, most likely "Arboretum".
And, of course, what would my blog be without the bread-and-butter?? Here come the quotes!! Here come the quotes!!
"Maybe absolute justice, like absolute anything, rarely exists except in mathematics" - David Byrne, Bicycle Diaries, pg 71
"One theory regarding language is that it is primarily a useful tool born out of the need for control.... What's amazing is that if we accept this idea, then what may have begun as an instrument of social and economic control has now been internalized by us as a mark of being civilized. As if being controlled were, by inference, seen as a good thing, and to proudly wear the badge of this agent of control - to be able to read and write - makes us better, superior, more advanced.... We've come to love the chains that bind us, that control us, for we believe that they are us." - David Byrne, Bicycle Diaries, pg 161-2 (btw, I don't really agree with this, but it is thought provoking)
"The myth of neutrality is an effective blanket for a host of biases." - David Byrne, Bicycle Diaries, pg 213
"I'm not sure I know anyone, anyone at all, who is completely sane. Sure, I know plenty of people who play the sanity game with skill and daring. Their masks of having it together are well secured, and they don't spit out profanities or stare googly-eyed into space." - David Byrne, Bicycle Diaries, pg 235
"The limits of my language are the limits of my mind. All I know is what I have words for." - Wittgenstein
"Now, with the atomic bomb especially, as White points out, that protective aspect of what a city is has been turned upside down." - David Byrne, Bicycle Diaries, pg 260
"If democracy is to prevail, public good must prevail over private interests." - Enrique Peñalosa, former mayor of Bogotá, Colombia
"The poor transvestites are always getting shoved from one neglected zone to another." - David Byrne, Bicycle Diaries, pg 291
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