Derailed: What Went Wrong and What to Do About America's Passenger Trains

Former Amtrak official Joseph Vranich blows the whistle on his onetime employer. The federally financed passenger-train company is a complete waste of money, writes Vranich. Instead of subsidizing inefficient rail service, the government should liquidate Amtrak and allow market forces to exert more influence over the train business. This would provide the double benefit of improving service for commuters who depend upon railways and saving taxpayer dollars. Derailed is a surprisingly accessible book on public policy; it would make fine reading on the ride to work tomorrow morning, or at least on the platform while you're waiting for the train to show up.