Book Review of Uber Chronicles: Field Notes from the Front Seat
By JenLyn Fitz
Uber has become extremely popular since it was founded in 2009 by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp. And it’s currently available in more than 66 countries with Uber drivers in 449 cities worldwide.
Uber makes it really easy for people to get to where they need to be … quickly. All that a person needs to do is use the Uber app on their Smartphone to request a ride from a nearby Uber driver. Then they usually need to wait for only a few minutes before the driver arrives to take them to their destination.
The book, Uber Chronicles: Field Notes from the Front Seat, explains some of this information, but it really goes into depth about the author’s interactions with the people that she has had in her car for Uber trips. The author is absolutely amazing not only with how good of an Uber driver she is but also with how she is sharing her stories! I do not think that I could have the courage to drive for Uber, let alone have her patience and understanding.
While her writing is very matter of fact, it is also filled with humor and insight. Even though I don’t think that she realizes it, she becomes personally involved with everyone who uses her services. She seems to enjoy learning not only about the person or people that she is driving, but what they do as well as any other small tidbits of information that they mention.
I love how she seems to learn more about herself as she continues to drive. She realizes that there is a learning curve as an Uber driver and she continues to expand her knowledge and skills accordingly. She is also very willing to admit when she has made mistakes as she is picking people up, dropping them off or carrying on conversations. She even manages to see the bright side to many unfortunate situations, like the Molehill Lady. (Everyone needs to read that portion of the book!)
Her experiences will not only help other Uber drivers but anyone who is trying to be successful in any job that they have. This is a very enjoyable book, and I am very happy that I took the time to read about the author’s experiences. I feel that I have learned quite a bit from her point of view and I hope that she will continue to share her experiences in the future.
