As one of Marian Swerdlow's seniors in the NYCTA, I don't think any of us thought we were the subjects of a sociologist's eye while we were working with her. It turns out we were, and Underground Woman is the result.

Swerdlow's book brings back many memories of my former railroad and the people in it. Many of her anecdotes ring true - at times I was laughing out loud - although I was never aware of the depth of the hostility she apparently held towards senior people, motormen, and myself in particular until I read this book. (I am the "Mary Hansen" character in her book, and I find it interesting that Swerdlow chooses to perpetuate in the outside press outright untruths about myself, my career, and my activities in the Transport Workers Union.) None of us who came before her and worked to change conditions in the subway, unless they joined the New Directions movement, apparently did anything worth respecting in her view.

Many of the folk tales and outlines of the life, times, and culture of the NYC subway system are vividly captured in Underground Woman. It's a pity that because of her single-minded focus on union affairs, how they should be conducted, and how New Directions can save subway workers from themselves, that she missed so much more of what goes on outside of "official" union and management channels. The condescending attitude of many New Directions activists, especially towards those who support neither the status quo in TWU nor New Directions, turns many people off who would otherwise support them.

I give Swerdlow credit for having the sense to leave the job when she realized that working in the railroad industry was simply not the place for her. Her book is very good in capturing the rhythm and flow of life in Rapid Transit Transportation, but derails itself by portraying any non-supporters of New Directions in a clearly negative light.