Sunday, December 14, 2008

Berlin Guidebook

Berliners pride themselves on having one of the best public transport systems in the world, and their subway, the U-Bahn, is probably the reason why. After being cut in half and falling into disrepair during the Cold War, the U-Bahn has been almost completely restored to a regular and reliable service of nine lines and 170 stations covering most of Berlin’s inner city (it’s sister network, the S-Bahn, will take you to its outer reaches).

Day tickets run to 6,10€, which covers you across the city’s extensive network of buses, trams and trains (this is Berlin, so you can bring your bike and dog with you, but don’t forget to pick up an extra ticket). Stations, for the most part, are clean, safe and functional even in the wee hours, and trains run all night on the weekend — a godsend for Berliners, who don’t really start partying until after midnight.

Recently

• • Berlin Guidebook
  • A short submission to a guidebook on Berlin, focusing on the city's thoroughly awesome public transport network. There's more.
• • NY, 1972
  • A piece, published in the Berlin journal The Extra Room, on an experimental psychological treatment pioneered in New York in the 1970s with heroin-addicted Vietnam vets. There's more.
• • I am no good at handling difficult people
  • The mysterious case of the Vikings in Greenland, and how their disappearance explains why old Australian women won't eat kangaroo. There's more.
• • The Tao of Rejuvenation
  • The Tao of Rejuenation is a comprehensive guide to traditional health and healing. Originally penned by an American Chinese doctor and herbalist, I rewrote the manuscript for its publication by Random House. It's out now. There's more.