Driven

Praise for Driven No big event kicks Driven into gear. Nobody is a celebrity. There is no specific wrong to be righted, no particular injustice to be exposed. Indeed, Di Cintio consciously abjures the best-known tropes of cab driving ... Instead, he sticks to wanting to know about cab drivers, and this impulse-plain, old-fashioned inquisitiveness-is a journalistic force not to be underestimated ... It takes up a subject so ordinary that you hardly notice it, but it becomes more interesting the closer you look. In fact, the closer you look, the more your view is not of a single subject at all but of an entire world. -Literary Review of Canada A varied, eclectic collection of stories from the frontlines of North America's taxi industry, showcasing the indomitable hope of the people who literally keep our cities moving forward. -Maclean's Driven is an engaging, impeccably investigated, character-driven work of narrative nonfiction, told with Di Cintio's wonderful dark humour, keen empathy, and rich journalistic eye. The book is a searing testament to the power of untold stories, of people who exist in the margins, of hidden histories, as well as an examination of Canada's immigration laws. Driven urges us to rethink the enduring toll on those individuals who labour for us and take us where we need to go. A truly fine blend of heart-break, guffaws, and research. -Lindsay Wong, author of The Woo-Woo and My Summer of Love and Misfortune In these deeply researched and richly-often shockingly-detailed portraits of Canadian taxi drivers from all over the world, Di Cintio reveals, among other things, the heavy price exacted by getting here, and staying here. The funny, savage, and poignant stories in these pages give a fresh urgency to an old saying that all of us should remember the next time we get into a taxi: 'Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.' -John Vaillant, author of The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival An astonishing book about folks from all over, many of whom have been through total hell but have somehow made their way out ... You never know who's driving you. Each person contains multitudes. -Margaret Atwood on Twitter Fascinating ... Nuanced ... In Driven, Di Cintio stayed in his own country and paid close attention to the men and women most of us take for granted. Most were immigrants. Many came from war-torn nations. Many were what Di Cintio calls 'chess masters of their own lives,' possessing a genius and ingenuity that few of us recognize. -Calgary Herald Praise for Marcello Di Cintio Di Cintio researches his subjects thoroughly, conducts in depth reporting, and writes with vigour and humility. -Kamal Al-Solaylee, Quill & Quire Di Cintio weaves together history with a sense of place and infuses character with dialogue and humor ... masterful. -Selma Dabbagh, The Electronic Intifada Illuminating reading from a highly engaged author. -Kirkus Reviews