Grammy winner David Byrne is best known as the lead singer and founder of the iconic group Talking Heads. Recently, the singer/songwriter has changed creative gears, and written a new book about his bike riding travels around the world: Bicycle Diaries (Viking, 304pgs). An avid cyclist for more than 20 years, Byrne rides his bike almost everyday at home in New York City, and often takes a portable bike with him on tour. Byrne feels that hitting the streets on two wheels is a unique way to experience the pulse of a city. “On a bike, being just slightly above pedestrian and car eye level, one gets a perfect view of the goings-on in one’s own town.”

From his bicycle seat, Byrne muses about the unique sensibilities that each city has and how these sensibilities have come to be defined. “Does it come from the socioeconomic-ethnic mix; are the proportions in the urban stew critical, like in a recipe?” Whether at home or abroad, Byrne strives for direct interaction with a city and it’s people. This desire for engagement with the global community is what drives the book. His observations, insight and creativity promise to make Bicycle Diaries an enjoyable read.

Read an excerpt