Deciding to See: The View from Nathan's Bus

by Nathan Vass

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published May 20, 2025

Reviews

[Keith Trnka · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a heartfelt collection of stories from driving buses in Seattle. It makes for an interesting book because each bus encounter is about 2-4 pages so you're getting new interesting situations throughout the book. I found it very uplifting to hear how Nathan dealt with many tough situations over the years, and how people generally respond positively to kindness.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nathan Vass drives a Metro bus in Seattle on the night shift. He also meets and interacts with a wide range of passengers on his route. This is his second book of short essays about those passenger interactions and the philosophical musings they inspire. It is a wonderful book, and Seattle is lucky to have Nathan on that nighttime bus.

[Joelle Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! I’m a perfect Venn diagram overlap of Seattle bus rider, human nature behavioral pattern noticer, easily thrilled by everything including lane merges, downtown pedestrian, and former north Seattle/Aurora resident. It was like he wrote the book just for me.

I recommend this book for anyone who likes me because it will make you smile.

[Julie P · Rating 3 out of 5]

His last book was a great read. This one was difficult to get through. It drips with self-righteousness and annoyingly disparages other bus operators for not being more like him. After page 140 or so I found it a slog.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've ever read about Seattle. I laughed; I cried; I convinced myself that I've ridden through downtown with some of these memorable folks. Nathan has more insight and empathy than all of our local politicians put together.

[Chris]

"There's more than you know."

[Bridget Keaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was lovely. A beautiful compilation of stories from Seattle’s rougher neighborhoods. Nathan manages to see and celebrate goodness in every corner. He brings so much light and perspective

[jess mak · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this! Especially fun bc I ride a lot of these routes. Nathan is a great storyteller + reminds us to have empathy for everyone! It’s so easy to be passive, especially here in Seattle.