We've all accidentally shared a magazine or newspaper with our fellow El passengers by forgetting it on our seat. Chicago Ideas Week's newly launched "Books on the L" program aims to share hundreds of books in a similar fashion, by simply placing them on trains all over the city. If you're lucky enough to stumble across a book, you're free to take it home, read it and then bring it back to a train and leave it for someone else.
What types of literature can you expect to find on the CTA? Many of the books being distributed are written by Chicago Ideas Week speakers, including Peter Thiel's Zero to One and Christian Rudder's Dataclysm, but you'll also be able to find lighter fare, like Mindy Kaling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me and Jim Gaffigan's Dad Is Fat. A few of the books will contain a golden ticket, which can be used to gain free entry to a Chicago Ideas Week talk. If you've already exhausted your fall reading list, just search the next train you ride for a new tome to skim.