Book 20: "Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche" by Haruki Murakami

In the aftermath of the terrorist attack by members of the Aum Shinrikyo Cult, Murakami decided to interview as many of the people who were caught up in the attacks as possible. The first part of the book consists of interviews with commuters and underground staff, and relatives of the one of the dead and a woman who was severely disabled by the attack, as well as two or three hospital doctors who were on duty that day. Each interview is preceded by a biographical note about the interviewee's life and personality, so you see them as individuals not faceless victims. It's surprising how many people initially thought that their symptoms were due to anaemia, and even more surprising how many people continued their journeys to work, and only went to hospital when they started feeling worse or realised that they had been poisoned when the media started running the story of the attack.

The second half of the book, written after the publication of the first half, contains more interviews, this time with members of Aum some of whom are still unwilling to admit that the cult was responsible, and others who were disillusioned even before the gas attack.