general

Patrick Smith's "Ask The Pilot" Salon column is a near perfect example of lucid and direct writing. For anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes dirt and details of commercial aviation and what really goes on in the cockpit this book is a must-have. But Smith is more than just a tell-all columnist. His work is a standard-bearer for anyone interested in how to present information in a compelling, entertaining manner. It's what you might call a quick, breezy read but it's very satisfying and informative and leaves you with the feeling you have just spent a transatlantic flight shooting the breeze with a really cool and intelligent neighbor in the next seat.

The price/information ratio for this book is just right. I found myself plowing through it in two sittings. Some things I knew, many I didn't. As a private pilot who can no longer afford the hobby, I found his insider information to be just the kind of things I wanted to know. I especially recommend his essay on the present security system, which is a typically politically correct American approach to a complex problem.

In this, one of my favorite books of the year, author Patrick Smith says of the late French aviator and writer, Antoine de Saint Exupery: "Another lousy pilot who got philosophical and paid the price." The two of them make an interesting pair of commiserators, and I suspect St. Ex would be only too appreciative of this young writer's wry humor and eloquent explanations. Topics run a fascinating gamut from reflections on airport architecture to discussions of the surprisingly good safety records of the world's most exotic airlines.