I just finished reading the book Aisle be Damned by Rishi Piparaiya in one sitting, that’s telling a lot about how enjoyable the book was. It’s a small book of 210 pages in large fonts, a comfortable package to read in one go. There is nothing to think about here, through and through a hilarious bundle of words.
Before I proceed, let me confess what made me look into the details of this book on Flipkart was the cover design and the catchy byline of the book. I guess the author got fixated (😁) on the cover design model, that he had posted a YouTube video on the shooting of this cover!. There has always been a charm associated with flying and the flight attendants, I believe it is not the appearance alone that matters here, it is how they present themselves and especially how they carry the uniform (red is always hot) that matters. Imagine me wearing a well stitched and exquisite suit, I am sure still I won’t impress you like a Singapore Airline or a BA In-Flight supervisor. The book I assure you is not in the genre of the cover, it’s just unadulterated humour.
The author Rishi Piparaiya is head of sales and marketing for a financial service multinational and is said to be overworked and over-travelled. Who said corporate executives don’t have a sense of humour, the author has proved them all wrong with a vengeance.
If you are like me and have travelled abroad quite a lot, you will know how tedious Air travel can be. Especially after 9/11, you just want to reach your destination quickly and safely – that’s the only thing that occupies your mind. We miss out on the fun Air travel can be, seeing different airports/cities, people of various nationalities, families, corporates and airport duty-free shopping. This book tries to twist all these tedious things into humour. Rishi has a way to laugh at every imaginable embarrassing situation associated with Air travel. Whether it is access to Airport Lounges, asking for an upgrade, getting out from window to restroom, squeezed into a middle seat or immigration. He has the audacity to suggest a list of 11 essential travel items which even includes a stink bomb for leaving in Airport taxis that cheat you.
Needless to say, don’t buy this book if you are looking for anything other than a good laugh, especially not for travel advice. The author would have done a better service to his paid readers by rewriting the second half of the book, the tone becomes monotonous and the humour repetitive.
A sample page from the book Aisle be damned by Rishi Piparaiya