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Aisle Be Damned

Rishi Piparaiya (Goodreads Author)

3.44 · Rating details · 407 ratings · 88 reviews

** NATIONAL BESTSELLER **

A Hilarious Take on just about Everything Associated with Air Travel.

- Getting seamlessly upgraded to Business Class.
- The hows and whys of micromanaging the pilots.
- Action plans to counter the airlines Technical Snag routine.
- Sure shot strategies for winning the affections of flight attendants.
- Awesome icebreakers to start conversations with at ...more

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Paperback, International (non India), 230 pages

Published November 20th 2013 by Aridhi (Createspace) (first published September 27th 2013)

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· 407 ratings · 88 reviews

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Sep 13, 2013 Rishi Piparaiya rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Recommends it for: People who wake up in the morning and say, "Damn, it would be nice to laugh today"

Recommended to Rishi by: That dude in the mirror

I think it was an awesome book and a commendable debut effort. I read it about 76 times and still pick it up every once in a while. Good job!

PS: In the interest of full disclosure, I am closely related to the author and consequently, his book. But I have tried to be unbiased.

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Oct 22, 2013 Amrit Sinha rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I would have written this review last night itself, but then I thought, “Hey, why not give it another read?” And thus, ignoring the tick-tock of the clock, inviting me to sleep as per my daily routine, and ignoring the fact that I would emerge as a dumb sleepy head in the team meeting in my office the following day, I picked up the book yet again. Let time be damned; and also the aisle.

‘Aisle Be Damned’ by Rishi Piparaiya is nothing that you thought it to be, and everything that you never guesse I would have written this review last night itself, but then I thought, “Hey, why not give it another read?” And thus, ignoring the tick-tock of the clock, inviting me to sleep as per my daily routine, and ignoring the fact that I would emerge as a dumb sleepy head in the team meeting in my office the following day, I picked up the book yet again. Let time be damned; and also the aisle.

‘Aisle Be Damned’ by Rishi Piparaiya is nothing that you thought it to be, and everything that you never guessed it would be. It is fun, humorous, unique, and oh-so-different. Add to that the interesting anecdote and snippets, coupled with a narrative that’s compelling and witty, and you have a winner all the way.

‘Aisle Be Damned’ is a book about Air Travel, yes those pocket books that you see in stores, guiding you with the basics and technicalities of flying, but in a rather non-sermonic and highly interesting manner. Rishi divides the book into several chapters, dealing with different phases of Air Travel. It all starts with your arrival at the airport, and guides you hilariously on the subsequent steps. Rishi tells you about the best boarding strategy, whether to opt for the window seat or the aisle seat, how to conduct yourself (and others) in the flight, and how to land perfectly (no, you don’t have to steer the plane though).

The chapters again are subdivided into different segments, which serves deliciously, adding diverse flavors to the book. It is like a brilliant assortment of dishes that entice you, lure you into its delicacy, and the finesse with which it has been presented. Of course, you would love to taste each item in the dish separately, enjoying the unique flavors. The taste buds justify your selection, and you find the items on the plate irresistible. Same is the case with this book. Once you go through the first chapter, you cannot stop. It’s like that brilliant chocolate cake that will make you hungry for more, and more.

Rishi Piparaiya uses his vast knowledge of air travel, and he does a great job in penning everything that can be associated with flights. His funny interpretations at times drive you into fits of laughter, and at other times into a curling smile, and it does guarantee you a pleasant time.

To be honest, I was initially apprehensive about laying my hands on a copy of this book. I am not a frequent flier, and thus wasn't sure if it would do me any good. Now, to all of you reading this post, do not go by the theme of this book. Sure, it is based on air travel, but the joy you would derive from reading this is not dependent on your flying status. Even if you have never traveled to the skies, and trust me when I say this, you should pick it up for a quick and light read, perhaps after a stressful day at work, or at a time when you are in need of laughter. This book will serve the purpose, and more.

What next Rishi? Perhaps, a similarly interesting piece on Train Travel. ...more

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Nov 15, 2013 Sundeep Supertramp rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: pikachu, favourites, travel, my-kind, hilarious, humor, contemporary, non-fiction

Foreword:

Third one-go read of this week. Well, I was wondering, are the book really that interesting or is it that the bibliophile in me is back with a vengeance for all those lost days of no reading?

The other book two books being,

The Storm in My Mind by Ayaan Basu
Are you the one? by Jennifer Bernard

Like many other books we've received from Jaico Publishers, even this one is sent by Marina and I want to thank her for sending this and personally recommending this book. I don't think I would have ...more

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Nov 05, 2013 Deepak rated it really liked it · review of another edition

‘Aisle Be Damned’ by Rishi Piparaiya is a compilation of hilarious thoughts and anecdotes on flying and airports and the staff manning them. It is a very user friendly book as you can start reading from any page and stop reading at any page hence ideal when you are travelling or commuting. You can be sure there will be a smile pasted on your face all the time.
All the thoughts and anecdotes in the book have been conveniently sorted into appropriate sections like ‘airport’ ‘customs’ and so on. On ...more

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Oct 06, 2013 Rupertt Wind rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Rishi Piparaiya has truly outdone himself and has shown himself to be a master of satire. He has shown great care and acute observational skills in picking the most annoying and embarrassing of things that happen in one's day to day exchange with the airport and it's queer inhabitants and projected them in a hilarious and thoroughly entertaining way. He has given an whole new outlook to the things that happen in and out of an airplane. Seriously who would have thought that my missing jacket was Rishi Piparaiya has truly outdone himself and has shown himself to be a master of satire. He has shown great care and acute observational skills in picking the most annoying and embarrassing of things that happen in one's day to day exchange with the airport and it's queer inhabitants and projected them in a hilarious and thoroughly entertaining way. He has given an whole new outlook to the things that happen in and out of an airplane. Seriously who would have thought that my missing jacket was actually stolen by the Italian mafia.

Rishi uses a delicate and simple style of writing to convey his story and that too with an even flavor of humour and satire. There is a chance that his sense of humour, predominant his style of humour would come across as slapstick to some but it is undeniable that he got a suave way of making his readers laugh. Anyone who has ever been on a flight and anyone who has seen the way the various quirks of the aluminium tube that flies will find it interesting and can relate to it seamlessly. It is just an understatement to say that Rishi has outdone himself.

They book though randomly satirical, is not random at all in organization. The book is neatly edited and organized as in the order of which the events would occur in an actual flight, from take off to landing and this differentiate 'Aisle be damned' from a regular book of jokes and into a humorous page turner. I will though advice the ones who have not flown to keep away, you don't need to add to your aviatophobia do we and secondly most jokes would appear to be tasteless and blown up to a person who is unaccustomed with such an environment as an airport.

But for everyone else this is hilarious and light hearted, and would make your stomach hurt from laughing. I personally found the beginning and end to be rather bland and tasteless in nature as compared to the rest of it. I give the book a 'good' status and recommend it exclusively for all fliers, frequent and otherwise. The swaying hips awaits... *chuckle* ...more

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Oct 10, 2013 Jigar Doshi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

a non-fictional hilarious guidebook/manual on everything related to air-travel, as I call it.
and some intelligent opinions on peace, business and life in general too.
a must read for every traveller. full of humor and nice witty anecdotes.

read whole review here - http://jigar-doshi.com/2013/10/aisle-... ...more

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Oct 03, 2013 Aditya Bhasin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

http://ispeakab.wordpress.com/2013/10...

Yeah Yeah I know cover page of this book is riveting and so is what’s inside this cover page. There are not many authors who would please you in their first book itself, but take my words Piparaiya (whose surname is more difficult to pronounce then writing a book itself) has done it in a great manner.

Reading this book would make you inclined towards flying and make your upcoming flying experiences far funnier. Taking this book along is recommended and read http://ispeakab.wordpress.com/2013/10...

Yeah Yeah I know cover page of this book is riveting and so is what’s inside this cover page. There are not many authors who would please you in their first book itself, but take my words Piparaiya (whose surname is more difficult to pronounce then writing a book itself) has done it in a great manner.

Reading this book would make you inclined towards flying and make your upcoming flying experiences far funnier. Taking this book along is recommended and reading it before you take a flight is far more recommended. The book is divided into many chapters which talks about everything related to air travel. From the moment you get out of your home to take a flight to the moment you reach your destination.

The paperback can also be treated as a new manual to air-travel, like Piparaiya says himself that he is thinking to pitch this book to airlines so that they can keep it with air manuals in their aircrafts. That I believe would be a good idea. Especially in long trips, one must read this book to KILL ALL THE BOREDOM while traveling and come out of that flight with experience of having traveled in more than 300 and so flights.

AUTHOR IS HERE TO STAY

…Airplanes are equipped with state-of-the-art vacuum flushes that use brute suction power to pull out all the crap. If you operate the flush while still on the pot, there is a huge reasonable chance that your intestines may get ripped out through your ass.

Another good part of the book is the personal and ‘intellectual’ opinion Piparaiya has jotted down in the end of the book. He has mentioned his take on each and everything that may bother one. From Life-to-Technology-to- Economy- to Capitalism and everything else on this planet. Reading this section is also like running through the complete book once again in ‘just’ few pages.

.. Sneak in a few swigs of alcohol into the baby bottle when no one is looking. A little bit of giggle juice in their system and babies will sleep through the flight like, well, babies. Brandy works best, whiskey or rum is almost as effective, but do avoid tequila shots. It is particularly difficult to get them to lick the salt and suck on a lemon wedge and that too without Mommy noticing

Writing style that Piparaiya has opted for is simple, at least far simpler than air-travel. The book is surely an easy read that can be completed in just one or two sitting and in most hilarious manner.

Take my words folks; this book would change your perception about boring air-travel. This one is amazingly fresh in style and in writing. This is a must recommendation for anyone. Especially, in times when we all are bored of reading soft porn been sold as literature. I managed to complete this book in just two sittings; each and every word that you would read makes you read a little more. Piparaiya has nailed it! This book is a must read. For those who had few travels and for those who are over-traveled. And for those who are dreaming to travel; well in clouds ;)

I am going with five awesome stars for this book.
...more

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Oct 20, 2013 Sarika Patkotwar rated it liked it · review of another edition

This review was originally published @ The Readdicts Book Blog. More such reviews can be read here

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Aisle Be Damned by Rishi Piparaiya from Jaico Books in exchange for an honest review. We thank the publishing house for the book!

I had been seeing Rishi Piparaiya's book, Aisle Be Damned around a lot on social networking profiles of my fellow Indian blogger friends. I was really interested in reading the book since then and in my head, I thou This review was originally published @ The Readdicts Book Blog. More such reviews can be read here

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Aisle Be Damned by Rishi Piparaiya from Jaico Books in exchange for an honest review. We thank the publishing house for the book!

I had been seeing Rishi Piparaiya's book, Aisle Be Damned around a lot on social networking profiles of my fellow Indian blogger friends. I was really interested in reading the book since then and in my head, I thought it would be one thing but it ended up being another thing altogether. This is what usually happens when I don't read book summaries and go for a book solely based on it's cover and title or in this case, my own instinct. When I headed over to Goodreads to mark my progress, I came across some really outstanding five star reviews for the book.
For me, Aisle Be Damned was neither an outstanding read, nor was it trash-able. It was a very well put down book that had many amusing anecdotes which I liked reading along with some really cool information on the airlines industry. Being a student, I am not a frequent traveller, but thanks to family vacations, I can proudly say that I've had a fair experience and share of international travels which made many incidents in the book easy to imagine and relate to. While I did laugh out loud a few times, I, unfortunately, didn't find the book as hilarious as others did or maybe it's just that the silly me didn't quite get the humour. Either way, I don't think it even matters much, unless the book really falls under the humour category. Then I'll need to get my funny bones checked.
In one of the ending chapters of the book, Rishi Piparaiya asks, on behalf of the bookstores staff, what genre his book would come under and I ask myself the exact same question. I think that the book is perfect for an airport or as an in flight guide as it will probably help one in being aware of one's surroundings and keep the reader entertained as well. It's a very easy and super quick read, thanks to the use of images and illustrations, which for me, are unnecessary, but keeping in account the subject at hand, they did add a kind of fun element to the book.
Overall, Aisle Be Damned is an absolutely well put down book- for which the author deserves a lot of credit- that's an enjoyable one time read. ...more

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Nov 25, 2013 Anjana Avinash rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

'Swaying hips, praying lips and flying tips'. These are the words that jump out of the cover of Aisle Be Damned by Rishi Piparaiya. On reading these words , if you think you're in for a rollicking read, you are absolutely on the right track ! This is a delightful and humorous foray into the world of air travel based on the author's experiences and observations while on his numerous voyages as an "over-worked and over-traveled corporate executive". The author has an excellent command over the lan 'Swaying hips, praying lips and flying tips'. These are the words that jump out of the cover of Aisle Be Damned by Rishi Piparaiya. On reading these words , if you think you're in for a rollicking read, you are absolutely on the right track ! This is a delightful and humorous foray into the world of air travel based on the author's experiences and observations while on his numerous voyages as an "over-worked and over-traveled corporate executive". The author has an excellent command over the language and coupled with his amazing sense of humour this book is a laugh riot.

Rishi summarises his book as 'A hilarious take on just about everything associated with air travel'. There couldn't have been a better way to put it. The first page, i.e. even before the introduction, has an essential packing list which contains a number of strange and unusual stuff like a masala dabba(spice box), machine oil and even smelly blue cheese. This really piqued my interest and I dived into the book without further ado. The names of the chapters too are equally interesting and my favourite in terms of content was, What The Heck ! Captain.

Each chapter is full of incidents relating to a particular category. In 'It all begins at the airport' Rishi has so many incidents to recount about every tiny aspect of an airport, be it the baggage trolley or the walkways. The categorisation of walkway users is hilarious. The section on baggage trolleys contains descriptions which all of us have experienced. He says, " One of the wheels, of one of the trolleys, in one of the trolley stands, in one of the terminals of the airport, wobbles with one of the most excruciating sounds at the upper end of man's auditory threshold." And we've all experienced the trials of using this kind of a trolley. Then he reveals the use of machine oil which apparently should be used on the wheels to silence them :)

The book is replete with gems like this and I was laughing through out. Rishi deals with everything from the optimal boarding strategy to the best opening lines to use if you happen to fly with celebrities. His only lament was that the only time he sat next to an actress he was so tongue tied that one sentence was all that he could utter ! Yet another utterly rip-roaring description is about the oxygen masks. " If this (i.e. a situation requiring the masks) were to actually happen while in mid-air, stop screaming four-letter words, pull the mask over your face and breathe like there's no tomorrow...... If you are travelling with your wife, be courteous and first offer her mask to your neighbour."

There was a constant smile on my face while I was reading Aisle Be Damned. Rishi Piparaiya has taken a mundane topic and created a fabulous book out of that. His humour is very tongue-in-cheek and entertaining. This is the perfect holiday book cos it's an easy read and you can read from all over the book randomly and still enjoy it. My only warning is to be careful while reading it in a public place cos there's a very high chance that you'll shock the wits off a fellow traveller by bursting into laughter abruptly !
...more

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Jun 15, 2015 Amit Gupta rated it liked it

Aisle be Damned...Swaying Hips, Praying Lips and Flying tips by Rishi Piparaiya (almost a tongue twister that surname!) is a hilarious account of just about everything associated with air travel. Contrary to popular conception, this one is not really a take on how to fly better but rather how you can make your travel fun. Once you can adjust to the fact that this is primarily a non-fiction book and the one which begs not to be taken too seriously, there is lot of fun to be had.

It has everything ...more

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Oct 22, 2013 Bookish Indulgenges with b00k r3vi3ws rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy, books-i-own, iwe-2013

When I first saw the title and the cover, I thought that this book must be either a love story of a guy obsessed with beautiful air hostess or a narration of the woes of an air crew. Then I read the blurb and decided to pick it up.

Divided into segments, this book brings you different flavours of air travel. From choosing your seats to conversation material, your every conscious/unconscious decisions help decide how your journey is going to be. There also moments described in the book that each o ...more

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Oct 01, 2013 Sachin Dev rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-good-reads

Some books are so ridiculously LOL silly that you cannot help loving it.
Some books are just impossibly inane that you cannot help reading it to the end.
Some books, in the pretense of being that almanac doling out rare pearls of wisdom, turns out to be a nitrous-oxide bomb doling out just droll peals of uncontrollable laughter.
this book sits right up on the list of such books.
It's funny like F-U-N-N-Y can never be spelled wrong.
I mean, Look at the cover.
Swaying Hips? check. (Unless you're o ...more

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Oct 22, 2013 Sumeetha Manikandan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I read this book on a night when my husband was scheduled to fly back from Mumbai to Chennai. As the book unfolded from chapter to chapter, I wanted to send him message after message, about how to get an upgrade, FIFO, LIFO, warning him to watch out for the time spent by the pilot in the loo and so on… The next time, he is on a flight I am going to make sure that he takes the list of helpful essentials that Rishi has put down in the beginning of the book.

Read the full review here - Book Reviews ...more

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Oct 01, 2013 Diwakar Narayan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: All Air-travelers

This was maybe the first 200+ page book that I finished in one reading. Hats off to Rishi, who with scanning eyes have covered almost everything that you could notice in the course of a flight and drawn his humor from it. A must read for all who have traveled in air, as you are the one who will find everything relevant :)

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Oct 25, 2013 Priyanka Roy Banerjee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: indian-authors

Not only for the frequent fliers such as corporate executives and business people, this book is a recommended read to the not-so-frequent flier as well. It has the right share of fun, information, insight and advise.

Read the full review here:

http://thetalespensieve.com/2013/11/b... ...more

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Dec 28, 2015 Neha rated it really liked it

Read the book inflight . Extremely Hilarious and it sure does make people look back at you as you will be too busy laughing

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Jan 28, 2016 Kyle rated it really liked it

A solid laugh riot - well-thought out and bursting with anecdotes that draw from insightful personal experience.

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Dec 08, 2013 VaultOfBooks rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When I first saw the book cover of Aisle be Damned on Jaico’s upcoming list of publications, I knew I had to read this one. Call it the man-syndrome and blame the genetic make-up for us that claim ancestry to Mars but we cannot resist a book that has the swaying hips and perfectly formed derriere of an air-hostess in a screaming red mini-skirt on its cover. Got your knees weak, did I?

The book is deep as far as pearls of wisdom and philosophical meandering pontificating go. Well, if you care for When I first saw the book cover of Aisle be Damned on Jaico’s upcoming list of publications, I knew I had to read this one. Call it the man-syndrome and blame the genetic make-up for us that claim ancestry to Mars but we cannot resist a book that has the swaying hips and perfectly formed derriere of an air-hostess in a screaming red mini-skirt on its cover. Got your knees weak, did I?

The book is deep as far as pearls of wisdom and philosophical meandering pontificating go. Well, if you care for gems that make you crack up in the middle of an intense quiet meeting place just thinking about it. It is sometimes so silly that you simply cannot help shaking your head at the “oh-my-f*#@ing-Gawd-how-does-this-guy-get-away-by-writing-such-XXXL-size-dollops-of-jack-s&*t”

Aisle be Damned is a tongue-in-cheek look at the entire flying experience –right from packing that suitcase till you get off, misplace your luggage which has been re-routed to form an integral component of the rings of Jupiter at the carousel – and you get out to hail your taxi driver – neatly packaged into 13 different stages of this harrowing journey described perfectly (to use a quote that the author puts into his book) by David Letterman as,

(extract)
“When you think about flying, its nuts, really. Here you are at about 40,000 feet, screaming along at 700 miles per hour, and you’re sitting there drinking Diet Pepsi and eating peanuts. It just doesn’t make any sense, really.”

The book is peppered with anecdotal experiences of the author who describes himself as an over-worked and over-travelled corporate executive based in the skies, 38,000 feet over India. (Now that you think of it, based in the skies should cover it. Does he have to specify 38,000 feet high? Over India?

Once you are up there, everything looks like dots and squiggly lines, right? If airports are white paint on grey concrete,
then the rest of the land must be a big brown smear of nerolac paint splashed in unruly patches with green blobs of Asian royale, right? Why be specific? Duh! You get the voice – it is unbelievably droll.

Not charming. Just plain droll in the beginning. What do you care for an over-worked executive who starts right off the bat by giving you instructions on how to pack your holiday bags or live-off-your-suitcase-in-a-studio-room-till-my-next-consulting-assignment happens-and so need to fly from one place to another. Till the author breaks down the walls and works around you with his witty repartees on pretty much any incident that you would have had on board the airlines or airport and charmingly disarms you and then you find yourselves just trying hard to hold it together and give yourself away with that tiny bit of smiles and then break out in completely uncontrolled guffaws that might scare a male gorilla trying to outmatch you in its mating dance-ritual into submission. I maintain that there is no form of entertainment more subjective than humour and the author makes a point (oh well, takes a gun to your head actually and then sprays you with sparkly soap bubbles from that *water*gun to make his point that he is….) to be overtly silly. I love the structure of the book – in that, the author maintains a very linear form starting with packing and on-boarding – slips in some extremely practical no-nonsense suggestions about how to get best results (say like upgrading to Business Class by charming the pants off the staff at the counter and making her give you that upgrade along with other stuff!) and good deals during these stages of your flying journey. The book goes on in the same vein to do the ‘parda-fash’ or ‘snowden’-style expose of a lot of airlines behind-the-curtain happenings. The voice and tone for the whole book remains firmly tongue-in-cheek, poking massive digs at the gaffes in the airline industry, Bollywood stars, Corporate executives (the big business tycoons are referred to as the fat cats in this rat race, talk about poetic justice huh) and pretty much everything and everyone that you are likely to encounter during an air-flight.

You know what worked for the book? We’ve all been there, done that. And we identify with the tone. The massive heaps of sarcastic dung-bombs that the author is letting fly is actually like a catharsis for our pent-up emotions. He makes a fine mockery of the inefficiencies in the airline industry and yet manages to cram in all that delightful little side shows that form an integral part of our flying experience. The alcoholic binge sessions with those multi-colour chutku bottles of VAT69 and the pink wine

experiments, the bawling kids who never shut up, the bathroom faucet that is leaky, the stewardess who gives you that frosty-nosed stares, the nubile young thing (male or female depending on who is reading!) who demands that the staff shift them to another empty seat available – anywhere but next to you – and the garbled nonsense that the pilot who is drunk and recovering from his Ibiza-style orgy party – is spouting on the PA system when you get in and get out. We have experienced all that. The author fits all this into a book – the size of a mini-lonely-planet-guide-book – on flying and getting the most out of it. You don’t want to miss this. I termed it a stress buster and a killer way of relaxing before catching your next flight. Laughing is a good way to unwind and this book gives you that in heaps. Heartily recommended.

Originally reviewed at Vaultofbooks.com, a close-knit community of fanatical readers. We are looking for perceptive readers who can write well, and we are eager to provide lots of free books in exchange for reviews. Shoot us a mail at contact@vaultofbooks.com ...more

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Jan 12, 2021 Patrick rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: travel, humor

This short book reads like a standup comedy routine centered around air travel. Written by an experienced traveler in the India market, there are a few things that don't quite translate (including literally the couple of paragraphs about the Hindi onboard announcements), but on the whole it's representative of air travel woes everywhere.

Lightweight and gently humorous. Good for anyone who has spent too much time on airplanes. ...more

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Feb 25, 2018 Sandy Chris rated it it was ok · review of another edition

It was OK. A good attempt at humor, though it did not reach me. But a good, handy book.

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Dec 29, 2013 Abhilash Ruhela rated it liked it

I have just kept "Aisle Be Damned" aside after reading it for straight 3 hours. If you say what actually made me read this book, I can easily say its the cover page. It's quite sexy I would say. :-) The way the publisher of the book, Jaico, has promoted it every well shows the hype that they created around this book. Many have read it and said that it's a book that will make you ROFL throughout- from the first page to the last. But if you ask me, I would say not more than 7-8 incidents have mad ...more

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Mar 29, 2014 Reema rated it really liked it

The moment I saw this book, I was immediately taken in by its unusual cover page and the title. Both do justice to the theme of this book. ‘Aisle Be Damned’ is a work of non-fiction that finds humour in every aspect of air travel. The humour is not forced. What really works in this book is that the author has pulled out some common observations which anyone with air travel experience can relate to. I finished this book in one sitting and laughed a lot till the end. Every person who has done a bi The moment I saw this book, I was immediately taken in by its unusual cover page and the title. Both do justice to the theme of this book. ‘Aisle Be Damned’ is a work of non-fiction that finds humour in every aspect of air travel. The humour is not forced. What really works in this book is that the author has pulled out some common observations which anyone with air travel experience can relate to. I finished this book in one sitting and laughed a lot till the end. Every person who has done a bit of air travel will get the humour in this book.

By virtue of being a frequent traveler, the author offers loads of wisdom and suggestions on how to make the most of your air travel, peppered with plenty of humour. He has thought of everything, right from the baggage trolleys to airport, the boarding strategies to seats one must opt for, trivia and funny anecdotes related to air travel from around the world, and several such pieces that will tickle your funny bone. He tells you stuff like when are the business tycoons likely to travel, how can you get your economy class ticket upgraded to business class, how to choose your seat well, how to handle immigration officer, etc.

The author confesses at one point that several publishers found this book niche, but air travel has become so common that I am certain there is a huge target audience for this book.

It was a fun book to read, except perhaps the last chapter [Commerce, Literature and Zen] which looks a little forced. The book is perfect without that extra chapter. You must pick it up if you are feeling a little down or feeling stressed, this book will instantly perk you up. This can also make a nice gift. The only prerequisite for enjoying this book is a little experience of air travel. It is one of those books which you can pick any time [even after you have read it], read random lines again; and it will still give you a few laughs.

Here are few funny lines from the book:

[During Immigration] He will languidly open your passport, look at the photograph, look at you, then look back at the photograph. You can see the nuts and bolts in his brain rasping, straining to draw some correlation to the grotesque face in the photograph and the pasted smile standing in front of him, but there is none…….He lets it go though – it’s not the right time or place to empathize with you on the shortcomings of your gene pool.”

“I am always on a first name basis with anyone from Sri Lanka, neither of us being able to pronounce the other’s last name.”

“There is a sign above the basin that says the water is not for drinking. Okay, thanks for letting me know. Because I usually love to drink water from bathrooms.”

“An experienced pilot earns well over $100,000 and flies about 800 hours a year. That’s $125 an hour for essentially playing Flight Stimulator. He has no monthly goals, no boss and all his colleagues are hot. The job calls for some travel yes, but stay is at luxury hotels, meals are included and life is one long MTV Grind party.”

[I am still laughing while writing this]

Read more of my book reviews here: http://recommendbooks.blogspot.in/ ...more

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Oct 02, 2013 Abhinand rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The tag line ‘Swaying hips, praying lips and flying tips’ gives a clear idea about the content. This guide book as I see, talks everything that one would encounter with air travel. Starting from packing your stuffs till reaching your destination, this book helps you to provide some hilarious tips which I’m sure of following in my next travel. I think no one can ever advice better with the essential packing list to ensure a safe and pleasant journey.

Reading this book will ensure a new experience ...more

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Jan 29, 2014 Locomente rated it it was amazing

Firstly, the book blurb is catchy. It arouses curiosity. The suaveness of the cover page further adds to the anticipation. It is sensual while the sub-title - Swaying hips, praying lips and flying tips ¬– is rhyming and welcoming! In short, one look is enough for anyone to pick the book and stretch their legs for a read.

What matters is what awaits moving forward… The book is thoughtfully bifurcated into different chapters; the chapter heads are equally interesting. And the beauty is the book tur ...more

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Jan 11, 2014 Roshani Hingorani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Have you ever travelled by air? If yes, then this book is a must read for you. If not, then this book is a must read for you, too.

I was looking for a light read and found this book through Amazon's newsletter. God bless them..!! The title "Aisle be Damned : swaying hips, praying lips and flying tips" was too captivating and I could not help but get a copy. And I must say I do not regret even a little bit. I was surprised to find out that this is the first book penned by Rishi Piparaiya who, as ...more

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Nov 01, 2013 Hemantkumar Jain rated it really liked it · review of another edition

having a frequent air traveler myself, i could identify with everything that Rishi wrote in his book about flying cattle-class and business class.

A fun read ...

I actually read this while flying Delhi-Mumbai .... !!

The book is well written and Rishi has maintained the humor quotient high. I would recommend this book to any frequent air traveler (anyone who is flying around almost every month – taking more than 8 flights in a year qualifies). You should definitely read this book … and like me, ...more

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Dec 12, 2013 s S rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"Aisle Be Damned" is Rishi Piparaiya's take on aviation industry. It's hilarious account of a corporate passenger with too many miles and too many hours at the airport.

Rishi has the knack of picking nuances of passengers, old or young, married or unmarried, novice or frequent fliers. His observations keep you engaged and many a times you will have an embarrassed smile on your face. You know exactly what he is talking about. Moreover, it's a pun intended at us.

Novel has an astounding start but sl ...more

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Jun 24, 2014 Mansi L rated it it was amazing

I just bought this book yesterday at the airport and couldn't wait to finish reading. While I was reading during my flight, the endless humour made me laugh-out-loud even though I was travelling alone and the people around including the attendants were giving me 'are u even serious' looks!!! The best was carrying of spice box coz I have always hated eating in-flight food and try to carry something packed from home. Well now Mr. Piparaiya has given another better and 'compact' way to eat. :D

The b ...more

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Dec 29, 2013 Sohil Bhagat rated it it was amazing

I'm glad I wasn't on an airplane when I was reading this, because the number of times I actually laughed out loud would have had all my co-passengers believing I was a madman.

Rishi Piparaiya has a very keen sense of observation and an even keener sense of satire. He covers everything from getting off the taxi and using a trolley for your luggage to landing and finding a taxi outside the airport - and he covers them all in the most hilarious of ways. The images (all funnily captioned, by the way) ...more

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Sep 04, 2014 Anuj Poddar rated it liked it

Recommends it for: Any frequent flyer

Shelves: non-fiction

This book proved beyond doubt that the author has sucked his brains out to analyse the different feelings that air travellers have usually as well those which are rarest of rare. I must admit that most of the points covered are rational and I wonder why I never thought about them even after having completed more than 50 flights. Although a few incidents covered are humorous yet many incidents compelled me to think about them in my next flight. Further, the author has enlisted several clever ways ...more

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About Rishi Piparaiya

Rishi Piparaiya

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Rishi Piparaiya is a bestselling humor author with close to two decades of work experience as a flunky, mid-manager, and C-suite executive with multinational corporations. Renouncing the corporate life while at the helm of his career, Rishi has been pursuing his interest in writing and actively promotes his satires through his mouthpiece domain Damned.com. Rishi also mentors students and start-up ...more