CRUISING ATTITUDE: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED

CRUISING ATTITUDE

 Tales of Crashpads, Crew Drama, and

 Crazy Passengers at 35,000 Feet

BY HEATHER POOLE

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Real-life flight attendant Heather Poole has written a charming and funny insider’s account of life and work in the not-always-friendly skies. Cruising Attitude is a Coffee, Tea, or Me? for the 21st century, as the author parlays her fifteen years of flight experience into a delightful account of crazy airline passengers and crew drama, of overcrowded crashpads in “Crew Gardens” Queens and finding love at 35,000 feet. The popular author of “Galley Gossip,” a weekly column for AOL’s award-winning travel website Gadling.com, Poole not only shares great stories, but also explains the ins and outs of flying, as seen from the flight attendant’s jump seat.

Flying the not-so-friendly skies...

In her more than fifteen years as an airline flight attendant, Heather Poole has seen it all. She's witnessed all manner of bad behavior at 35,000 feet and knows what it takes for a traveler to become the most hated passenger onboard. She's slept in flight attendant crashpads in "Crew Gardens," Queens—sharing small bedrooms crammed with bunk beds with a parade of attractive women who come and go at all hours, prompting suspicious neighbors to jump to the very worst conclusions. She's watched passengers and coworkers alike escorted off the planes by police. She can tell you why it's a bad idea to fall for a pilot but can be a very good one (in her case) to date a business-class passenger. Heather knows everything about flying in a post-9/11 world—and she knows what goes on behind the scenes, things the passengers would never dream.

Heather's true stories in Cruising Attitude are surprising, hilarious, sometimes outrageously incredible—the very juiciest of "galley gossip" delightfully intermingled with the eye-opening, unforgettable chronicle of her fascinating life in the sky. 

PRAISE FOR CRUISING ATTITUDE:

“Whether you’re a frequent or once-a-year flier, there’s something for everyone in this witty tell-all.”

— Publishers Weekly
 

“[An] insider’s perspective on the friendly skies . . . [an] entertaining, gonzo account."—Booklist         ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Heather Poole has been published in The Best Women's Travel Writing 2010. Her regular online column, "Galley Gossip: Confessions from the Jumpseat with Heather Poole," has received more than two million views and is featured on AOL's award-winning travel website, Gadling.com. 

Heather writes on her website, "Yeah, that’s me, the one standing in the aisle wearing flammable polyester…just another flight attendant writing about flying (and other stuff).  I’ve worked for a major US carrier for fifteen years, spending most of that time flying back and forth between New York (where I work) and Los Angeles (where I live).  So if there’s one thing I know, besides bad food and uncomfortable seats, it’s what it’s like to work inside a germ infested petri dish."

Visit Heather’s website: http://hpoole.wordpress.com/
Follow her on Twitter: @Heather_Poole

Become a fan on Facebook 

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
Heather Poole‘s CRUISING ATTITUDE is more than chik-lit in the sky which I thought it might be at first glance. Rather, it is somewhat like a memoir while also at the same time is funny and very enlightening. Poole is a fifteen year veteran flight attendant who tells of her career from training to climbing the ranks in her daily work. She does not shy away from the real-life details and I applaud her for that. Some of her stories about passengers were my favorite part. From celebrities to medical emergencies to passengers who become unruly, it is easy to see why this can be a very stressful job. Poole also, however, injects humor, that one can surely find, into some of the outrageous situations.

Ms. Poole‘s narrative is complete with hundreds of encounters she has had in her career from the beginning to now. If for no other reason, I think it should be required reading for everyone who travels by air. So many of the things in the book were such a shock to me. For instance, the details about how hungry the flight attendants are because no food is loaded on the plane for them. If you see them eating, you can be sure someone turned down a meal or the captain isn’t hungry on that flight.

The description of what training it takes to become a Flight Attendant was very well done and eye opening, to be sure! This is more than how to be a glorified waitress at extreme heights. Learning about the planes themselves and how servicing on different models comes with it own set of peculiarities is required for their course work. The section on “crash pads” was enough to make me know I could never have done this job. Poole’s description of how things have changed since 9/11 shows that these workers are not just competent but smart and brave as they face different and new threats daily.
 
I think as you read through the stories from Poole, you will hopefully be much more aware of what all is going on during your next flight. I know I will be when I am flying next week! The book is a quick read and I think CHANGING ATTITUDES would be perfect to take along on a flight.

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO MARY AND MY GOOD FRIENDS AT
WILLIAM MORROW/HARPER COLLINS,
I HAVE ONE COPY OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE
AWAY TO ONE OF MY VERY LUCKY READERS

 
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GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

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GOOD LUCK!