[.ca] The Fearless Flyer: How to Fly in Comfort and Without ... (ISBN 0933377339)

This book has made all the difference to me:
I have greatly benefited from the part of the book that deals with fear of flying and how to reprogram your thinking (and emotions) so that you can fly comfortably. I follow the system each time I fly and have found that I get more and more comfortable so that now I actually enjoy it sometimes. The rest of the book is a treasure trove of excellent information useful even for the seasoned traveler.

More like "Flying for Dummies":
If you have never flown, haven't flown for years, or haven't flown much but circumstances dictate you will fly a lot in the future, this is a good book to read. It contains a lot of very basic-yet useful-information for the novice flyer. There's a lot of info about basic rules for luggage, clearing security, where to fly on planes, handling general flying SNAFU's and hassles and so on. What there isn't a lot of is useful information about dealing with the "fear of flying" syndrome. If you have mild anxiety due to unfamiliarity or uncertainty about the overall experience, this book is helpful. If you fear is more along the lines of a phobia, this book is useless. From a general information standpoint the book deserves more than 2 stars, but the title is so misleading I had to dock it stars, mainly because I think a lot of people are buying this for information it just doesn't contain. Flying for Dummies or What You Need to Know About Flying A to Z would have been more honest, accurate title choices.

Making Peace with Planes and Fear of Flying:
I am one of those people who had a dread of flying my whole life. I did it, but I hated it, and it took a lot out of me. Especially after a long flight, I was done in for days. This book was extremely helpful in getting me beyond my fear of flying. By following the exercises in the book, I have been able to retool my attitude to flying. I do a refresher before each flight. I can now work while traveling on a plane--something that would have been inconceivable before because I was so fearful and distracted. Now, I can even sleep on a plane--also previously inconceivable. But even more amazing to me, if I sit by the window I can enjoy looking out at the amazing views of mountains, rivers, fields, or cities by night. The quality of my life has been vastly improved by being able to fly without high anxiety since it's difficult to live a normal life and never travel by plane. This book also offers excellent information about choosing seats, how to deal with bothersome seat mates, how not to get dehydrated, etc., all things that I can now turn my attention to. This is an excellent book--the best I've found on the subject. Plus, it's beautifully produced with arty and amusing drawings.

Great primer:
This book gives good facts for enduring fear. I used it with another, The Backseat Flyer, which had some natural remedies that really worked. The two together did the job.

Everything You'd Want to Know...:
about flying is in this book! Bumps and noises can make even frequent flyers nervous, and this book provides clear explanations about airplane operation, as well as relaxation tips, to calm the fluttering heart. Then it goes on to lay out practical strategies for everything from avoiding backaches, to dealing with overly talkative seatmates, to jet lag. Every frequent flyer needs this book for the section on airline passenger rights alone! It's really a gem, and would make a great gift for that nervous relative who has been afraid to fly lately, or the road warrior racking up the frequent flyer miles.