Anyone who’s ever travelled on business knows about the need to kill time – whether during interminable layovers in airports, on lengthy flights, or even once safely ensconced at the hotel. And what better way to pass the time than by catching up on the books you’ve been meaning to read but simply haven’t had time to get to while chained to the desk at work?
Marketing manager Rani Chatoorgoon, who travels frequently from her Toronto office to Atlanta and Vancouver for work meetings, is never without reading material when she’s on the road, often spending the duration of a flight lost in a good book or magazine. Like many busy professionals, travel gives her the chance to delve into the reading they might not otherwise get to, such as keeping up with books that touch on their particular field of business.
During a recent business trip, Ms. Chatoorgoon picked up the bestseller Freakonomics, by University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt and New York Times journalist Stephen J. Dubner. “They have a cool way of talking about economics in populist terms, so it was a great read to pass the time,” Ms. Chatoorgoon says.
But others prefer to use the downtime for far more escapist reading – just ask Toronto lawyer Jyota Bhardwarj, whose 60-hour workweek leaves little time for anything else.
“I rarely get a chance to read while I’m at home,” Ms. Bhardwarj notes, “so the minute I get on a plane, the last thing I want is to be reading anything work- or business-related. Give me a good mystery or chick-lit novel any day!”
Booksellers and publishing-industry experts know first hand that frequent fliers tend to be avid readers, often stocking up on books en route to their destination. The popularity of e-readers such as Amazon’s Kindle or Indigo Books’ Kobo device has also been a boon to the business traveller, says Indigo’s public relations manager Lisa Huie.
“E-readers are light as a feather and portable – most travellers are trying to pack light and probably don’t want to be carrying a lot of heavy books with them, so it’s a great option for folks on the go,” Ms. Huie says. “It’s like carrying a library in your pocket.”
We asked experts to offer their suggestions for the ideal travel reads, from books that capture the peripatetic life, to must-read biz primers, to breezy reads for a few days away.
On the road
Steven Beattie, reviews editor of Canadian publishing industry trade magazine Quill and Quire, notes that books about the road life tend to be a natural fit for travellers.
Up in the Air, by Walter Kirn (Anchor Books): “It’s probably better known from the movie that came out last year with George Clooney,” Mr. Beattie says. “It’s about a guy who spends his working life travelling and spending time in airports, so it’s kind of the ideal airplane read.”
More Business Travel:
The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America, by Bill Bryson (Random House): “A very humorous look at a side of America you don’t always see on business trips. I think for someone who does a lot of travel, it could be rather eye-opening. He visits a lot of places you don’t often hear about, and does it in a very tongue-in-cheek way.”
Roadtripping, by Conni Massing (Brindle and Glass): “Massing is a theatre artist in Alberta in a group called Buffalo Gals. This is sort of her version of Bill Bryson’s book, except set in small-town Alberta. It’s very funny – she visits the world’s largest perogie, and has a bunch of tales to tell about areas in the province that are not necessarily well-known to people.”
Business class
Situated in Toronto’s financial district, Ben McNally’s eponymous independent bookstore not only carries a host of business titles but also sees many customers come through the door looking for last-minute reading en route to the airport.
