Hamlyn, $14.95, 2002, ISBN 0-600-60315-6, 160 pgs., paperback

This reference guide lists the specs and brief histories of 45 models of commercial planes from Airbus, Boeing, Tupolev, and others, as well as short profiles of the 171 major airlines that use them. Each is accompanied by a color photo of a plane of the particular model or with the particular company's paint scheme.

And that's about it. I paged through it a couple times, but since I'm not really a commercial aviation enthusiast, I can't say I read it cover to cover. I'm one of the great unwashed masses that suffers in "herd class" -- that'd be coach class, no matter what pleasant-sounding euphemism the airlines might want to attach to stuffing folks in narrow, uncomfortable, too-little legroom seats. I'm most interested in how late I'm going to be and where my luggage will end up than I am in carrier particulars.

Don't get me wrong. It's a great little guide. You just have to be an aviation enthusiast to appreciate it and I suspect most of the info is sitting on company web sites.