On airplanes you should read Hungarian novels—they are the only reading that flies at the same altitude. I just let Skylark by Deszo Kosztolanyi take me from from Memphis to Boston. Actually, any Austro-Hungarian Belle Epoque scrivener from Kafka to Musil will put your brain at the correct height.
Andrei Codrescu is an award-winning poet, novelist, essayist, and NPR commentator. His recent books include The Posthuman Dada Guide and The Poetry Lesson (both from Princeton University Press).