If you are intrigued with airports (or frustrated with them, or just stuck in one) you'll want to check out Harriet Baskas' "Stuck in the Airport" blog where she details some of the features you may have missed in your mad rush between planes.
Especially now that WiFi is common in Airports I've learned to enjoy layovers with a combination of catching up on email and exploring in the many amazing Airports.
For example Beijing, China's fairly new international terminal is quite an (upscale) introduction to some of the cuisine, souvenirs, and styles you'll find there, and it would be a shame to fly in and out without a walk around that massive place. I'm not suggesting you'll learn a lot about culture, history, or even anything from Airports but it's nice to enjoy rather than dread the inevitable layovers.
