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jbabiarz's review against another edition
4.0
Marcus Samuelsson has had an interesting life. And as a lover of food and restaurant dining, I found the content quite interesting.
anawalt's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve read very few memoirs, but Marcus’ life story is compelling and inspiring. Every page embodies a determination to see and be more. He questions himself, seeing opportunities in challenges, and strives for excellence.
If you feel at a loss without direction, or uncertain of your own capabilities, this is a fantastic read.
If you feel at a loss without direction, or uncertain of your own capabilities, this is a fantastic read.
cbphillips4's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
tophat8855's review against another edition
3.0
March 2014 RS book group
Thoughts before book group:
I liked it a lot. Easy to read. I felt some of the narratives cut off early at the end of the chapters and then jumped elsewhere, but I guess that's just the style of this book. I really liked reading about his drive and dedication to his work and becoming a chef. Found that admirable.
I did feel for the mother of his child. He keeps on going because having a child in his life would hurt his career and there is no thought about her own career. But I guess that's patriarchy for you.
After book group:
A lot of the women thought he sacrificed family and relationships for his career (which he did) and didn't find at as admirable as I was thinking it was. A couple of comments on how he didn't call his mom often and missed funerals. On both of those points, I'm probably guilty, so I wasn't going to judge him for that. I rarely call my mom and if she wants to talk to me, she calls me and that's usually about 1-2 times a month. But I think that's just our family culture and who says that's not Marcus' family culture, too? I think I saw my cousins less than 5 times as I was growing up, and my grandparents just a couple of times. And when I was a freshman in college and called my parents weekly (for the first few weeks of my first semester), my dad would mention that I was acting homesick, so I stopped. So yeah... phone calls: not that big of a deal. And my husband who has a big family who sees each other at least once a year doesn't ever call his parents either except for birthdays and holidays.
So, yeah. I admired his career focus but I guess others thought it was a bit extreme. I think it's fascinating to learn how others build their careers.
Thoughts before book group:
I liked it a lot. Easy to read. I felt some of the narratives cut off early at the end of the chapters and then jumped elsewhere, but I guess that's just the style of this book. I really liked reading about his drive and dedication to his work and becoming a chef. Found that admirable.
I did feel for the mother of his child. He keeps on going because having a child in his life would hurt his career and there is no thought about her own career. But I guess that's patriarchy for you.
After book group:
A lot of the women thought he sacrificed family and relationships for his career (which he did) and didn't find at as admirable as I was thinking it was. A couple of comments on how he didn't call his mom often and missed funerals. On both of those points, I'm probably guilty, so I wasn't going to judge him for that. I rarely call my mom and if she wants to talk to me, she calls me and that's usually about 1-2 times a month. But I think that's just our family culture and who says that's not Marcus' family culture, too? I think I saw my cousins less than 5 times as I was growing up, and my grandparents just a couple of times. And when I was a freshman in college and called my parents weekly (for the first few weeks of my first semester), my dad would mention that I was acting homesick, so I stopped. So yeah... phone calls: not that big of a deal. And my husband who has a big family who sees each other at least once a year doesn't ever call his parents either except for birthdays and holidays.
So, yeah. I admired his career focus but I guess others thought it was a bit extreme. I think it's fascinating to learn how others build their careers.
kathleenguthriewoods's review against another edition
5.0
I devoured this book -- pun fully intended. Great writing (with Veronica Chambers), compelling life story, fascinating behind-the-scenes looks at the fine dining world, and foodie adventures that made my mouth water. Inspiring, insightful, and thoroughly enjoyable.
theseventhl's review against another edition
5.0
Stunning, beautiful, emotional, inspiring. I could gush on for days about Chef Samuelsson's memoir, it's so wonderful. It was written with a deft, skilled hand and really opened my eyes to Marcus' struggles to get to where he is now. Also, he was a really adorable kid! You're gonna love this book.
allieharkins219's review against another edition
The cadence on the audio was difficult for me to easily focus on while doing other things.
laila4343's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
I knew Samuelsson only from his judging stint on the Food Network's "Chopped," but I'd read a positive review of this somewhere. What a treat! My expectations for celebrity memoirs are probably really low, but this was incredibly well-written. He's got a fascinating background and he really bares his soul about family, personal failures, and the fine-dining world. I thoroughly enjoyed this.
I knew Samuelsson only from his judging stint on the Food Network's "Chopped," but I'd read a positive review of this somewhere. What a treat! My expectations for celebrity memoirs are probably really low, but this was incredibly well-written. He's got a fascinating background and he really bares his soul about family, personal failures, and the fine-dining world. I thoroughly enjoyed this.