vivshack 's review for:

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (Updated Edition) by Anthony Bourdain

5.0

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Wow this book kind of broke me. I felt so intertwined in Bourdain’s world, mirroring my experiences and acquaintances in restaurants so his accounts could’ve been in my own past places of employment. My dad has referenced this book multiple times and recurrently talks about Bourdain’s power to run the room; yet, I was completely blown away by his power with words. It was almost chilling to read such an intimate account of an industry so grueling and disturbing with such love and passion for the product, especially considering the excerpts where he discusses drug use and suicide of past employees. I found it extremely tragic to hear (through his audiobook reading) his view of having passed his struggle with addiction and his everlasting love with his wife with current knowledge of his passing and divorce. I feel an overwhelming amount of sympathy, grief and gratitude for Anthony Bourdain’s presence and ability to memorialize my same fascination with the restaurant industry.