A review by xtina005
A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines by Anthony Bourdain

5.0

My first exposure to Anthony Bourdain came in a college class circa 2009 where we read Kitchen Confidential. I don't recall if I was familiar with No Reservations at the time, but needless to say I immediately sought it out after finishing the book for class. I followed Tony to CNN and Parts Unknown where it was clear he was able to make the show he really wanted to but couldn't while he was at the Food Network. What drew me to him was his ability to see beyond the surface of a place and how he made every location he visited come alive. He didn't sugar-coat things. He was brazen. He was direct. He was sarcastic and darkly funny. He taught me about a world outside my door that I wanted to explore. He seemed effortlessly cool. Reading this book after his death brought me both joy and sadness. He has such a unique writing voice that I felt as though he were speaking to me directly from the page just as if I was watching one of his episodes on TV. There are moments in the book where he confronts his deeper emotions. You get a glimpse into his inner psyche and with the benefit of hindsight try to make these moments fit into the larger narrative of his life. I sorely miss his presence in the world, and I never even knew him. If you like food, travel, adventure, culture, examinations of the human condition - read this book. Then go somewhere you've never been, eat something you've always thought was "weird" spend time with people who are different than you, learn from them, respect them. Do it for Tony.