What do you think?
Rate this book
Bourdain: In Stories
'This unique oral history builds to a comprehensive portrait and an important biography' Observer
'Reveals a vulnerable side to the man and adds remarkable depth to his onscreen persona' Financial Times
When Anthony Bourdain died in June 2018, fans around the globe came together to celebrate the life of an inimitable man who had dedicated his life to traveling nearly everywhere (and eating nearly everything), shedding light on the lives and stories of others. His impact was outsized and his legacy has only grown since his death.
Now, for the first time, we have been granted a look into Bourdain's life through the stories and recollections of his closest friends and colleagues. Laurie Woolever, Bourdain's longtime assistant and confidante, interviewed nearly a hundred of the people who shared Tony's orbit-from members of his kitchen crews to his writing, publishing, and television partners, to his daughter and his closest friends - in order to piece together a remarkably full, vivid, and nuanced vision of Tony's life and work.
From his childhood and teenage days, to his early years in New York, through the genesis of his game-changing memoir Kitchen Confidential to his emergence as a writing and television personality, and in the words of friends and colleagues including Eric Ripert, José Andrés, Nigella Lawson, and W. Kamau Bell, as well as family members including his brother and his late mother, we see the many sides of Tony - his motivations, his ambivalence, his vulnerability, his blind spots, and his brilliance.
Unparalleled in scope and deeply intimate in its execution, with a treasure trove of photos from Tony's life, In Stories is a definitive testament to the life of a remarkable man in the words of the people who shared his world.
'Reveals a vulnerable side to the man and adds remarkable depth to his onscreen persona' Financial Times
When Anthony Bourdain died in June 2018, fans around the globe came together to celebrate the life of an inimitable man who had dedicated his life to traveling nearly everywhere (and eating nearly everything), shedding light on the lives and stories of others. His impact was outsized and his legacy has only grown since his death.
Now, for the first time, we have been granted a look into Bourdain's life through the stories and recollections of his closest friends and colleagues. Laurie Woolever, Bourdain's longtime assistant and confidante, interviewed nearly a hundred of the people who shared Tony's orbit-from members of his kitchen crews to his writing, publishing, and television partners, to his daughter and his closest friends - in order to piece together a remarkably full, vivid, and nuanced vision of Tony's life and work.
From his childhood and teenage days, to his early years in New York, through the genesis of his game-changing memoir Kitchen Confidential to his emergence as a writing and television personality, and in the words of friends and colleagues including Eric Ripert, José Andrés, Nigella Lawson, and W. Kamau Bell, as well as family members including his brother and his late mother, we see the many sides of Tony - his motivations, his ambivalence, his vulnerability, his blind spots, and his brilliance.
Unparalleled in scope and deeply intimate in its execution, with a treasure trove of photos from Tony's life, In Stories is a definitive testament to the life of a remarkable man in the words of the people who shared his world.
Hardcover
First published September 28, 2021
777 people are currently reading
11401 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 811 reviews
September 28, 2021
I'm not the type of guy that goes gaga for celebrities or obsesses over them, but Anthony Bourdain was a rare exception to that rule. I connected with him over the course nearly two decades of television between No Reservations, The Layover, The Taste, and Parts Unknown, not to mention his books, Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw. (I have, but have not yet read, his comics, which include two volumes of Get Jiro and Hungry Ghosts.) I share a birthday with his death day, and remember waking up the morning of June 8, 2018 to the news that he had hung himself in a French hotel while filming his CNN series. I've never really mourned or grieved the loss of a celebrity before, at least not in anyway beyond a superficial, "Man, that sucks, it's a shame they won't be making any more movies or books or music" kind of way. Bourdain's suicide hit me hard, though, and even though I did not know him, it hit with me all the force of a lost friend or relative. Honestly, I'm still not over this loss, or the loss of what could have been given Bourdain's talents and potential. The fact of the matter is that, although I didn't know him, I kinda-sorta did. We all did. I had invited him into my home every week for years. I shared meals with the man. He introduced me to people and places I could not otherwise know. I sipped on hot coffee or glasses of whiskey while he told me stories of life as a line-chef or shared his irrational fear of the Swiss. While we didn't share addictions, we both certainly shared common ground in terms of mental health issues, which often led to dark jokes and wry, negatively-charged observations from each of us. Anthony Bourdain possessed a level of authenticity and honesty that was impossible to ignore, and he meant a lot to a lot of people around the world who never really knew him.
Reading Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography, it's clear that those impressions were hardly a fluke. The line separating Bourdain the person from Bourdain the TV character was narrowly thin. While there were certainly differences between who he was and what he allowed himself to reveal in front of the TV camera, what you saw or read was largely who he really was. A brilliant writer, a charismatic and funny host, a lover of food and travel and people, constantly curious and knowledgable, narcissistic but also incredibly self-aware, one of the coolest cats around but a giant nerd at heart, an introvert in many ways, but one who could command the attention of an entire room and made himself the center of that attention and who gave his time selflessly to those around him. A former heroin addict, Bourdain was constantly finding and feeding new addictions to keep him clean, from travel to jiu jitsu, and romantic obsessions that he knew were doomed, such as his love affair with Asia Argento.
Writer and editor Laurie Woolever was Bourdain's personal assistant, his lieutenant, for over a decade and co-authored Appetites: A Cookbook and World Travel: An Irreverent Guide with him. For The Definitive Oral Biography, she interviewed over 90 people that knew Bourdain at various points of his life, including his brother, Christopher, his mother, Gladys (who passed away in 2020), ex-wives Nancy and Ottavia, daughter Ariane, and those who worked closest with him, such as producer-director for Zero Point Zero Production, Helen Cho and Tom Vitale (whose own book about working and traveling with Bourdain, In the Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain, releases in October), Bourdain's literary agent Kimberly Weatherspoon, chefs José Andrés, Nigella Lawson (who co-hosted The Taste with Bourdain), Eric Ripert, and Roy Choi, as well as David Simon and Eric Overmyer, the cocreators of the HBO series, Treme, for which Bourdain wrote, movie director Darren Aronofsky, CNN reporters Anderson Cooper, Christiane Amanpour, and president of CNN worldwide, Jeff Zucker, and many, many, many more.
Through all these various personalities, we're given an incredibly well-rounded, and, more importantly, honest, portrait of the late Bourdain, the good, the bad, and the ugly. As Woolever notes in her introduction, this biography is far from a hagiography and makes no attempts to deify the man it's about, just as Bourdain no doubt would have wanted. There's no sugar-coating the lesser aspects of Bourdain's personality, his addictions, or the questionable decisions he made along the way, including his toxic relationship with Argento and his final choice to commit suicide at the age of 61 in a Le Chambard hotel room. Even a year or two removed from Bourdain's death, you can feel the shock and grief and confusion in the words of those interviewed as they continue to struggle with the emotional fallout and process his reasons and behavior during the last year of his life as he was consumed by his affections and infatuation for Argento, a relationship that Bourdain was keenly aware was doomed to fail right from the start, telling friends, "It's gonna end so badly." Neither Bourdain or Argento come across particularly well in the accountings and recollections compiled here of that time, with the latter almost appearing as a virtual hurricane that upended Bourdain's life and wreaked devastation upon those closest to him, while Bourdain himself kowtows to the Italian actresses demands at the expense of his own long-term personal and professional relationships, and, ultimately, seemingly, his own mental health and well-being.
Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography is a wide-ranging exploration of the man's life and larger-than-life legacy from those who knew him best. It's not always a pleasant read, particularly in the build-up to, and exploration of the aftermath of, his suicide, but for fans of the man hoping for a peek behind the curtain it certainly is a necessary read, for better or worse.
Reading Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography, it's clear that those impressions were hardly a fluke. The line separating Bourdain the person from Bourdain the TV character was narrowly thin. While there were certainly differences between who he was and what he allowed himself to reveal in front of the TV camera, what you saw or read was largely who he really was. A brilliant writer, a charismatic and funny host, a lover of food and travel and people, constantly curious and knowledgable, narcissistic but also incredibly self-aware, one of the coolest cats around but a giant nerd at heart, an introvert in many ways, but one who could command the attention of an entire room and made himself the center of that attention and who gave his time selflessly to those around him. A former heroin addict, Bourdain was constantly finding and feeding new addictions to keep him clean, from travel to jiu jitsu, and romantic obsessions that he knew were doomed, such as his love affair with Asia Argento.
Writer and editor Laurie Woolever was Bourdain's personal assistant, his lieutenant, for over a decade and co-authored Appetites: A Cookbook and World Travel: An Irreverent Guide with him. For The Definitive Oral Biography, she interviewed over 90 people that knew Bourdain at various points of his life, including his brother, Christopher, his mother, Gladys (who passed away in 2020), ex-wives Nancy and Ottavia, daughter Ariane, and those who worked closest with him, such as producer-director for Zero Point Zero Production, Helen Cho and Tom Vitale (whose own book about working and traveling with Bourdain, In the Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain, releases in October), Bourdain's literary agent Kimberly Weatherspoon, chefs José Andrés, Nigella Lawson (who co-hosted The Taste with Bourdain), Eric Ripert, and Roy Choi, as well as David Simon and Eric Overmyer, the cocreators of the HBO series, Treme, for which Bourdain wrote, movie director Darren Aronofsky, CNN reporters Anderson Cooper, Christiane Amanpour, and president of CNN worldwide, Jeff Zucker, and many, many, many more.
Through all these various personalities, we're given an incredibly well-rounded, and, more importantly, honest, portrait of the late Bourdain, the good, the bad, and the ugly. As Woolever notes in her introduction, this biography is far from a hagiography and makes no attempts to deify the man it's about, just as Bourdain no doubt would have wanted. There's no sugar-coating the lesser aspects of Bourdain's personality, his addictions, or the questionable decisions he made along the way, including his toxic relationship with Argento and his final choice to commit suicide at the age of 61 in a Le Chambard hotel room. Even a year or two removed from Bourdain's death, you can feel the shock and grief and confusion in the words of those interviewed as they continue to struggle with the emotional fallout and process his reasons and behavior during the last year of his life as he was consumed by his affections and infatuation for Argento, a relationship that Bourdain was keenly aware was doomed to fail right from the start, telling friends, "It's gonna end so badly." Neither Bourdain or Argento come across particularly well in the accountings and recollections compiled here of that time, with the latter almost appearing as a virtual hurricane that upended Bourdain's life and wreaked devastation upon those closest to him, while Bourdain himself kowtows to the Italian actresses demands at the expense of his own long-term personal and professional relationships, and, ultimately, seemingly, his own mental health and well-being.
Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography is a wide-ranging exploration of the man's life and larger-than-life legacy from those who knew him best. It's not always a pleasant read, particularly in the build-up to, and exploration of the aftermath of, his suicide, but for fans of the man hoping for a peek behind the curtain it certainly is a necessary read, for better or worse.
September 29, 2021
Not a typical biography, and the organization/thread of narrative was nonexistent. It seems like the author was not particularly selective about
the anecdotes were included, appearing to aim more for quantity. Why so much Nigella Lawson? Why so little from Eric Ripert? What was the significance of including either? This book is basically a broken up collection of people drafting personal After Action Reports on their relationship with Bourdain. Definitely insightful, but not packaged in a way that is easy for the reader or makes meaningful conclusions about the man
the anecdotes were included, appearing to aim more for quantity. Why so much Nigella Lawson? Why so little from Eric Ripert? What was the significance of including either? This book is basically a broken up collection of people drafting personal After Action Reports on their relationship with Bourdain. Definitely insightful, but not packaged in a way that is easy for the reader or makes meaningful conclusions about the man
June 1, 2021
At nearly 500 pages and with multiple interviews and insights from 91 different people who were important in his life at some point during his 61 years, this is the definitive biography of Anthony Bourdain, Contributors include his brother Chris, his mother Gladys, his wild and crazy guy friends who encouraged him to live carelessly, serious girlfriend Paula Froelich, his ex-wives Nancy and Ottavia. His daughter Ariane speaks about her father eloquently and lovingly. Many peers- journalists, chefs, television producers- have plenty to add to who they percieved Bourdain to be. And the most common refrain was that nobody really knew Tony.
Parts of the book within some interviews reflected upon loneliness in a situation where one is beloved by the world but not at peace inside. The rigors of constant travel, airports, hotels, setting up scenes to produce his various shows, and the toll it took on Bourdain. The depth and helplessness of his depression is very evident.
The final section of the book in which Asia Argento, his last girlfriend, dominates his life is especially troubling. Someone equates it to Yoko Ono in a Beatles recording session. But it was clear that Tony Bourdain changed, more troubled and depressed, after meeting her and claiming to be deliriously in love.
A very profound book. Many thinks to NetGalley and the publisher for ARC.
Parts of the book within some interviews reflected upon loneliness in a situation where one is beloved by the world but not at peace inside. The rigors of constant travel, airports, hotels, setting up scenes to produce his various shows, and the toll it took on Bourdain. The depth and helplessness of his depression is very evident.
The final section of the book in which Asia Argento, his last girlfriend, dominates his life is especially troubling. Someone equates it to Yoko Ono in a Beatles recording session. But it was clear that Tony Bourdain changed, more troubled and depressed, after meeting her and claiming to be deliriously in love.
A very profound book. Many thinks to NetGalley and the publisher for ARC.
January 13, 2022
5 Stars for Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography (audiobook) by Laurie Woolever read by a full cast.
This is another one of those books that’s kind of hard to read because we all know how it ends. This really felt more like a tribute to one of the best storyteller of all time. The author did an amazing job of getting interviews with seemingly everyone Bourdain came into contact with over the years and in their voices told their stories about Tony. I have my own memories of meeting him at a book signing. I think it was for A Cook’s Tour. But I had all of his books with me, his fiction and nonfiction. He had such a special voice that really came across on the page. He will forever be missed.
This is another one of those books that’s kind of hard to read because we all know how it ends. This really felt more like a tribute to one of the best storyteller of all time. The author did an amazing job of getting interviews with seemingly everyone Bourdain came into contact with over the years and in their voices told their stories about Tony. I have my own memories of meeting him at a book signing. I think it was for A Cook’s Tour. But I had all of his books with me, his fiction and nonfiction. He had such a special voice that really came across on the page. He will forever be missed.
July 4, 2025
This is just lovely. The book is made up of first hand personal stories told by co-workers, close friends & family members of Anthony Bourdain. The narratives of the chapters start from when Bourdain’s childhood right up to the day of his suicide. The last part of this biography was particularly interesting as it dove into Bourdain’s mental & emotional states during his final days. It really kind of shed light on the whole mystery surrounding Bourdain’s suicide. I felt parts of the biography was a little depressing to read. Besides that, I found this book to be informative, interesting & entertaining to read.
February 5, 2022
Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography by Laurie Woolever is a biography with a difference: this book is in the words of the hundred voices of the people who, at some point in Bourdain’s life, knew the man in a personal or business way. The suicide of Bourdain in 2018 shocked some of those who knew him but did not surprise others. The book starts in his formative years, on to his cuisine career and writings, his personal life, to his travel shows which have been watched by most of us, at one time or another. This is a very personal accounting of one man’s life, done well. I listened to the audio version and I recommend it because the reader can listen to the individual voices, which works very well. Highly recommended.
January 16, 2023
If you’ve known me for a while, you might be aware that I adore Anthony Bourdain. The man, the books, the shows. Everything. Complete head over heels sucker fangirl. I have no delusions though: I know he was far from perfect, in oh so many ways. Weirdly, that had always made me love him more. I think that his fucked up sides made him more human, more endearing. When I heard about this book, needless to say that I immediately pre-ordered it.
I’m not going to pretend this wasn’t rough to read at times, but the truth is that while I thought I couldn’t fall in love with Anthony any more than I already had, this book proved me wrong, and as soon as I was done with it, I went a binged a few episodes of “The Layover” and “Parts Unknown”. Even after devouring every book Bourdain has written, I learned new things about him in these pages. He really was a unique combination of charisma, social anxiety, bravado and deep vulnerabilities, and it is incredible to look back at his work and see the huge influence he had – certainly on food culture, but on culture in general. I may still be swooning, but I do believe he made the world a better place.
The things his daughter had to say were very moving, and I really appreciate that she felt comfortable talking about her father with the whole world the way she did. The last few chapters definitely had me reaching for tissues; it has to be noted that Asia Argento was not involved with this book at all, and that no one who was has anything truly nice to say about her, but there is no airing of dirty laundry – just many friends who were worried about Tony and who felt like he was in over his head.
An absolute must-read for fans, a very beautiful and intimate homage to a great man.
I’m not going to pretend this wasn’t rough to read at times, but the truth is that while I thought I couldn’t fall in love with Anthony any more than I already had, this book proved me wrong, and as soon as I was done with it, I went a binged a few episodes of “The Layover” and “Parts Unknown”. Even after devouring every book Bourdain has written, I learned new things about him in these pages. He really was a unique combination of charisma, social anxiety, bravado and deep vulnerabilities, and it is incredible to look back at his work and see the huge influence he had – certainly on food culture, but on culture in general. I may still be swooning, but I do believe he made the world a better place.
The things his daughter had to say were very moving, and I really appreciate that she felt comfortable talking about her father with the whole world the way she did. The last few chapters definitely had me reaching for tissues; it has to be noted that Asia Argento was not involved with this book at all, and that no one who was has anything truly nice to say about her, but there is no airing of dirty laundry – just many friends who were worried about Tony and who felt like he was in over his head.
An absolute must-read for fans, a very beautiful and intimate homage to a great man.
July 20, 2021
Since I will never read a new book of Tony's again, this is the next best thing - a comprehensive portrait of the man by those who knew him best. It is, thankfully, not a hagiography - he was no saint. I'm also glad that the focus is not on his death but him as a person and, mostly, the twenty years of his life after Kitchen Confidential. The parts that are "missing" I'm glad are missing - there is nothing from Eric Ripert about his final days and his girlfriend at the time of his death is not included at all. Ariane, his daughter, has the closing reflection of the book, a fitting tribute to her dad. For the past three years we've been searching for his voice as we all navigate through this crazy world and I finally feel like I can stop looking - he's gone, and this book will help everyone appreciate him, but acknowledge that there will never be another like him and for his fans, we just need to take his message, "be a traveler not a tourist" to heart and travel in his memory and finally say goodbye.
December 10, 2021
This is just so beautiful and enlightening and such a loving warts and all story. I resisted reading this for a long time because I thought it would be a hagiography, and it is not. Bourdain was a brilliant and fascinating person, but also a deeply flawed one. He was a person of contrasts: a narcissist and and empath, a control freak and a relentless risk-taker, a man emotionally stunted within his own life who could. when he chose, see inside people's minds and hearts with shocking clarity. Bourdain could be cruel and difficult and generous and loving, responsible and irresponsible, and a thousand other things. Many of the people who loved him spent some time hating him too, and with good reason.
Bourdain was unlike anyone else before or since. I watch very little TV, but I watched all his series with my child. He brought us the world modeling how to move through the world as a thoughtful ally and a constant learner who respected people and cultures and largely succeeded in observing without judging. It was always clear that he did not consider himself and expert on anything, that he was a sponge for input. Who could have known that a recovering heroin addict who smoked and drank incessantly would be the one person on TV I wanted my child to emulate just a little (not in those ways, of course.) This book gave me a greater understanding of who he was and how those shows happened. Fascinating. But my heart is no less broken after reading it.
And speaking of heartbreak ... for those that are wondering, the book makes clear that Bourdain's suicide was his choice, his "fault." That said, Asia Argento found a broken person and seemingly intentionally pushed him as far as she could just to see what would happen. She comes off as a psychopath. One person says that Tony Bourdain did not allow his heart to break when she publicly threw his love in his face and humiliated him. The speaker guesses that if Bourdain had allowed himself to experience the pain of a broken heart and a touch of public embarrassment that he would still be alive. His heart would have broken and he would have healed, as do we all. He made a choice to stop the heartbreak in its tracks instead. What a terrible decision for himself, his family, his friends, and really the world.
Bourdain was unlike anyone else before or since. I watch very little TV, but I watched all his series with my child. He brought us the world modeling how to move through the world as a thoughtful ally and a constant learner who respected people and cultures and largely succeeded in observing without judging. It was always clear that he did not consider himself and expert on anything, that he was a sponge for input. Who could have known that a recovering heroin addict who smoked and drank incessantly would be the one person on TV I wanted my child to emulate just a little (not in those ways, of course.) This book gave me a greater understanding of who he was and how those shows happened. Fascinating. But my heart is no less broken after reading it.
And speaking of heartbreak ... for those that are wondering, the book makes clear that Bourdain's suicide was his choice, his "fault." That said, Asia Argento found a broken person and seemingly intentionally pushed him as far as she could just to see what would happen. She comes off as a psychopath. One person says that Tony Bourdain did not allow his heart to break when she publicly threw his love in his face and humiliated him. The speaker guesses that if Bourdain had allowed himself to experience the pain of a broken heart and a touch of public embarrassment that he would still be alive. His heart would have broken and he would have healed, as do we all. He made a choice to stop the heartbreak in its tracks instead. What a terrible decision for himself, his family, his friends, and really the world.
February 4, 2022
I am big fan of Anthony Bourdain and was extremely sad hearing of his passing. Therefore, I was very happy to have won this book in a goodreads giveaway. It isn't the easiest novel to read since it is written like an interview with Anthony's friends, family and co-workers.
August 22, 2022
Bitter sweet read! Eyes opening!
It is so easy to enioy shows on many streaming platforms these days we have but the hard part is to understand the pressure on the people that make those shows.
Like many others I have been a huge fan of Bourdain shows and was shocked when I heard about his death, reading this book helped me understand the why (maybe) and how we as normal people are normally so clueless about the impact each of our interactions with celebrities' could have on them. I am not going as far as saying we made his suicide coming into action but for sure we had affected his quality of life. (personal opinion)
It is so easy to enioy shows on many streaming platforms these days we have but the hard part is to understand the pressure on the people that make those shows.
Like many others I have been a huge fan of Bourdain shows and was shocked when I heard about his death, reading this book helped me understand the why (maybe) and how we as normal people are normally so clueless about the impact each of our interactions with celebrities' could have on them. I am not going as far as saying we made his suicide coming into action but for sure we had affected his quality of life. (personal opinion)
April 8, 2025
4 Stars = It definitely held my interest.
If you are a fan of Tony, you'll probably like this book. Dozens of people talk about what Tony meant to them. If you're not a fan, it may not be interesting, as it is a 'we loved you, Tony, flaws and all' book.
When I read Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, Insider's Edition I enjoyed Tony's writing, because it struck a familiar chord, since I spent quite a lot of years in the restaurant business, in many different roles. It was great to see one-of-us come up from being a dishwasher, and blast into celebrity status. Tony paid his dues in the culinary world.
No one will ever know why he took his own life. We all have our own theories. Unfortunately, I have an insider's view of suicide, too, and it just breaks my heart that this, seemingly, kind and good-hearted man felt himself backed into the fatal corner. I still miss him.
If you are a fan of Tony, you'll probably like this book. Dozens of people talk about what Tony meant to them. If you're not a fan, it may not be interesting, as it is a 'we loved you, Tony, flaws and all' book.
When I read Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly, Insider's Edition I enjoyed Tony's writing, because it struck a familiar chord, since I spent quite a lot of years in the restaurant business, in many different roles. It was great to see one-of-us come up from being a dishwasher, and blast into celebrity status. Tony paid his dues in the culinary world.
No one will ever know why he took his own life. We all have our own theories. Unfortunately, I have an insider's view of suicide, too, and it just breaks my heart that this, seemingly, kind and good-hearted man felt himself backed into the fatal corner. I still miss him.
October 14, 2021
This required a mulling period after completion. Like many fans, Bourdain’s death hit me like no other celebrity’s passing ever had. He was so accessible and relatable. If I could host a “famous people dinner party,” he’d be at the top of the list. This oral biography includes numerous stories and voices from his life. It’s a brutally honest and intimate; often beautiful, often sorrowful.
October 19, 2021
Told in the format of interview snippets from friends, colleagues, and family of Anthony Bourdain, this is an in-depth look at his personal and professional lives. Because it was told from so many points of view, there was a bit of repetition but ultimately it was a fascinating look at a complicated man although no one ever seemed to know him.
This is due to be published in late September and at the same time a book by Bourdain's long-time TV producer/director, Tom Vitale, In the Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain is being published. If you are a fan of Bourdain, read them both as each gives a different perspective of Tony and In the Weeds gives more details about the making of the TV shows (No Reservations, Layover, and Parts Unknown).
Thanks to HarperCollins for the advance reading copy.
This is due to be published in late September and at the same time a book by Bourdain's long-time TV producer/director, Tom Vitale, In the Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain is being published. If you are a fan of Bourdain, read them both as each gives a different perspective of Tony and In the Weeds gives more details about the making of the TV shows (No Reservations, Layover, and Parts Unknown).
Thanks to HarperCollins for the advance reading copy.
October 8, 2021
Anthony Bourdain's legacy is that of a man who took an unlikely career path to fame and fortune, toured the world initially as a lark and ended up becoming a cultural reporter of unparalleled excellence and insight, and experienced a second-act life way beyond the scope of his first forty-plus years on this planet, as a line cook and struggling author. When he died in 2018, the world truly lost an icon. I think many of us who were fans of his work considered him more than just the person we saw on TV; we saw him as a friend.
It's the people in his life who make up the voices heard in "Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography," by Laurie Woolever, and they paint a portrait of a very complicated man. Bourdain from his earliest days was the brightest kid in the room, a talented illustrator and writer who managed to find his way into working in kitchens and pursue his passion for cooking for the rest of his adult life. When he wrote "Kitchen Confidential" in 2000, his world changed; offers to travel and sample other countries' cuisine provided him with a platform to speak up about the world at large in a way that few Western travelers ever had before. The people who speak about him in this book all knew him at some stage of his life, or through all of it (like his mother, and younger brother Christopher). His many friends get a lot of opportunities to speak about him, but the most revealing are the comments by his two ex-wives and only daughter, showing that the man behind the persona was a warm, funny, loving presence when he wanted to be (and when he wasn't able to, he felt an immense guilt about the destruction of such elemental relationships and the collateral damage that could be inflicted). His last years get a healthy chunk of reportage here, with his relationship with Asia Argento and the complications in his life that arose from that. I don't personally think we'll ever really know what drove him to commit suicide in June 2018, and I'm not entirely comfortably "blaming" any one person or cause for it. But I think that the voices here who speak to their notions of why he did it, and what it was that pushed him over the brink, are worth considering.
But the real pull of the book is in the middle, once "Kitchen Confidential" landed and Bourdain became a world traveler. Despite his snarkiness on-camera, Bourdain was much softer and nicer, more loyal and true to his friends, than he could appear from casual viewing. I think ultimately as viewers, we all saw that side eventually emerge because it was who he truly was. And it feels good to know that, according to most of the interviewees for this book, that's who he really was. He was by no means a saint, as many point out: in some ways, travel became an addiction in his later life the way that heroin and other hard drugs had been during his cooking days. But Tony Bourdain could not be reduced to one or two aspects of his personality, he was more complicated and multifaceted than even his swaggering persona would have you believe. And his is a voice that much missed from the world these days.
It's fair to say that many other works will emerge and have emerged to document the life of this iconoclast figure in world travel and entertainment. But "Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography" goes a long way towards reminding us that Anthony Bourdain was a very important person to a whole lot of people the world over. And the tragedy of his loss may be how little he realized it at the time of his death.
It's the people in his life who make up the voices heard in "Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography," by Laurie Woolever, and they paint a portrait of a very complicated man. Bourdain from his earliest days was the brightest kid in the room, a talented illustrator and writer who managed to find his way into working in kitchens and pursue his passion for cooking for the rest of his adult life. When he wrote "Kitchen Confidential" in 2000, his world changed; offers to travel and sample other countries' cuisine provided him with a platform to speak up about the world at large in a way that few Western travelers ever had before. The people who speak about him in this book all knew him at some stage of his life, or through all of it (like his mother, and younger brother Christopher). His many friends get a lot of opportunities to speak about him, but the most revealing are the comments by his two ex-wives and only daughter, showing that the man behind the persona was a warm, funny, loving presence when he wanted to be (and when he wasn't able to, he felt an immense guilt about the destruction of such elemental relationships and the collateral damage that could be inflicted). His last years get a healthy chunk of reportage here, with his relationship with Asia Argento and the complications in his life that arose from that. I don't personally think we'll ever really know what drove him to commit suicide in June 2018, and I'm not entirely comfortably "blaming" any one person or cause for it. But I think that the voices here who speak to their notions of why he did it, and what it was that pushed him over the brink, are worth considering.
But the real pull of the book is in the middle, once "Kitchen Confidential" landed and Bourdain became a world traveler. Despite his snarkiness on-camera, Bourdain was much softer and nicer, more loyal and true to his friends, than he could appear from casual viewing. I think ultimately as viewers, we all saw that side eventually emerge because it was who he truly was. And it feels good to know that, according to most of the interviewees for this book, that's who he really was. He was by no means a saint, as many point out: in some ways, travel became an addiction in his later life the way that heroin and other hard drugs had been during his cooking days. But Tony Bourdain could not be reduced to one or two aspects of his personality, he was more complicated and multifaceted than even his swaggering persona would have you believe. And his is a voice that much missed from the world these days.
It's fair to say that many other works will emerge and have emerged to document the life of this iconoclast figure in world travel and entertainment. But "Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography" goes a long way towards reminding us that Anthony Bourdain was a very important person to a whole lot of people the world over. And the tragedy of his loss may be how little he realized it at the time of his death.
December 8, 2021
I honestly don't know how to rate this - I loved the format, but I was also VERY aware near the end how much editorialising was still happening, even in a format that is designed to imply objectivity.
June 1, 2022
This book is a collection or stories, reminiscences and recollections from a large number of people who considered Tony a friend. In print, it was hard to get into because many of the things are only a line or two long, but switching to the audio book was revelation. This book really puts things into perspective and provides detailed, behind the scenes, insight into the life and adventures of Tony Bourdain. Much of what's in here are personal stories of the man behind the Tony we all knew on TV.
It seems to be the sad truth that Tony just didn't know how many people loved him and how much he affected other peoples lives. There is probably no greater testament to this than the audio version of this book. ALL 90 CONTRIBUTERS recorded their own words. A labor of love that any fan of the late Tony Bourdain should listen too.
It seems to be the sad truth that Tony just didn't know how many people loved him and how much he affected other peoples lives. There is probably no greater testament to this than the audio version of this book. ALL 90 CONTRIBUTERS recorded their own words. A labor of love that any fan of the late Tony Bourdain should listen too.
November 2, 2021
Wow, this book/audio TOTALLY CONSUMED ME. I am not an Anthony Bourdain super-fan by any means but that did not stop me from being completely riveted by this oral history. 91 voices from family members, friends and colleagues shared their memories and private thoughts about this very beloved yet flawed man. Whilst this could have been tantalizing, scandalous or sanitized what we got was a very real heartfelt encompassing picture of a magnetic man, creative mind and haunted individual. BEST audio of 2021 by far.
I do wonder if the author reached out to actress Asia Argento, who was definitely cast as the villain. It seems her side of the story is a huge hole in this otherwise perfect piece of commemorative oral history.
I do wonder if the author reached out to actress Asia Argento, who was definitely cast as the villain. It seems her side of the story is a huge hole in this otherwise perfect piece of commemorative oral history.
March 10, 2022
I’ve been a fan of Tony Bourdain ever since I read his book Kitchen Confidential. My husband and I were fans of his TV shows and watched Parts Unknown on CNN religiously. In fact I still have several episodes on our DVR that I can’t bring myself to delete. I remember when the news broke of his suicide and I let my husband know. We couldn’t believe it.
This book doesn’t really shed any light on why he chose to end his life. Even the people who knew him didn’t understand. May he Rest In Peace.
This book doesn’t really shed any light on why he chose to end his life. Even the people who knew him didn’t understand. May he Rest In Peace.
November 7, 2021
I really don't know how to rate this honestly. I learned a lot and got very emotional at several places, and I had no idea what was all swirling around his suicide. It was illuminating. Am very eager to read Tom Vitale's book that was also released this fall.
September 28, 2021
Laurie Woolever probably knew Anthony Bourdain better than anyone. She was his longtime assistant and co-authored two books with him. So after his suicide in 2018, she collected the oral remembrances from his friends and colleagues that form this unusual biography.
Bourdain’s youth is detailed in the words of his mother, brother, first wife and childhood friends. A voracious reader, he was a gifted writer who made friends easily and entertained them with his humor. Later memories involve those of chefs, journalists, network executives and friends. I most enjoyed the recollections of Kamau Bell, host of CNN’s United Shades of America. He had always admired and wanted to meet Bourdain and when he did, was surprised by how friendly and open he was. After several more meetings, Bourdain said they should do something together and Bell answered offhandedly, “I’ve never been to Kenya.” So they went. And they watched Black Panther together. As Kamau Bell describes vividly how special this trip was to him, he also lets us see how it was very much part of Bourdain’s job.
I read so many different stories, each telling of a different Anthony Bourdain: friend, co-worker, husband, drug addict, practicer of ju-jitsu, father and more. Everyone seems to see him in a different way but I’m not sure anyone knew the real Anthony Bourdain. This is a moving biography that will make the reader miss his talent more. 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Ecco and Laurie Woolever for this ARC.
Bourdain’s youth is detailed in the words of his mother, brother, first wife and childhood friends. A voracious reader, he was a gifted writer who made friends easily and entertained them with his humor. Later memories involve those of chefs, journalists, network executives and friends. I most enjoyed the recollections of Kamau Bell, host of CNN’s United Shades of America. He had always admired and wanted to meet Bourdain and when he did, was surprised by how friendly and open he was. After several more meetings, Bourdain said they should do something together and Bell answered offhandedly, “I’ve never been to Kenya.” So they went. And they watched Black Panther together. As Kamau Bell describes vividly how special this trip was to him, he also lets us see how it was very much part of Bourdain’s job.
I read so many different stories, each telling of a different Anthony Bourdain: friend, co-worker, husband, drug addict, practicer of ju-jitsu, father and more. Everyone seems to see him in a different way but I’m not sure anyone knew the real Anthony Bourdain. This is a moving biography that will make the reader miss his talent more. 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Ecco and Laurie Woolever for this ARC.
December 30, 2021
This book just made me miss Anthony Bourdain even more. He was unique and authentic whether people liked it or not. He had an addictive personality and he tried to use his vices for productivity. The book showed all sides of him from 91 people who worked with him, admired him, were friends with him, or loved him. I enjoyed Kitchen Confidential and the last 20 years of his life after the book are focused on in this book. He was talented in multiple areas and I believe that is why he had a “second act”. I like that the book didn’t focus too many pages on his death, on what might have been, or theorizing on what went wrong. My only complaint is that I wasn’t a fan of the organization of the book and I felt there were too many of the same people telling the same type of story. I do like how it ended with his daughter’s reflections.
April 20, 2022
This was like being the fly on the wall at Bourdain's funeral and/or wake listening to the stories people told about him in a perfectly curated way in a perfect timeline of his life. It helped me see him as a person through the eyes of others. No, he wasn't perfect and no, he wasn't always an angel, but he had his moments of greatness and there are many reasons why he related to us, the regular people. I didn't realize how much his shows started revolutions for so many other shows and networks (although, now, The Travel Channel ONLY plays ghost shows and sometimes museum mysteries). I loved that we saw the vulnerability of him and almost the realness that we could get from people who were with him every day. We see the truth to an extent of the last two tumultuous years of his life before his suicide, and boy, do the storytellers in this book not like Asia Argento at all. Some outright blamed her, but some were realistic, and blamed the situation moreso than her.
My issues were with this amount of stories (like at a funeral or a wake), the stories tend to get repeated and they kind of flow together, getting me confused. This was an advanced copy that I won on Goodreads and it was missing pages like the Appendix with the contributors and I kept forgetting why this person was important. And like with any suicide or depression, everyone now is like, "oh I saw it. I knew." But no one said or did anything. Some tried a little bit, but not much. I've heard that same bullshit before and you know they didn't really do shit. So, it's hard for me to take seriously.
Anyways. If you are fan of Anthony Bourdain, you will absolutely 100% love this book. If you are curious about this man, it's an interesting perspective to read about how he came to be, the middle, the during, the end, the after effects, and everything in between. I learned quite a lot about him tha I never knew. Long live Bourdain!
My issues were with this amount of stories (like at a funeral or a wake), the stories tend to get repeated and they kind of flow together, getting me confused. This was an advanced copy that I won on Goodreads and it was missing pages like the Appendix with the contributors and I kept forgetting why this person was important. And like with any suicide or depression, everyone now is like, "oh I saw it. I knew." But no one said or did anything. Some tried a little bit, but not much. I've heard that same bullshit before and you know they didn't really do shit. So, it's hard for me to take seriously.
Anyways. If you are fan of Anthony Bourdain, you will absolutely 100% love this book. If you are curious about this man, it's an interesting perspective to read about how he came to be, the middle, the during, the end, the after effects, and everything in between. I learned quite a lot about him tha I never knew. Long live Bourdain!
October 1, 2021
When celebrity chef, author and world traveler Anthony Bourdain died by suicide in 2018, fans were shocked. But many of the 91 friends, coworkers and colleagues interviewed in the compelling BOURDAIN: THE DEFINITIVE ORAL BIOGRAPHY share riveting tales of how his life always gravitated toward extreme highs and lows. "He became this great cultural anthropologist whom everyone so loved," said Lydia Tenaglia, Bourdain's TV producer for more than two decades. "But fundamentally he was like a teenage boy with his emotional development."
Laurie Woolever, who was Bourdain's assistant for nearly a decade and co-authored "Appetites: A Cookbook" and "World Travel: An Irreverent Guide" with him, admirably pieces together Bourdain's private and professional life with input from his mother, two ex-wives, daughter, brother, publishers, and the producers, writers and technicians on his TV shows. The main person missing from this tapestry is Asia Argento, the Italian actress Bourdain fell in love with, and for whom he left his wife and began alienating friends. His suicide followed a tabloid frenzy suggesting she was cheating on him. She's not interviewed, but numerous friends and colleagues feel his obsession with her was his downfall.
One of the book's most fascinating chapters details the writing and publication of Kitchen Confidential, his frank and profane memoir, which changed his life, brought him fame and magnified his best and worst traits. Although those interviewed are mainly friends and family, this oral biography doesn't shy away from examining Bourdain's loneliness, addictions, abrasive nature and bouts of depression. This is an outstanding and illuminating biography of a complex man plagued with many demons.
Anthony Bourdain wrote and lived with an intoxicating brashness that hid his depression and addictions, and this fascinating oral history delves deep to create a true portrait worthy of the man.
Laurie Woolever, who was Bourdain's assistant for nearly a decade and co-authored "Appetites: A Cookbook" and "World Travel: An Irreverent Guide" with him, admirably pieces together Bourdain's private and professional life with input from his mother, two ex-wives, daughter, brother, publishers, and the producers, writers and technicians on his TV shows. The main person missing from this tapestry is Asia Argento, the Italian actress Bourdain fell in love with, and for whom he left his wife and began alienating friends. His suicide followed a tabloid frenzy suggesting she was cheating on him. She's not interviewed, but numerous friends and colleagues feel his obsession with her was his downfall.
One of the book's most fascinating chapters details the writing and publication of Kitchen Confidential, his frank and profane memoir, which changed his life, brought him fame and magnified his best and worst traits. Although those interviewed are mainly friends and family, this oral biography doesn't shy away from examining Bourdain's loneliness, addictions, abrasive nature and bouts of depression. This is an outstanding and illuminating biography of a complex man plagued with many demons.
Anthony Bourdain wrote and lived with an intoxicating brashness that hid his depression and addictions, and this fascinating oral history delves deep to create a true portrait worthy of the man.
May 23, 2025
This is not a "definitive biography" by any means. It is a thrown together compilation of brief comments from numerous people that Anthony Bourdain worked with.
Laurie Wollever is not an author here, she is more or less a project manager who compiled these quotes and statements from Anthony's associates.
The problem is that the tone of the entire book is that of a wake that runs too long and the mourners sit around drinking too much bad whiskey.
Many of the "contributors" sound angry and most are extremely foul mouthed.
Some day I will find a real biography on this wonderful man that will really remind me of the treasure that he was.
Laurie Wollever is not an author here, she is more or less a project manager who compiled these quotes and statements from Anthony's associates.
The problem is that the tone of the entire book is that of a wake that runs too long and the mourners sit around drinking too much bad whiskey.
Many of the "contributors" sound angry and most are extremely foul mouthed.
Some day I will find a real biography on this wonderful man that will really remind me of the treasure that he was.
October 25, 2021
Thank you Ecco Books for my ARC copy of this book.
I really enjoyed this look at Anthony Bourdain via his friends, family and colleagues. I have only seen his show a few times, and haven't read any of his books, but what shows I have seen - I have really enjoyed.
After reading this book, I want to read more of his books and go back and watch his shows. I know I was saddened when I heard of his suicide. It was amazing to read everything that he had gone through, and survived! He was loved and admired by a lot of people.
I think this was a nice look at his life and loved ones. Well done. I did get a bit lost with all the names and ended up skipping over who I was reading from, but it still made it really good.
I really enjoyed this look at Anthony Bourdain via his friends, family and colleagues. I have only seen his show a few times, and haven't read any of his books, but what shows I have seen - I have really enjoyed.
After reading this book, I want to read more of his books and go back and watch his shows. I know I was saddened when I heard of his suicide. It was amazing to read everything that he had gone through, and survived! He was loved and admired by a lot of people.
I think this was a nice look at his life and loved ones. Well done. I did get a bit lost with all the names and ended up skipping over who I was reading from, but it still made it really good.
July 26, 2021
A fascinating look at the life of Bourdain by those who (could) know him best. As the book (and subject) ricocheted towards its conclusion, it was difficult to keep my enthusiasm up knowing the lonely ending that was coming.
So, hoist up a glass of something good, pair it with good food, blast tunes you like and remember the Anthony Bourdain that you first fell in love with because, like that saying about sausage being made… well, you know where I am going with that.
So, hoist up a glass of something good, pair it with good food, blast tunes you like and remember the Anthony Bourdain that you first fell in love with because, like that saying about sausage being made… well, you know where I am going with that.
November 3, 2021
4.5 The only way this book could’ve been better is if Zach Zamboni and Asia Argento had granted interviews, and that wasn’t going to happen, so this is probably a five.
Reading this brought me back to all of the sadness I felt upon hearing about Tony’s death. It’s always odd to feel so much emotion over the death of a celebrity, and yet I read the books, I watched the shows, and I was always struck by his wit, warmth, and intelligence. It was hard to not feel a connection.
This oral history is cut and organized by theme and sequence, and I’m sure plenty of editing occurred, but it brings raw pieces of interviews together into a seamless flow.
While I remember how sad I was when Tony died, I also remember how everyone went after his girlfriend, Asia Argento. It seemed really misogynistic, and maybe it was. Through those who knew him, though, on these pages, we really see the evolution of that relationship and bear witness to his downward spiral. That doesn’t mean that the onus of what happened was on A, but it does mean he seemed to develop a real manic energy around her. Tony was absolutely brilliant; and yet, emotionally, apparently, he was immature. And he was an addict. He had beat heroin years ago, but the mania continued with food, drink, cigarettes, tanning, work, and sometimes women. Regarding Asia he was absolutely desperate. The pressure. For years he wanted to stop being on television, leave the spotlight. But he had an awareness of all the folks on his payroll. He felt he needed to keep going for them. But then he couldn’t. What a gut-wrenching tragedy for his friends and family.
Reading this brought me back to all of the sadness I felt upon hearing about Tony’s death. It’s always odd to feel so much emotion over the death of a celebrity, and yet I read the books, I watched the shows, and I was always struck by his wit, warmth, and intelligence. It was hard to not feel a connection.
This oral history is cut and organized by theme and sequence, and I’m sure plenty of editing occurred, but it brings raw pieces of interviews together into a seamless flow.
While I remember how sad I was when Tony died, I also remember how everyone went after his girlfriend, Asia Argento. It seemed really misogynistic, and maybe it was. Through those who knew him, though, on these pages, we really see the evolution of that relationship and bear witness to his downward spiral. That doesn’t mean that the onus of what happened was on A, but it does mean he seemed to develop a real manic energy around her. Tony was absolutely brilliant; and yet, emotionally, apparently, he was immature. And he was an addict. He had beat heroin years ago, but the mania continued with food, drink, cigarettes, tanning, work, and sometimes women. Regarding Asia he was absolutely desperate. The pressure. For years he wanted to stop being on television, leave the spotlight. But he had an awareness of all the folks on his payroll. He felt he needed to keep going for them. But then he couldn’t. What a gut-wrenching tragedy for his friends and family.
October 30, 2021
What did I get from this novel… a look into Bourdain’s life through the eyes of tens of people. I thoroughly disliked the organization of the book as there was no flow to the writing and too many viewpoints trying to build on one topic, example, his drug use, his awkwardness, his obsessions. I did learn that he loved chaos and life wasn’t as wonderful as it all seemed but this layout just didn’t get me involved in the story until the end when it all came crashing down. You take a man who’s overworked, in a toxic relationship with a past of addiction and is delivered bad news. Things add up and people can only take so much. I do wish he could’ve sought help. Even if it was to quit all work and retire somewhere he loved. Who knows if it would’ve worked but he was a force to be reckoned with. 2 stars.
September 21, 2021
3.5 stars 🌟 🤩 ✨
Won this via goodreads giveaways, all my opinions are my own.
----
This took so long partly because I had some personal life stresses happening one right after the other and also the format made it feel longer than it was.
I don't mean it in a bad way, it was an interesting book and I can't imagine it structured a different way but it also felt .slower (not sure how else to put it).
I enjoyed learning about him and what he was like behind the scenes.
With my bad memory, I was glad for the index of people in the beginning haha
Anthony Bourdain was a complicated and interesting man. (I hope he's resting in peace).
This would be a good introduction to him I think.
Won this via goodreads giveaways, all my opinions are my own.
----
This took so long partly because I had some personal life stresses happening one right after the other and also the format made it feel longer than it was.
I don't mean it in a bad way, it was an interesting book and I can't imagine it structured a different way but it also felt .slower (not sure how else to put it).
I enjoyed learning about him and what he was like behind the scenes.
With my bad memory, I was glad for the index of people in the beginning haha
Anthony Bourdain was a complicated and interesting man. (I hope he's resting in peace).
This would be a good introduction to him I think.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 811 reviews