Laurie Woolever

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. show more 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. show less

This book was an insult to the reader, to the craft of the biographer, and above all, to Bourdain himself. A shocking attempt to capitalise upon his name and fame. Absolutely no insight whatsoever. A tragedy, portraying another tragedy.

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 show more 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. show less

This was a very enjoyable read. The author worked for Mario Batali, who comes off like a total (expletive); and Tony Bourdain, who comes off like a total doll. In between she practices serious forms of substance abuse and self-sabotage. I was always happy to come back and spend time in her company and root for her. Keep kicking butt, Laurie.