Reviews

No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach by Anthony Bourdain

elise_dragon13's review

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adventurous challenging funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.0

lexirtaylor2's review

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adventurous funny informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

mackellis's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

Love seeing him happy. 

julie_scannell's review

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

3.25

ashesofroses's review

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4.0

What can I say except: "I miss you"?

nic78's review

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adventurous informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

4.0

bubblescotch's review

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lighthearted fast-paced

3.0

It’s a coffee table book, and it’s mostly pictures. Better to know that going in than to find it out when you start reading. Definitely better for people who have seen and enjoyed the show already; it’s a reflection on the experience of making the show as opposed to a travel guide or whatever you might call the show itself (“travel guide” seems highly insufficient, but for the sake of convenience…).  I get that it’s not meant to be a deep, essay heavy text, but it’s a shame, because Bourdain is a good writer and his perspective and voice shines through in what little prose there is. Finally and respectfully, I’m not sure what the people complaining about “dead animal pictures” are doing reading this book—Bourdain has always shown  the dirty side of his experiences (including culinary) as well as the beautiful. This is a chef and an eater highlighting food. Either way, if dead animals (culinary or otherwise) make you uncomfortable, probably avoid this book, and Bourdain in general.

lexcro's review

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adventurous informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

katepiccolo's review

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3.0

this is kinda just a picture coffee table book. so it barely counts as reading a book really. but i like the dude, so hey.

jadenbru's review

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5.0

Bourdain's particular style of writing and seeing the world was always a breath of fresh air. He is one of my great idols, and after his passing, I bought a couple of his books to learn more about the man and his life.

This book is coffee table style and a very quick read. I tried to take my time soaking in the gorgeous photos- many of which were candids- and reading about his experiences. Reading this book after Bourdain's passing gave a particular poignant feel to some of the things he said- such as when he talked about not knowing whether his life on the road or his life at home was "real life", and how does one come back from such a vast array of incredible experiences, tastes, cultural immersion- and still enjoy the day to day mundane bits of one's own life... or when he talked about how lonely his traveling life was at times, because nobody at home really understood or had experienced those same things.

All in all, a great read, a wonderful writer and an incredible soul. His life and the things he says have always spoken to me. Rest in peace, good sir. You are greatly missed.