Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (Insider's Edition) by Anthony Bourdain

50 reviews

booalie's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual harassment

sheriffrockyraccoon's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful informative lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

5.0

Who doesn’t spend every waking hour missing Anthony Bourdain? Couldn’t be me. As a fan of his show, I figured I should go back to what may be his most famous book and see where it all started.

I had so much fun reading about Bourdain’s experiences. As someone who has worked in hospitality for a fair share of sociopaths, it was really comforting and enlightening to see someone else both experience the behavior and understand it at the same time. Bourdain clearly loves what he does and doesn’t hide behind his celebrity status as he confronts past demons. He’s just that lovable!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys celebrity memoirs, Bourdain’s shows, French cooking, or just food in general. It was fun, relaxing, and easy to read- although he definitely jumped around at times (it fits the ambience of his kitchens, though).

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

These content warnings are relatively minor but frequent- he does not shy away from hypocrisy

etbishop's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexism, and Alcohol

dreadspawn's review against another edition

funny informative medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Blood, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide

sinisterbeard's review against another edition

adventurous funny informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Homophobia

megnut's review against another edition

emotional funny informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.25

I think I've found some of my favorite lines in this book... and definitely had a hard time not profusely swearing after listening to it for a while. 

RIP, Chef. This was a delight. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Injury/Injury detail

illtakethenightshiftx's review against another edition

funny reflective

I’ve been wanting to read this since I was a teenager and saw an episode of No Reservations.  I’m so glad I decided to listen to the audiobook instead of picking up the print. Memoirs read by the author, especially by an author who has an amazing voice, are so much more powerful. You can tell how much food meant to Bourdain, even during his early years.

(Rating memoirs feels weird so I’m not doing it)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Drug abuse

kurtwombat's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny informative tense fast-paced

5.0

I’ve watched Anthony Bourdain’s food/travel show on and off for years, enjoying his long cool languid demeanor and hip, inquisitive voice. What provokes is the sense that there is a vigorously lived life idling beneath the surface. In KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL a younger than TV age Bourdain provides a florid splash of his adrenaline-fueled life as a chef. The pace is fast like his kitchens and is at turns shocking and hilarious--feeling like Jim Carroll’s BASKETBALL DIARIES meets Upton Sinclair’s THE JUNGLE delivered by Spalding Gray on speed. Because of his sad passing I had stayed clear of his shows and hesitated picking up this book. Enraptured, my concerns fell away as I realized every page celebrates his life and passion.  The book will teach you about different foods and may encourage you to learn more but you don’t have to care about food at all to enjoy KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL.  Able to pinpoint the childhood meal that ignited his interest in food, soup served cold, that love never wavers despite page after page working insane hours under grueling conditions in crazy environments for little pay. Does that sound like fun, probably not, but it certainly is.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Alcohol

The graphic warnings I gave above are definitely referenced in the book but are not condoned but rather just to describe the atmosphere of this kind of workplace.

peytonhhill's review against another edition

dark informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

This book surprised me! While it wouldn't be my regular cup of tea, the audiobook is quite good, and I learned a whole lot about the culinary world. It sounds like Anthony Bourdain was a really interesting person, and it was certainly worth the listen to learn about his life, passions, and world. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook read by the author. People interested in food and cooking books, and anything nonfiction but fast-paced would enjoy this!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Drug abuse and Suicide

anna_luvs_cheez's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective fast-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Great book, audio book is great, can get a little graphic at times with kitchen injuries