Listening to this posthumous collection of commentary by chef Anthony Bourdain on his favorite places is like joining him for one final adventure. From Argentina to Vietnam, each brief chapter starts with a quick but detailed overview of airports, transportation, and hotels, narrated by Bourdain’s assistant, Laurie Woolever. This is followed by Bourdain’s thoughts about the area’s people, locale, and food, narrated by Shep Gordon. Gordon’s casual, friendly tone, reminiscent of Bourdain’s own personal style, makes it easy for listeners to imagine traveling the world with him. Interspersed throughout are essays by some of those who knew him, each narrated by its author. The affection expressed for the late travel show host and writer is one of the most memorable features of this listening experience. C.J.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

11/02/2020

Woolever, longtime cowriter with the late Bourdain (1956–2018), knits together an impressive food-obsessed travel guide based on her conversations with Bourdain. Flitting from Argentina to Bourdain’s beloved Vietnam, the narrative captures Bourdain’s appreciation of everything from Oaxacan sauces to New York City’s Barney Greengrass restaurant (“If God made anything better, he kept it for himself”) and the “awesomeness” of Hong Kong’s night markets. Entries can be slim—such as “Kenya,” which consists of a dash of history and a quick nod to a restaurant in Kibera­—but the book’s power comes from Bourdain’s joyfully combative stances (“Once you’ve been to Cambodia, you’ll never stop wanting to beat Henry Kissinger to death with your bare hands”), unabashed enthusiasm, dense overlay of cinematic references, and world-weary advice (“Sardinia’s the kind of place you better know somebody”). This gloriously messy miscellany of off-kilter observations and lightning-in-a-bottle insights will make one want to read, eat, and experience the world the way Bourdain did. Bourdain’s fans will devour this. (Apr.)

"There will never be anyone quite like Anthony Bourdain. But World Travel offers readers the potential to travel the world as he did." — Fortune

“Bourdain’s final book gives readers insider knowledge of his favorite global locales…. Fans of ‘Parts Unknown’ will want to add this to their spring reading lists.”  — CNN

“This book takes you on a journey around the world through the eyes of famously curious culinarian Anthony Bourdain. From Spain to Argentina to Tanzania and beyond, Bourdain saw more of the world than most of us, and this book offers the chance to see — and taste — much of it right along with him.” — Chicago Tribune

“[R]ead cover to cover, country by country, it is an enduring embodiment of Anthony Bourdain’s love for the whole world and a reminder of how to stack our priorities the next time we’re able to follow in his footsteps.” — The New York Times

“It’s the World According to Tony—a browsable compendium of his matchless commentary on worthy destinations in 43 countries.”  — People

“Charming…. Irresistible…. An exhilarating and worthwhile choice for those planning an actual trip and for stay-at-home travelers.” — Library Journal (starred review)

"This gloriously messy miscellany of off-kilter observations and lightning-in-a-bottle insights will make one want to read, eat, and experience the world the way Bourdain did. Bourdain’s fans will devour this." — Publishers Weekly

"An exhilarating whirlwind tour.... Anyone who loved and misses Bourdain will want this book." — Kirkus Reviews

“A collection of remembrances mixed in with a global travel guide, this collection of city-by-city tips and restaurant suggestions uses Anthony Bourdain's own words alongside Laurie Woolever's, making this a one-of-a-kind book honoring a one-of-a-kind soul.” — Good Morning America

“The late television host had dreams of creating a guidebook for all his favorite cities across the world, and his longtime assistant and collaborator took the notes from their singular brainstorming session and turned that dream into a reality." — EW.COM

“[F]eels like an adventure, a delightful surprise as you turn the page from Vienna (Austria) to Bhutan.” — Bloomberg News

This book takes you on a journey around the world through the eyes of famously curious culinarian Anthony Bourdain. From Spain to Argentina to Tanzania and beyond, Bourdain saw more of the world than most of us, and this book offers the chance to see — and taste — much of it right along with him.

The late television host had dreams of creating a guidebook for all his favorite cities across the world, and his longtime assistant and collaborator took the notes from their singular brainstorming session and turned that dream into a reality."

A collection of remembrances mixed in with a global travel guide, this collection of city-by-city tips and restaurant suggestions uses Anthony Bourdain's own words alongside Laurie Woolever's, making this a one-of-a-kind book honoring a one-of-a-kind soul.

"There will never be anyone quite like Anthony Bourdain. But World Travel offers readers the potential to travel the world as he did."

It’s the World According to Tony—a browsable compendium of his matchless commentary on worthy destinations in 43 countries.” 

Bourdain’s final book gives readers insider knowledge of his favorite global locales…. Fans of ‘Parts Unknown’ will want to add this to their spring reading lists.” 

[R]ead cover to cover, country by country, it is an enduring embodiment of Anthony Bourdain’s love for the whole world and a reminder of how to stack our priorities the next time we’re able to follow in his footsteps.

This book takes you on a journey around the world through the eyes of famously curious culinarian Anthony Bourdain. From Spain to Argentina to Tanzania and beyond, Bourdain saw more of the world than most of us, and this book offers the chance to see — and taste — much of it right along with him.

[F]eels like an adventure, a delightful surprise as you turn the page from Vienna (Austria) to Bhutan.

★ 09/01/2020

The late Bourdain (1956–2018) was a celebrity chef and world-traveling TV star, whose personality is reflected in this charming book, cowritten by Woolever, his assistant. Chapters cover the world's cities and include a brief history, getting around, and hotel and food suggestions. The book is full of irresistible illustrations, including the cover. Drinking establishments and a single favorite tourist spot are also noted. For example, Bourdain muses over international cuisine, including a meal in Accra, Ghana, in which he didn't know what to expect; the inexplicably satisfying meal was comprised of groundnut soup, goat meat, cow tongue, beans, and rice balls. He explains how living in New York felt like being in the center of the world until he visited Shanghai. He describes the dumpling dish Xiao Long Bao as the world's most perfect food. The appendix for film references lists movies that provided visual inspiration for episodes of his various programs. VERDICT An exhilarating and worthwhile choice for those planning an actual trip and for stay-at-home travelers.—Susan G. Baird, formerly with Oak Lawn P.L., IL

Listening to this posthumous collection of commentary by chef Anthony Bourdain on his favorite places is like joining him for one final adventure. From Argentina to Vietnam, each brief chapter starts with a quick but detailed overview of airports, transportation, and hotels, narrated by Bourdain’s assistant, Laurie Woolever. This is followed by Bourdain’s thoughts about the area’s people, locale, and food, narrated by Shep Gordon. Gordon’s casual, friendly tone, reminiscent of Bourdain’s own personal style, makes it easy for listeners to imagine traveling the world with him. Interspersed throughout are essays by some of those who knew him, each narrated by its author. The affection expressed for the late travel show host and writer is one of the most memorable features of this listening experience. C.J.S. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

2021-01-05
Posthumous selection of Bourdain’s thoughts on places exotic and well known, blended into a kind of Baedeker for the hipster set.

There’s Frankensteining at work here, with Woolever, who worked with Bourdain for nearly 10 years, surrounding his pithy excerpts with the kind of dryly useful information of a standard guidebook—e.g., “Buenos Aires is well served by bus routes, along with a seven-line underground metro system known as Subte, which links the downtown to the outer reaches of the city.” When Bourdain kicks in, it’s of a different order: “Argentina has the distinction of being home to more head-shrinkers per capita than anywhere else in the world….It’s an extraordinary thing, because in many cultures, to confess that you need to even confide in someone is seen as a sign of weakness. Here, everybody does it, and in no way frowns upon it.” That’s an interesting datum, the kind of thing you tuck away for future reference. Bourdain went to see one of those psychiatrists, confessing, “I feel like Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame—if he stayed in nice hotel suites with high-thread-count sheets.” Considering his sad end, the words are revealing. Where Bourdain traveled, drink and excessive eating were sure to follow. In Finland—a place full of people “tough enough to fight off Nazis and Russians”—he ate mystery meat that put “the self-loathing back into drinking” while in Hanoi, Vietnam, for which he had “a deep, abiding love,” he taught Barack Obama how to slurp noodles, with a belly-stuffing meal and beer running about $6: “I’m guessing the president doesn’t get a lot of state dinners like this.” Bourdain went nearly everywhere on the planet, eating and drinking prodigiously along the way. It makes for an exhilarating whirlwind tour, complete with charmingly impressionistic sketches by Allsbrook.

It doesn’t substitute for a true travel guide, but anyone who loved and misses Bourdain will want this book.