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Bourdain

The Definitive Oral Biography

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Bourdain

Written by: Laurie Woolever
Narrated by: Laurie Woolever, Christopher Bourdain, José Andrés, Nigella Lawson, W. Kamau Bell, full cast
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About this listen

An unprecedented behind-the-scenes view into the life of Anthony Bourdain from the people who knew him best.

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, Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography is a testament to the life of a remarkable man in the words of the people who shared his world.

Featuring the voices of Adam Epstein • Alex Getmanov • Alex Lowry • Alison Mosshart • Amy Entelis • Ben Selkow • Beth Aretsky • Bonnie McFarlane • Chris Collins • Christiane Amanpour • Christopher Bourdain • Daniel Halpern • Dave McMillan • David Choe • David Rosenthal • Diane Schutz • Eileen Opatut • Fred Morin • Helen Cho • Helen Lang • Hilary Snyder • James Graham • Jared Andrukanis • Jason Rezaian • Jeff Allen • Jeff Formosa • Jeff Zucker • Joe Coleman • Joel Rose • John Lurie • José Andrés • Josh Ferrell • Karen Rinaldi • Kimberly Witherspoon • Laurie Barnett • Laurie Woolever • Lenny Mosse • Lizzie Fox • Lolis Elie • Lydia Tenaglia • Maria Bustillos • Matt Goulding • Matt Walsh • Michael Ruhlman • Michael Steed • Mike Ruffino • Morgan Fallon • Mustafa Bhagat • Nari Kye • Natasha Phan • Nathan Thornburgh • Nick Brigden • Nigella Lawson • Panio Gianopoulos • Pat Younge • Patrick Radden Keefe • Patti Jackson • Peter Meehan • Philip Lajaunie • Rennik Soholt • Rob Stone • Robert Vuolo • Robin Standefer • Roy Choi • Sally Freeman • Sam Goldman • Sam Sifton • Sandy Zweig • Shant Petrossian • Steven Tempel • Todd Liebler • Tom Vitale • W. Kamau Bell • Web Stone • Whitney Ward • Yeganeh Rezaian • Aspen Miller • Barbara Rosenblatt • Billie Fulford-Brown • Cheryl Smith • Dan Bittner • Ewan Chung • Gabra Zackman • George Newbern • Hillary Huber • James Lurie • Jason Culp • Jean Brassard • Joe Knezevich • Oliver Wyman • Rob Shapiro • Roger Wayne

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

©2021 Laurie Woolever (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers
Entertainment & Celebrities Food & Wine Professionals & Academics Celebrity
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What listeners say about Bourdain

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An amazing journey of honest humility! Bourdain is still untouchable!

The perspectives and voices of people who knew him made the story compelling. It would have been better if they could have reflected on his true character, but not sure if this would have been achievable as it’s clear he let no one into his true self. He is an inspiration and a picture of a generation battling mental health.

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Touching tribute

I got this book at Christmas and it’s heart felt meandering through other peoples eyes. When his family talked about him you could tell he was even deeper than his tv persona. I find myself wondering why this book came to me as it did, but I started reading and could not stop. I connect with various descriptions of addictive personalities that seemed to have haunted Anthony, he will always remain a sad loss in my voyeuristic style to life, watching others experience it. To all who worked on this, I hope it helps with grief. Lists of things to think about, time to mull.

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Perfect. Get this book.

I chose to listen to this one on audiobook and I highly recommend that path as the loved ones from Anthony's life all come together to share more of his life and his story and shed light on who he was and where he was in life before his untimely death.

As a longtime fan of Bourdain, I loved this additional insight into his life. I found him to be a truly unique and fascinating man who refused to play by any rules - which was inspiring in so many ways. This book just reiterates what I thought I knew - he was human, far from perfect and just living his life his way. And it continues to inspire me.

This will be one that I revisit again. A must.

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A great listen

Anthony Bourdain was such an amazing person, it is so unfortunate how everything ended.... I hope you are at peace now my friend.... COOKS RULE!!

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Fascinating perspective on Bourdain from the people in his lives

Fascinating perspective and insight into Bourdain and his life from the people closest to him - family, friends, peers, coworkers, and contemporaries

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93 Eulogies

This audio book was narrated by 93 people, each with their own tempo (fast and slow). At times, I was lost in 'whose who' of who is speaking.

Overall, it came off as an eulogy. Some funny bits, some sad bits, and fingerpointing nearer the conclusion.

I will re-listen to some of Bourdain's own books to recapture the stories he was telling, in his own voice.

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3 people found this helpful