Customer Reviews

Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook

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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

God damn Anthony Bourdain!! He's an amazing author and host. So far I have read all of his book and watched all of his shows. Everything from his style to dark humour is unique and interesting. Very blunt and descriptive

Say what you want about this book, the author's passion for food shines through. So, foodies will love much about this book. Those who enjoy being in the know about restaurateurs and chefs will also be over the moon with this book. Those who enjoy a well-written book, however, will be disappointed.

Written as a series of essays that don't necessarily mesh and filled with four letter expletives throughout, the book is a bit of a slog. Our potty-mouthed author could certainly have used the services of a good editor to give this book a little more polish. It is written as if the author needed money and dashed off this book, a jumble of thoughts not all that cohesively put together.

While the author's innate, self-deprecating charm comes through, and he certainly has a lot of inside poop and opinions on many of the dominant figures in the world of chefs and restaurants, it somehow gets a little lost in his stream of consciousness approach to this book. Consequently, the author and the book come off as self-indulgent rather than colorful.

If you are a foodie, you will want to read this book. Do yourself a favor, however, and borrow it from the library rather than buy it.

There two things that might put off readers from this book. First, the opening dinner is not something most people would approve of. I didn't. Second, even I learned some new ways to cuss and swear from this book! That and the subject material means this isn't a book for the faint of heart.

So who is this book for? It's for anyone who wants an honest look at the world of food. From the chef point of view, from the TV/Food Network point of view, from the marketing point of view, from the failed/disaster point of view, from the restaurant point of view, and from the "eater" point of view. Bourdain is brutally honest. With himself as well as with those he talks about. His point about selling out was particularly poignant. He used to look down on other chefs for selling out to ads for cookware, or toothpaste. Then he realized it was his ego talking, as he ultimately was willing to sell out. It's all a matter of price, and he uses the famous joke about a man propositioning a woman for a million dollars. If you don't know how it ends, you will after reading this book.

Bourdain covers a huge range of topics in a reflective look at the world of cooking. There's a lot of personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences in this book. But he also dishes out plenty of information on other people in the business. Some of them by name (e.g., Rachel Ray, Mario Batalli, Emeril, Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay), some by reference that insider chefs will certainly clue into. He strays into philosophical territory not just over money, but over the ethics of eating meat, running a restaurant, and the general ethics of eating.

The book is written in a very approachable way, and I found it both fun and easy to breeze through it. At the same time though, there's enough meat on the bone here (pardon the unintentional pun) to keep you thinking throughout. It's hardly a fluff biography or essay. As someone who enjoys cooking, eating out, traveling, and the Food Network, I found this to be a really enjoyable read. Funny, serious, thoughtful, shocking, and always honest, this is definitely one of the more enjoyable books I've read in a while!

I really enjoyed this book. I'm a big Anthony Bourdain fan, but I was very disappointed with his earlier collection, "The Nasty Bits" (which seemed like just a random collection of essays and articles, and not his best work). I had decided to wait for the paperback edition of this book, since I feared it would be more than the same. My wife bought Medium Raw for me as a gift, however, and I devoured it in about a day.

This is a combination of anecdotes and AB's thoughts on various topics. He really bares his soul - some of what is in here is really shocking, including his seriously debauched lifestyle and thoughts of suicide following the breakup of his first marriage after the success of Kitchen Confidential; however these things aren't there for shock value - he puts them in context and really tries to explore his motivations. Most of the book is about food-related topics, of course, so it is a good read for anyone who has enjoyed his earlier books.

Lots of funny lines, some brilliant insights, and tons of good food for thought.

This book is right up there with Kitchen Confidential and A Cook's Tour . For new readers, however, I would recommend reading them in order.

Highly recommended.

When picking up Medium Raw I was fairly certain that Bourdain would not be able to top Kitchen Confidential; well I was wrong. This book runs the gamut, from describing his personal struggles in the years following his rise to fame, his tenacity (and luck) which helped him overcome those challenges, and his many travels around the globe experiencing food and culture the rest of us can only hope to experience a fraction of. He may be merciless in his assessments of other celebrities and restauranteurs but, unlike most authors and critics, he judges himself by the same hard standards. He also takes the time to give credit to the many talented and dedicated cooks and staff behind the scenes that enable celebrity chefs to enjoy their rockstar-like status. If you enjoy either his show, No Reservations, or his other books then this is a must-read; Medium Raw is Bourdain at his best.

A good read, sometimes a little self serving, but very entertaining and worth buying. Well written, humourous and a very much a bloody valentine for the food world.

Delivery again in record time, but the book was unwrapped and there was plenty visible scratches everywhere on the dustjacket, which was a dissapointement, the book itself however was fine.

This is Bourdain at his trash talking 'f-word' best, or should I say worst. He has definitely hit a new low with this one.

A number of people he rants on about are just too far removed from the Canadian food scene to really matter to most of us living north of the 49th. Still, you have to feel sorry for anyone getting on Tony's wrong side. Bourdain is quite capable of constructive criticism; but what he does in 'Medium Raw' is clobber all foes with a verbal barrage which brought back memories of Trailer Park Boys vernacular. They're history, we can only hope the same for Mr.Bourdain if this is all he is capable of.

Better that you invest your $$$$ in the works of great Canadian food essayists like Mark Schatzker (Steak), or Sarah Elton (Locavore) and learn something relevant, than to blow it on this completely forgetable book.