★ 3.5 stars ★

If I were to describe this in one word, it would be colorful, somewhat in the euphemestic sense but not entirely pejorative — the language, portrayals of individuals, and included anecdotes all fit that description; it's very much not PC or PG. I can definitely see why this is so popular: it's entertaining and dramatic, but still relatively accessible for the average reader.

My favorite chapter is

Spoiler

"Bryan," where Bourdain talks about his respect for Scott Bryan even though literally everything they do is opposed in principle

; I respect that Bourdain can acknowledge that he's wrong — he explicitly says that he's wrong, not hedging that he "might not be totally right"! — and, despite his (arguably well-earned) confidence, his way isnt the only way.