I wouldn't have ever thought of calling a memoir "rollicking" before - to me that's a word reserved for picture books and pirates - but it fits here... and fitting, too, that Bourdain often refers to his fellow kitchen workers as a pirate crew. They're variously scatological and temperamental and apparently insane in various uncouth ways, but it's all extremely entertaining to read. And really, what underlies it all is a sincere love of food. I don't think anyone would subject themselves to the high-pressure environment of a professional kitchen if they didn't love food, and Bourdain's passion for his subject comes across really well. So well, in fact, that it's honestly hard to read a lot of this book without feeling hungry. Which is no bad thing...