Bloomberg's "On Books" newsletter and "Bloomberg Money" segments regularly highlight must-read books for their audience. Recent discussions have included W. P. Kinsella's "Shoeless Joe" and Jonathan Mahler's "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning." Other recommendations have featured Warren Buffett's investor letters and David Sedaris' essays.
Anthony Bourdain's seminal 2000 memoir, "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly," has experienced a resurgence on bestseller charts. This renewed interest follows the theatrical release of "Tony," A24's new biographical drama about Bourdain's formative years. The film, directed by Matt Johnson, focuses on Bourdain's 1970s summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where a restaurant job introduced him to the intense kitchen culture that would shape his career. The story draws loosely from the memoir's opening chapters.
"Kitchen Confidential" originated from Bourdain's 1999 New Yorker essay, "Don't Eat Before Reading This," and quickly became a publishing phenomenon, transforming the then-executive chef of New York's Brasserie Les Halles into a public figure. The book has previously seen a surge in sales after Bourdain's death in 2018. It is currently available for $10.49, a 45% discount from its original price, and can be listened to as an audiobook narrated by Bourdain himself through an Audible trial.
Bourdain himself was a proponent of reading to understand food deeply. He recommended various books, including Harold McGee's "On Food And Cooking" and Fergus Henderson's "The Whole Beast," as well as Ludwig Bemelmans' "La Bonne Table." He also praised Émile Zola's fiction novel, "The Belly of Paris," for its vivid depiction of food. These recommendations showcase his belief that food is a cultural and social tool, capable of bridging gaps and healing, much like the dynamic environment of a professional kitchen.
During President Barack Obama's 2016 trip to Hanoi, Anthony Bourdain guided him through a meal, showcasing street food and emphasizing local customs like slurping. Bourdain, known for his adventurous eating, carefully distanced himself from mere "gag-reflex entertainment," preferring to highlight cultural immersion. Despite his public persona, he maintained a selective approach to eating and drinking off-camera and valued his close-knit crew due to his constantly changing locations.
