It brought me into contact with a lot of people who had made television with and who had traveled with him or who live in these places that he visited. Then as the months went on I got more comfortable with it and picked up a little more mental momentum it never got any easier necessarily, but you work through the grief. The first few months were very slow going, and it felt like an impossible task with the added weight of grief and shock. Laurie Woolever: It was very difficult at first. (This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.)Īmerica's Test Kitchen: Emotionally, what was the process of researching and writing this book like for you? And did those emotions change from the book’s outset to its completion? Ahead, writer and editor Laurie Woolever-who also coauthored Bourdain’s 2016 cookbook, Appetites-shares what she intends this book to be, how it can be used, and what it illuminates about Bourdain’s philosophy of food. I tell you how the places made me feel.”Īny fan of Bourdain’s will finish the book sharing his feelings about these places. In the introduction, a 2012 Bourdain quote sets expectations: “It was never my intention to provide audiences with ‘everything’ they needed to know about a place-or even a balanced or comprehensive overview. How to sweet-talk your way to an illicit beer from a halal food stall in Sri Lanka would perhaps not be required information in other guide books, but it certainly belongs in Bourdain’s. Woolever has painstakingly combed his musings, memories, and must-eat meals for a gritty, glittering world tour as only Bourdain could present. Rather, World Travel is a global romp as seen through the singular eyes-and palate-of Anthony Bourdain. But in the era of blogs and TripAdvisor and AirBnb Experiences, this book won’t be any traveler’s only resource.Īnd it’s not intended to be. The book recommends just five eateries in all of Mexico City the entirety of Cuba is addressed in six and a half pages there is only one recommended hotel listed for most destinations.

On a practical level, World Travel would leave much to be desired if it was a traveler’s only resource. Woolever and Bourdain’s estate decided to continue with the book, and the guide went on sale April 20. Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever’s World Travel: An Irreverent Guide is decidedly the latter.īourdain and his longtime assistant Woolever began sketching the structure for this book in 2017 Bourdain died unexpectedly in June 2018. And there are the immersive, illuminating books that make for satisfying reading, even if you have no plans to visit Lima or Lagos. There are the practical, stuff-it-in-your-tote books you consult for subway maps or useful food phrases.

Anthony bourdain world travel book