World Travel

"World Travel: An Irreverent Guide" by Anthony Bourdain is a captivating exploration of the world through the eyes of one of its most adventurous and insightful travelers. In this heartfelt travel guide, Bourdain shares his unique perspectives, blending personal anecdotes and practical tips from his extensive journeys across the globe—from the hidden gems of New York to the breathtaking landscapes of Oman and the vibrant streets of Buenos Aires and Shanghai. This guide not only offers essential advice on what to eat, where to stay, and how to immerse oneself in each destination but also provides a deeper context behind his enchantment with these locales, allowing readers to appreciate the rich tapestry of experiences that made them memorable for him. Enhanced by contributions from friends and fellow travelers who recount their own tales alongside Bourdain, readers gain a multifaceted understanding of each place. With illustrations by Wesley Allsbrook adding to the book's charm, "World Travel" serves as an inspiring invitation for both seasoned adventurers and armchair explorers to engage with the world as Bourdain so passionately did, fostering a sense of wanderlust and curiosity that is truly infectious.

We keep this book in our upstairs lounge for guests to peruse, and it’s a great conversation piece. The photography, destinations, and Anthony Bourdain’s irreverent perspective make it interesting to pick up and browse through. It’s a fun addition to our lounge and gives guests something interesting to enjoy.

As Anthony Bourdain once famously said, "Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life—and travel—leaves marks on you." Bourdain's "World Travel: An Irreverent Guide" is a fascinating and inspiring read that takes readers on a culinary and cultural journey around the world. It's a testament to Bourdain's love of adventure, his passion for food, and his insatiable curiosity about the world. The book is divided into sections that focus on different regions of the world, each containing stories, tips, and recommendations for travelers. From the neon-lit streets of Tokyo to the bustling markets of Mexico City, Bourdain offers readers a unique perspective on the world's most exciting destinations. What sets "World Travel" apart is Bourdain's writing style. His prose is direct, honest, and unapologetic, which only adds to the book's charm. He pulls no punches in his opinions, and his sense of humor is always close at hand. One of the most compelling aspects of the book is Bourdain's passion for food. He's always on the lookout for the best local cuisine, and his descriptions of meals are mouth-watering. Whether he's digging into street food in Singapore or indulging in a lavish feast in Paris, Bourdain's love of food is contagious. In conclusion, "World Travel: An Irreverent Guide" is an excellent book for anyone who loves to travel, eat, or simply enjoys a good story. Bourdain's unique perspective, his witty humor, and his infectious passion for life make this a must-read for anyone looking to explore the world and leave their own mark on it.

When Anthony Bourdain died in June 2018, he joined the ever-expanding list of artists and personalities (Prince, Bowie, Petty) whose recent deaths have hit me particularly hard, thrusting me into a mode of deep reflection about life, death, and everything in between. The difference between Bourdain and those others though is that the others were all associated with my youth. With them, there was the element of nostalgia, of aligning their mortality with my own because they’d been with me the majority of my life. Bourdain was different though. I had been a fan of his for at least a decade by the time he died, but his presence in my life was relatively short-lived. More importantly, what he represented to me was different, not a reminder of my youthful idealism, but one of what I desire and idealize in the present, as a middle-aged man, and what I want to be now and in the future. He didn’t just present a show about world travel, which is one the things I love most in my life, but he also lived the tough idealism of it, the way real in-depth travel can make you and the world better and teach us to be more tolerant of each other. And then throw in the food. Throw in the opinionated, irreverent approach to politics and life in general. Yeah, I miss him. I miss him a lot. So of course I was excited to receive this book in the post and crack it open. The co-author Laurie Woolever, who was Bourdain’s assistant explains the evolution of this book in the introduction. She had only one conversation with Bourdain about it, in which he sketched his vision for the book, but with lots of gaps and ambiguous thinking that they intended to get back to after Woolever put together a few sample chapters. The purpose was clear though: it was intended to be “an atlas of the world through his eyes”. He left her with a “blueprint” and a recording of their conversation. But, sadly, they never had a follow-up meeting. That means much of the decisions about the book’s form and how to bring to life Bourdain’s vision rested on Woolever’s shoulders, with just these general concepts and hours of video from his shows to guide her. So what do we get here? This is not a guide in the purest sense; perhaps that is why it’s called an “irreverent” guide. This is not a book you’ll be lugging with you on your next trip, exploring with it in your hands. Its form is simple: chapter after chapter about the countries he’s traveled to, appearing in alphabetical order. Each country chapter includes the primary cities and some practical information upon arrival in those cities (airport, how to get into town and get around once you’re there) just like any other guidebook. Besides the selection of countries, Bourdain’s presence is added through the handful of hotels, restaurants, and other establishments that were chosen to be included. His comments about these places, culled by Woolever from Bourdain’s own words on his various TV shows, are liberally spread throughout, and serve as the primary vehicle for Bourdain’s voice itself. All this information is certainly interesting if you’re a fan of Bourdain, but it’s of very little use in helping to plan a trip, other than to maybe help you select one or more of the places he recommends. The practical information at the beginning of each chapter can be obtained from any other guidebook, one of which you will have to purchase anyway since this book doesn’t have enough info to serve as a primary guidebook. So it effectively lacks a real purpose save one: to experience Bourdain’s words again. And that could be enough for some of us. Woolever knows this is targeted at fans of Bourdain and tries to inject as much of him as possible. Interspersed throughout the book are essays written by friends of Bourdain’s who write about what he meant to them. Many of them are good, and some very touching; however, once I read in the introduction that it was originally intended for Bourdain himself to write these essays about the many people and places that moved him, the knowledge that we missed out on those made me feel less for the ones we got. But it’s probably unfair to judge this book based on the disappointment that it’s not exactly as it would have been. I began to imagine all the different ways this book could have been better if he had just lived to publish it (for example, I think the chapters would have been better designed if they had been informed more by the “Perfect Day” pieces they have on the Parts Unknown website…of course I have no idea he would have wanted to present them that way if he had lived). But that’s of no use. The book we have here is still a valuable look into his views on the many different places in the world that he wanted us to know about. This probably isn’t a book we’ll want to bring on trips with us, but there is enough here to inspire us to travel, and to guide us a little in Bourdain’s voice—a crude facsimile of what we had, but unfortunately, the best version we’re going to get. For those days when we don’t have time to stream one of his shows, this can serve as a resource to dip into now and again when we want or need that inspiration. This will never replace what could have been, but if you loved the guy, you may still think this is something great.

At first I didn’t like it. Seems like a ripoff. Tony wrote nothing for the book, yet it says written by A. Bourdain. But the more I read it, the more I like it. Each region has quotes from his shows, good tips and after nearly 18 months of going nowhere, it inspires you to go out, explore and see new places again. Now I give it a thumbs up!

Our 38 year old son was very excited to receive this as a gift. He had been eyeing it in stores for several years. It is nice in the fact that it gives the history and background of food from around the world. The information is very nicely presented.

Only buy this book if you want information on the places Bourdain actually visited. There is isn't alot of Tony in it. The book is sort of useful in a general overview on airports, how to get around, business hours and prices, and tidbits on the country and areas. I'm a hard core Bourdain fan, and am sort of sorry I bought this book. There's not enough Tony, and in reality, you'd get more info from YouTube, Reddit and the various expat boards online. It does give you a little flavor of the places Bourdain visited, but mostly it's a Yelp mash up with Tony vignettes through out. If you need this for your Bourdain collection, wait for it to go on sale. You do not want to pay full price for it. Consider it an outline to plan your travels, not some big entertaining revelation on Tony. My expectations were mismatched with this book. 3 stars because the business information is solid, and well researched.

I told my family this was their Mother’s Day gift to me, and I am loving every single page. I have to admit I bought this book simply because of the Bourdain name without knowing anything about it.. but I am getting so much more out of it than I thought! The book is divided by countries that Tony visited, and includes what he thought of each location, places he went and how many times he had been there, things he did, etc. Then there are behind the scenes stories from the people around him that reveal things about Tony and his lifestyle, and perhaps my favorite stories are from the restaurant owners who got “Tony’d” etc. It’s probably not meant to be read cover to cover but I am doing so, and this book is satisfying my need to get out of the country without being able to get out of the country. I wouldn’t consider myself a “book reader”.. I just love travel and would recommend this to anyone who has a travel bucket list.

Very nicely writte

Great read. Parts written by Anthony Bourdain.

Such a great and easy read and have gone back and reread a few times as my go to coffee table book

EXELLENT READ ! recommend.

nice book