I love to travel and Anthony Bourdain is the go-to travel guru. This guide is a collection of his favorite places - I love reading about his experiences and recommendations. I've only been to a few listed in the book and I love to read about them, but also to learn about new places and add them to my travel bucket list. So many places to go and not enough time!

Anthony Bourdain was a stand-out. There was never a writer like him and there never will be again. This book is called "an irreverent guide" and it full of Bourdain's mordant wit and perceptive comments. He had an uncanny ability to immediately connect with people and places, and that's why this book is fascinating and unique. Whether he takes us to Paris or Shangha,, love beind along for the ride and what a ride it is. The most fascinating man on the planet tells us all about the most fascinating places he's discovered. Don't miss this one.

Unfortunately, I was unable to read this on my Kindle device as it was only made available for the NetGalley Shelf app. I have since a bought a copy and hope to get to it soon. Unfortunately, I am also forced to leave a star rating; please ignore that part.

I’ve always appreciated the snarky and sardonic personalities on TV, and that’s what started me off with Anthony Bourdain. He combined my love of food shows with sarcasm. I enjoyed his many different shows, including the ones focused on him directly like No Reservations and the ones that included him with others like The Taste. I just really appreciated the way he worked as a person, so it was very upsetting to hear of his passing.

I was very pleasantly surprised to see this book was coming out. I wasn’t sure if this was going to be something like Alan Rickman’s diaries he’d written over the course of his career, or if it was a loving tribute to Anthony Bourdain based on people’s experiences with him.

A lot of it seems to be descriptions of places he’d been, with accompanying quotes from the corresponding episodes. He had met with the author about the concept for this book, but sadly only had the chance to discuss it with him that one time. What this book is seems to be a trip down memory lane combined with some travel tips.

I really found the description of Krampus Day to be interesting and funny. I so wish that he’d gotten his wish to add an animated segment about it to his show; it just goes to show that network executives don’t always know what they’re talking about. Anthony Bourdain was well known for his brand of snark and humor, so I feel like that definitely was a missed opportunity on the network’s part. His sense of humor was part of what made him so great.



A critique I would have is that the restaurant descriptions are quite brief and sparse. It felt a bit impersonal. Obviously, we sadly don’t have Anthony Bourdain to expand on these locales more, but I would have liked the descriptions to be longer. It seems to miss the spark that was common in the actual episodes of his shows. The author states in the forward that “while this book does include basic information on topics like transportation and hotels...you will want to supplement this volume with a...guidebook dedicated to one city or country, or, you know, the Internet.” But this book does come off as more of an impersonal travel guide with some Anthony Bourdain quotes sprinkled in here and there. There are brief restaurant descriptions along with their addresses at the time of writing as well as average prices. The author includes website links to a variety of transport information with pricing as well. It seems a little bland sometimes.

My recollection isn’t always great considering the amount of content he produced, so I definitely appreciated the refresher. I especially found the intro on Bhutan interesting - how isolated it seems to have been until around the 1970s. I was a little disappointed in how sparse sections like the one on Israel were, as I think those could have been really interesting.

I think it would have been improved if it was more of some kind of pseudo-episode guide with pictures accompanying it, and of course some of his delightful snarky one-liners! Emphasizing which were his absolute favorites out of all of the cities and restaurants he’d been to. I definitely appreciated the inclusion of some write ups by people at restaurants he visited, though, as well as other people he worked with. I would have liked the places organized by region instead of alphabetically, but that’s a minor complaint.

Something I really appreciated was Anthony Bourdain’s willingness to go places people said he shouldn’t: “The food is famously good - yet it’s a victim of bad reputation, bad history...as it turns out, exactly the kind of place I like...There have been attempts to dissuade me...’Oh, you don’t want to go there.’ And yet...It is a beautiful city.” He gave us a glimpse of places many of us would never consider going ourselves due to less than stellar rumored reputations. Places with some great people, and some great food. “I think that [this]...is a place where, no matter what, people should come...even people who are afraid to travel, who said, ‘Oh, well, but I hear...’ No! You know what? Live your life, man. You should not miss a place like this, cause there aren’t a lot of places in the world that even come close to this.” He really seemed to live life to the fullest.

Tried reading this one and it just was not meant for me. This does not mean that it is not a good book, I just was not in the right place to be reading it and have decided to not try picking it up anytime in the near future.

This book doesn't offer much by Bourdain which was the real draw. It reads more as an outdate travel guide book with few of the personal touches or moments that would have made this book shine. It feels almost exploitative to have Bourdain's name on this when he wasn't really involved.
It could have been reformatted as a scrapboook style of book for a better appeal.

In the past two years, I've done a lot of traveling while sitting on my couch and Anthony Bourdain has taken me on so many culinary adventures.
His death was certainly a shock to so many and my condolences to his family and friends who miss him desperately.
I liked the book and although it had many bits of info he's shared in previous works as well as his shows, the cadence of it doesn't hold the same clever phrasing or sharp wit.
Hoped for more of his insight and perspective, but always appreciate his commentary.

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review.

If you are buying for a Bourdain fan, this may be appreciated for the sound bites and having a glimpse of a lot of places at once, but it is not well titled. Calling it a guide is problematic for me, because a lot of the places listed here are no longer open. Still, if someone wants a different format in which to appreciate Bourdain's experiences, this might work for them.

Interesting as always but a different style of travel book. I would have liked more detail. Thanks Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

World Travel is a food book, a travel book, a memoir, and a loving tribute to Anthony Bourdain. Laurie Woolever, Bourdain's former assistant and now co-author, has done a fine job of taking Tony's notes, recollections, and TV appearances and molding them into a lively travel book for foodies. Also included are essays from Bourdain's friends and family about specific places they experienced with him. These essays add so much depth to the book and really take it up from a 3-star to a 4-star review for me. I'm so sad that we won't get another Bourdain book, but very glad we have this one.

Not an easy read, since Bourdain's death still feels like a shock, even years later, but a worthwhile one all he same. It captures Bourdain's uncouth curiosity about the world and makes me even more excited bout the upcoming film about him. Recommended!

In recent years, the world was rocked by the death of Anthony Bourdain. His passion for food and travel sparked an interest in many to explore the foods of the world. In this guide, which he started working on before he died, but was unable to finish, gives tips for eating your way around the world. Country by Country, the guide has tips from Anthony along with notes from his family, friends, and colleagues. The book was unfinished when Anthony died so Laurie Woolever used notes, conversations and more to finish the book.

There are lots of great tips in the book and it really gave me the travel bug. After being cooped up at home for over a year (THANKS COVID!), I am really ready to get out and explore. Thanks to this book, I have lots of inspiration on where to go, both close to home and across the globe.

This is a difficult book for me to review, and an even more difficult book to rate.

I remember exactly where I was when I heard about Anthony Bourdain's passing. I was on a bus, riding through downtown Portland on my way to work, scrolling through social media when I was alerted by - something. It shook me to my core. Bourdain seemed forever to me, in a David Bowie sort of way, someone who would always be around. His death, and the manner of it, gutted me and has stuck with me throughout the years. I miss him still.

So I was very excited when I heard the news that a new travel guide compiled by his longtime assistant was to be published, and even more excited when I was approved for an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley. I was so excited for new Tony content; I was eager to return to his irreverent wit, his boundless depth of understanding, his caustic yet charming approach to the world. And, reading this guide, I couldn't help thinking - <i>is that all?</i>

Is this a book that needs to exist? Bourdain thought so, before his untimely passing; unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to create new content for it. It's comprised of quotes of Tony's from previous visits to the places listed in the guide, Woolever's research, and essays from family and friends who had worked and traveled with Tony during his long and illustrious stint as travel's enfant terrible. There isn't anything new here, although for a hardcore Bourdain devotee I suppose it would be convenient to have his recommendations conveniently assembled in one body of work. Still, the guide is light on the guidance - some countries' entries number a couple of pages, with only a place or two recommended.

One thing I found particularly jarring are the hotel recommendations. Unsurprisingly, Bourdain liked to stay in luxurious lodgings (frequently on the company's dime) so the recommendations here are mostly for locations that are quite outside of the budget of the everyday traveler, especially one that aspires to travel like Tony did, dining in tiny eateries off the beaten path and making friends with the locals. It's rather incongruous with staying at the Hotel de Russie in Rome for $500/night.

I'm not sure why the sections on airports and local transit were included at all. I suppose that every guidebook includes those details, but that's exactly the reason why I felt this information is unnecessary here. I'm not coming to Tony to tell me which airport to fly into - every other guidebook, and the internet, can tell me that. I want Tony to tell me which family-owned diner has the best offal and which underground bar has the most true spirit of its city. I don't want Tony to tell me about airport connections; I can find those myself.

Ultimately, I tried to be as objective as I can about this guide. I'm sure that Woolever felt it was her duty to see this project through; I can't fault her for that. I also can't help feeling like there wasn't enough Bourdain in this guide, which isn't something anyone could have helped. Tony was gone, and Woolever and other contributors only had existing content and their memories to call upon. It's an interesting question - is it worthwhile to wring as much content from his legacy as possible, and does seeing this guide through truly contribute to his canon? This is a difficult question to answer, and I'm not sure that there's a right answer here anyway. My thoughts are my own.

World Travel really is more of a worldy restaurant guide than a series of essays or any sort of biography.
Written by Laurie Woolever after Bourdain's death, the most of his voice we get is quotes about the places he has visited. While I think this book was an interesting concept, it's not something I would pick up and read cover to cover and more like something I would pick up before traveling to a certain place and only reading that section.
The book is basically a compilation of notes on a certain country or city, starting with quotes or notes on what Bourdain's connection is to the city, a section about arrival and getting around, and then a few sections with a paragraph or two about a restaurant Bourdain visited or enjoyed.
Throughout the book, there are a few essays from people who knew Bourdain that dive deeper into a certain place or story. These were the highlights of the books, and I would have rather read a short collection of just these essays and had the rest of the book as an accompanying travel guide.
Thank you to Netgalley and Ecco for the ARC!

Laurie Woolever (and some of Bourdain's famous friends) expand on a conversation Bourdain died before his death. Even though the word "Irreverent" is in the subtitle, the book is not as irreverent as Bourdain himself. I miss the chef's unique voice; unique tone. Nevertheless, this book will give fans one last taste of Bourdain's thoughts, opinions, and advice.

A lovely book for anyone who is nostalgic about all the good that Anthony Bourdain brought to the world and our TV screens. This isn't the kind of book most people expect, I would guess, but it was still enjoyable. Rather than a narrative type of book, it's a travel guide that introduces you to parts of the world many of us have never traveled to. It was fun to read quips and quotes from Bourdain's shows, conversations, etc. and learn about his favorite places and where he had good memories. You still get a feel of him in a book that he ultimately wasn't able to fully form while being educational and practical. I thoroughly enjoyed the introduction as well. I think the art included in the book and scattered between countries introduced was a great idea, and felt whimsical. Overall, enjoyable travel guide to pick up and slowly flip the pages to enjoy/imagine the world.

A top notch essay collection of and honoring the late Anthony Bourdain. If you are a fan of Bourdain this will take you on a journey while. you reminisce.

I devoured Kitchen Confidential when it came out, but oddly, I've never watched more than a few minutes of any of Anthony ("Tony") Bourdain's tv shows--I prefer reading about food and travel (and, until last week when my daughter gave me one) I do not own a tv. (I occasionally watch online though). After reading this book, I doubt I'll go in search of any of Boudain's tv shows, but I would be I might read more of his word. His style is not mine. It's more Bobby Knight than I'd like--especially around food. But he certainly knew good food and exciting travel.

At the time of his death in 2018, Bourdain and his "lieutenant," Laurie Woolever, were at work on the project of telling about people, places, and most importantly, food he had encountered over his twenty years of making travel and food tv programs. Unfortunately, they only got to have that one meeting. Tony ended his life and left Laurie with the idea to finish the project. Instead of Tony writing about places and experiences he'd loved, friends, coworkers, and relatives have contributed prose and memories. Tony's words, drawn from his television shows and writing, make up the balance of the book.

In this world tour, I enjoyed all of his stops, but I was especially drawn to two places--the first of which is Salvador in Brazil. I was taken in by the interesting sound of the taste of a caipirinhas [a lime juice-based cocktail with sugar cane "spirits"] and for the acaraje. What's not to like about this:

"[A] paste a batter, a falafel-like wad of smushed-up black-eyed peas, seasoned with ground dried shrimp and onions, deep-friend till crispy and golden, in some chili-spiked dende oil [red palm oil]. On top you got your catapa which is, sort of, a shrimp curry paste, and your tomato salad, your friend shrimp, your cararao frito. A must."

As Bourdain points out in his tv show [transcript] the slave trade was very big in Brazil. You can certainly tell that just from the description above of the acaraje. Black-eyed peas ["cowpeas" in some parts of Africa], red palm oil, dried shrimp? How much more West African can you get? But you are eating it in South America. Love that whole picture. Wash it down with a caiprinhas. which to me evokes memories of Malwai and Cathay, a sugar cane "spirit" that could knock over a Teamster with its kick.

The second most compelling portrait was of Barcelona:
"Outside of Asia, this is it: the best and most exciting place to it in the world."
That's a pretty bold statement even for as bold a guy as Tony was.

"The simple, good things of Spain that most Spaniards see as a birthright...'How can ham be this good?! How can something that comes in a can be that terrific. Simple things--an anchovy, an olive, a piece of cheese. Really really simple things, the little things that you see every day here--that's what's cool about Spain.'"

I love everything about this statement--simple food that lends itself to daily life, to visiting with friends. Food that fills you up but doesn't weigh you down. Sign me up!


There was no place in this book I wouldn't want to see and experience. I must admit, though, that shark's live and various types of tripe do nothing to my taste bud, but do make my gag reflex kick in. Ok, so I'm not as adventurous as Tony--not many of us are. But to eat my way through all the versions of wonderful Piri-Piri chicken in Mozambique, or sample street foods in India or Singapore. Those would certainly be amazing meals.


As for the book--it isn't nice to criticize a posthumously published book. But, this, in essence, was a copy-and-paste of a dead man's tv orations, padded out with words from a woman who was his assistant and with whom he wrote a cookbook. While Laurie Woolever's prose was wonderfully descriptive and does set the scene well, I must say I was underwhelmed by this repackaging of Tony. When Laurie was asking herself if the world really needed this book, she should have listened to her gut saying, "Probably not." Tony's vision for the book would have been much better as it would have been populated with his planned essays on places, food, experiences, and more. Bourdain's larger-than-life personality does well on the tv screen. Transcribing those words spoke, shouted, or muttered into the camera in a specific context, is just not great reading. Nonetheless, it is still a decent addition to contemporary travel literature for those who want a super-quick read. ["How thoroughly passive-aggressive can she be?" I hear you asking! LOL]

I am unable to review this book because I did not realize it was not available on Kindle. I am looking forward to reading it in the future.

There's a lot less of Anthony Bourdain in this book than you would hope... I picked it up because, as a fan of his, I miss him. I knew he passed away before this book was completed, but I didn't realize how little he really had to do with it. I was hoping that he'd perhaps written a first draft or outlined the book, but this is basically a travel guide to places he loved, or that were featured in his shows. Those entries are interspersed with essays by people who knew him and some Bourdain quotes from his shows. It was written after he died, based on a very brief conversation he had with his assistant, Laurie Woolover. As far as travelogues go, this is a decent one, so if you're looking for an overview of where to eat, where to stay, or what to do, this might be the book for you. On the other hand, if like me, you're looking for more of his personality or stories, you might end up being a little disappointed in World Travel.

I'm grateful to NetGalley and Ecco for providing me with a copy of World Travel in return for my honest opinions.