I LOVE Anthony Bourdain. I think he's hilarious and interesting, and having seen his show on the Travel Channel, I found him to be smart as well. Therefore, I decided to pick up this book--it seemed an apt choice to read during my first trip outside the "Western world."
I found A Cook's Tour to be entertaining but uneven. In some places Bourdain is wickedly sarcastic and funny, in others he drifts into sanctimonious preachiness. In some ways, I would have preferred he save us the treacle and simply stick to his own personal observations, but at the same time I think at least the treacle is genuine--he really IS touched by the places and people he's visiting. He has a way with words, but sometimes it seems they get away from him. All in all, a fun and enjoyable read.
