Thank you to Ecco for providing me with a copy of Anthony Bourdain & Laurie Woolever’s World Traveler: An Irreverent Guide, in exchange for an honest review.

World Traveler: An Irreverent Guide is a compilation of Anthony Bourdain’s travel advice and reflections, including his favorite local eats and bits of tourism. It turns out that Bourdain really loved quirky museums, independent bookstores, and lavish hotels.

Tragically, Bourdain died during the early stages of planning World Traveler, in fact, his co-author, Laurie Woolever, only had one in-person meeting to plan the book prior to his passing. Naturally, this changed the tone of the book a bit, turning the focus towards collecting memories from people who knew Bourdain. The most poignant were the essays from his younger brother, Christopher. Christopher recounts their childhood travels to France and the joy he experienced from traveling with his brother as adults, including taking part in a few episodes of Bourdain’s various tv series. Christopher’s love for his brother and the way he cherished their travels together is moving.

Bourdain was passionate and outspoken. He had a unique way of expressing himself through his words, both written and spoken, that was a kick to experience through his quotes in World Traveler. His voice is irreplacable. Woolever definitely honors Bourdain’s spirit and life in this guide book. His energy oozes on every page.

That said, under different circumstances (not reading for a review) I would have enjoyed World Traveler in a different way. It is the sort of book that you have on a coffee table for perusing at leisure or perhaps keep on a shelf as a reference for planning travels, not the sort of book that you race through start to finish. I say this, because a large chunk of World Traveler is practical travel advice, such as airport information or the best way to tour a city. It was a bit tedious to read quickly and clearly not intended for that sort of reading experience.

As far as the recommendations, I was pleased to discover a few that I have experienced (St. John in London, Din Tai Fung, and Voodoo Donuts) and to add many more to my list that I hope to try on future travels. I always loved that Bourdain was game to try the range of establishments, from dive to fine dining, all of which are included in his recommendations. He was unapologetically enthusiastic about his love for food and the people who create it.

World Traveler: An Irreverent Guide is a book that I intend to purchase for my permanent collection and one that I imagine will be a great inspiration for my future travels. It is also the ideal book for this moment, when many of us are feeling a deep longing towards travel and planning our post-covid adventures.

Man, do I miss Anthony Bourdain! It is why I requested to read and review this book. And though I don't normally read travel books, this book is a little bit more than a travel book. It's like the greatest hits of Anthony Bourdain in book form... "The Best Of"!

As I was reading this I heard this in Anthony's voice, and it was like having that favorite, no filter friend back again.

This book is in chapters by country and also by cities in that country. You not only get his view on each of the places he visited, but you also get the typical travel guide information as well. Airports, public transportation, and the prices of the meals from each of those restaurants. I know, especially after living through the pandemic that some of these places aren't there anymore, and that is heartbreaking, which is a downfall of this book. It is why I chose to look at it as a memoir and less of a travel guide.

What I enjoyed the most was not only seeing my hometown, Atlanta, in this book and all it's quirkiness, but I also enjoyed seeing a place I visited in New York. It was like seeing those No Reservations shows again and that is why I think this is part memoir, part greatest hits and part travel guide. I really enjoyed this book! 3.5⭐

Thank you to Netgalley, Ecco Books and the author for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded up on this one.

I love(d) Anthony Bourdain. I was sad, like many others when he lost his battle with mental illness. This book is a last farewell in many ways. Because of how early this was in the planning stage when Bourdain passed, it is necessarily a lot of rehashing of other material. A vast majority of Bourdain's contributions here are quotes from his three TV shows. So, yes, you can get his takes from those shows. If you know his shows well, this may be familiar material to you.

I do think there's value here, and that it can be augmented depending on how you read the book. Reading straight through to give a review was a bit of a slog. Instead, I recommend treating it like the reference work it is. Planning to travel or wanting an armchair vacation? Pick a location and read the excerpts about it. Read contributions from people who knew Bourdain well, a kind of "behind the scenes" for the TV episodes. And then, if you'd like, look at the notes and watch the episodes. It is handy having all of the different series brought together and watching the places change over 15 years from Bourdain's early visits.

For myself this is an armchair guide, although it could be a peak into finding places to get the most bang for your tourist dollar. Overall, Bourdain liked luxury hotels and fine dining. Most of the referenced things are out of my price range, and likely will be for many others as well.

Thank you to Laurie Woolever, Ecco, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this book a lot more than I did. While I enjoyed the destinations covered, the food discussed and the witty comments from Bourdain himself, it felt a bit awkward to have an attempt at a “guide” in the midst of it. It should have either been completely eliminated or done in more detail. The lackluster info about getting around the city/country felt like I was just being fluffed by the author and as if it was a check mark he could tick off.

Still, who doesn’t enjoy a book on food and travel?

I've just posted my review for World Travel - by Anthony Bordain on Youtube. Check out the full review here: https://youtu.be/KU75tgU8mfU

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review! A must have all for all libraries. This is a great travel guide that can be read from cover to cover or serve a resource when someone want to explore a particular region. By reading Tony's commentary and thoughts, I could hear his voice in my head. A nice tribute to one of the worlds great (and most missed) educators on culture as well as cuisine.. Over the years, I traveled the world through Bourdain's books and TV shows. it was great to explore the world with him one more time.

If you like the late Anthony Bourdain and/or if you like discovering new foods and/or you like travel, you'll enjoy this book. Of course, the world lost Anthony Bourdain a couple of years ago. In "World Travel," we get the thoughts of Anthony Bourdain interspersed with other writings by friends and loved ones of his. It's an interesting approach, and it works.

Here, you have the wit of Anthony Bourdain combined with additional details about places he mentions and guidance on how to get to/around the places he visited. This turns the book into an enjoyable combination of travel guide, foodie narrative and humor, assuming you enjoy Mr. Bourdain's view of the world (which I do). This is an excellent book!

As a fan of Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly and a lover of travel, I was excited and a bit confused to see a new Anthony Bourdain book set to come out three years after his untimely death. My assumption was this was this was a project he'd had half done - maybe a first draft submitted or something like that - and subsequently some clean-up work was required prior to turning it into a posthumously released book. Sadly, this was not the case.

As Bourdain's assistant Laurie Woolover explains in the introduction, this book was basically born from a recording of a one hour brainstorming session that the two of them had a few months before he passed away. That's it. World Travel doesn't read like a Bourdain book... at all. Because it's not. I personally do not believe this book should be published.

Basically, this book is an unhelpful travel guide to places around the entire world. It's broken down into short chapters devoted to Bourdain's travels in 43 (!!) different countries, most of which are subsequently broken down into several different cities Bourdain traveled to within them. It is highly formulaic in that each chapter starts with a brief overview of the city followed by (I kid you not) the 3-letter airport code and cost/timing of getting from the airport to the actual city. Next comes a description of some $600+/night hotel that Bourdain tended to stay at, then maybe one tourist attraction he liked, and finally 2 or 3 bars/restaurants he loved. Pepper in some Bourdain quotes, short stories told by people who knew him in said city, and random drawings and repeat this formula. Over and over. For 43 (!!) countries.

If I want travel tips for a particular local, I'll buy a travel guide devoted to said spot. If I want to read stories from Anthony Bourdain, I'd reread Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly or check out A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines. This book attempted to do both of those things together and it failed miserably.

Expect to find yourself searching for local restaurants serving international cuisine when you begin reading this book. And that wanderlust that you’ve had ever since quarantine? It’s going to grow exponentially.

World Travel is exactly what you expect: a book about the amazing places that Tony has traveled to during his time working on television. It provides a sampling of what Tony experienced, allowing you to walk in his well-traveled shoes.

The chapters on each country and city give you an idea of where to fly into, where to stay, how much it costs to get from the airport to your hotel, and where to sample some of the best food in the city.

Interspersed throughout the book are Tony’s quotes from shows like No Reservations and Parts Unknown, along with writing by people who knew Tony. Reading this book reminds you just how big a loss Tony’s death was, but it also shows you just how much Tony loved what he did.

Laurie Woolever did a fantastic job fleshing out the outline of this book that she made with Tony at their last meeting together. Though it might be a little different from what it would have been had Tony not died before it was published, Woolever captured the spirit of Tony and did a fantastic job completing this book.

If you are a fan of Anthony Bourdain and want to travel to some (or all) of the places that he did, this book is a perfect place to start when planning those trips.

Even after letting my thoughts settle on this travel guide, I have mixed feelings. I do think that it was nice to be able to feel that twinge of adventure while the world still fights a pandemic as well as the essays that friends, family, and colleagues of Anthony Bourdain wrote about their departed loved one. This book is a memorial.

I wish there would have been more detail in the places described at each destination, or even, fewer places covered. While this piece felt scatted as a unified travel guide, I believe that was the point - to complement the spontaneity that traveling sometimes encourages.

For me, this book feels more suited for fans of Bourdain and his food and travel legacy than a wider audience. It belongs next to Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw.

I love anything pertaining to the late Anthony Bourdain. As I read through this I couldn't help but have his voice in my head. My love for travel was and still is influenced by the ultimate traveler himself. His unique ways of viewing destinations, people, culture and of course the food brings about all 5 senses. You cannot help but feel you're traveling along with him through these pages.

Sadly, World Travel by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever has little of Bourdain's unique narrative voice. A;though the book was initially designed to be a travel guide built around Bourdain's quirky but expansive and loving perspective on the world, his death made that project impossible. Instead, Woolever has constructed a spotty guide with scattered quotes from Bourdain's onscreen dialogue. For those of us who miss his brilliance, this is a poor substitute for the chance to see more of his insights about people and cultures around the globe.

It’s hard to believe that it’s coming up on three years since we lost Anthony Bourdain. Just how great of a loss this is to the world of travel and food appreciation is made clear in this latest collection, “World Travel: An Irreverent Guide” by (in theory) Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever. In actuality the idea for this book was discussed once before Mr. Bourdain’s death, Laurie Woolever took that idea and ran with it. The only glimpses of Tony that we have are quotes pulled from various sources, and stories about visiting places from his friends, coworkers, and brother.

Taking away Bourdain’s name, and what you have are brief glimpses of interesting places around the world. Each place may start with a Tony quote, or comment about the location from his staff. We’re told about the airport, and how to leave it. Some places mention a hotel Tony stayed at, but most do not. And then we get 3-4 food experiences, sometimes more, sometimes less. And on to the next one.

So that’s the book. I’m not really sure what we have here. As a travel guide, there isn’t enough information to actually be worthwhile. As a food guide, there are some interesting places, but we only get a sentence or two about them. And for Bourdain fans, we get no new material. I don’t blame the author for wanting to carry out Tony’s wish, but this just reminded me of what could have been and how much we have lost.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Ecco via NetGalley. Thank you!

I loved Anthony Bourdain. I watched all of his TV shows, read his books, listened to interviews with him. This book brings nothing new to the table, just regurgitated sound bites from previous shows. I can't believe it's being published. It seems to be taking advantage of his death.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This is for all lovers of Anthony Bourdain, travel, and food. It reads as part memoir, part travel guide. Excellent.

World Travel is a very unusual book that is hard to categorize correctly. Subtitled An Irreverent Guide, the volume presents a country-by-country summary of more than forty of the places that the late Anthony Bourdain journeyed to over the years while making his various television shows. Before discussing its contents further, it is probably useful to understand how this project came to fruition in the first place. As Laurie Woolever, the book’s co-author, writes in the Introduction, Bourdain had the initial vision to create a guidebook based on his extensive travels, but the two only had one brief meeting to discuss the idea before his untimely demise. So, the finished product is really the result of Woolever fleshing out virtually all of the details of what began as a fairly embryonic concept.

The result is a very odd book that lacks a clear focus. In particular, it is really not useable as a guidebook, at least not in the traditional sense. The information it provides in each country-specific chapter is far too limited to actually sustain someone’s travels. Instead, what is presented are a few dining tips (for the places Bourdain visited for the shows, of course), along with detailed instructions of how to get from the airport into whatever major city where he was staying. Far less frequent are mentions of hotels or other sights worth seeing in the area. In fact, when hotels are noted, they are the ones that Bourdain himself used and they tend to be high-end luxury places in the $400-500/night range. (Tony clearly like to stay in style, which is really out of keeping with his “man of the people” style of eating and probably why his accommodations were seldom featured on the shows themselves.)

Where the book shines is in reading Bourdain’s own thoughts about the places he visited, which is achieved by inserting parts of his transcribed monologues from each of the respective episodes. It was a pleasure to relive these moments; Bourdain was a wonderful writer as well as a deeply insightful observer of the world around him, and these passages capture that quite well. Unfortunately, one thing that is uniformly missing in the book are the times when he would go to a person’s home and sit down for a family meal. (For me these were always the best part of any show and cast Bourdain at his gracious and appreciative best.) In this same spirit, the volume also includes a somewhat random collection of essays by friends, colleagues, or relatives, but these often read more like personal tributes than anything else.

So, what is the proper overall assessment of this project? I am really torn in answering that question. On one hand, the information it contains is disappointingly shallow and it is really unfocused in its execution—I simply do not need that much detailed information about airport transportation options, which is likely to be outdated in a very short time. On the other, it really was great to revisit some memorable places in Bourdain’s presence again and be reminded of just how much we all are missing with his passing. I cannot imagine that this was very close to the final product he originally imagined, but World Travel is a book that should resonate with many of his fans. However, for those looking for an introduction to just how great a food and travel writer Bourdain could be, a volume such as A Cook’s Tour or No Reservations would be a better choice.

Anthony Bourdain’s travels took him to the far corners of the globe. When he died, that was felt by fans and friends throughout the world as we collectively mourned this man that had such a profound impact on our lives, even though most of us had never met him.
Before he died, Bourdain and his writing partner, Laurie Woolever, began a new book project, one that gathered together his favorite places around the world in one collection. After, and probably in the thick of, processing her grief over Bourdain’s death, Woolever pushed through and finished the book that they had started.

Aptly titled World Travel, it is part travel guide, part memoir, part reminiscing with friends and family. Much of the introductions to each location are from the television episodes about those locations. From there, we are given travel information about getting to the destination and also getting around the specific city you are visiting. Following that are the hotels that Bourdain favored in that location, some explaining why he liked it. And then we get the good stuff, the reason that we all love Bourdain, the food and his always honest, always adventurous eating recommendations. Woolever has given the most up-to-date information that she could while keeping with the thoughts that Bourdain wanted to share with readers.
In the introduction, Woolever says she wondered if the world really needed another travel guide. After a year or more of no travel at all due to COVID, I feel that this is the best travel guide the world can be given. Woolever has given the world a chance to physically encounter the legacy of Bourdain by sharing this book with us.

This book will make you miss your old friend all over again. Nobody describes a place like Tony.
I hope these fine establishments have survived through the COVID restrictions.

World Travel by Anthony Bourdain & Laurie Woolever is a collection of international travel essays from friends of Bourdain and Laurie Woolever peppered with quotes and advice from Anthony Bourdain. This book was published posthumously.After reading a few chapters, you will find yourself wanting to make plans for travel in the near future. This book will strike a whimsical chord with Bourdain fans and travel lovers alike.

Bourdain's collection is the comfort and insight we're all still pining for years after his death. It's his signature voice and observations of our world and the culinary experiences he found enlightening and inspiring. You'll want to go everywhere and try everything. It's well organized and consistently interesting. Highly recommend.