Season after season Tom Vitale travelled with Anthony Bourdain on a near-nonstop run of eighty trips-roughly five trips a year-to almost every corner of the globe, constantly meeting strangers, often through the context of their food and culture, in the process making over 100 episodes of TV. In addition to the adventure of a lifetime, personal enrichment, and experiences he would never have thought possible, his work rewarded him with a PGA Award nomination, five Emmy wins and four nominations, a Gold World Medal for Best Non-Fiction Program, and he is credited on Parts Unknown's Peabody Award.
"In the Weeds is more than a behind-the-scenes peek -- it's a
thoughtful and penetrating portrait of Bourdain, whose passion for
life, curiosity about cultures and love of a great meal
revolutionized the way we think about travel. Vitale, who narrates
the audiobook, shares his own observations, which are every bit as
evocative as what viewers saw on screen."--The Press of Atlantic
City
"A gripping and deeply personal book....[Vitale's] book details the
utter frenzy and chaos of the shoots but also of his relationship
with an incredibly complex but extraordinary man. The writing is
truly sensational and visceral--I feel like I was there. And now I
need a drink, or two."--Lisa Ling, host of "This is Life with Lisa
Ling"
"In the Weeds is much more than a revealing behind-the-scenes peek
at the making of two landmark television shows. It's also a
thoughtful and penetrating portrait of a man whose passion for
life, curiosity about cultures, and love of a great meal
revolutionized the way we think about travel. Best of all, Vitale's
own observations about each of the many filming locations are every
bit as evocative as what viewers saw on screen."--Variety
"[An] incredible book."--Dean Deltray's "Let There Be Talk"
"[Tom Vitale] captures countless obscure details of No Reservations
and Parts Unknown, specifically honing in on how Tony perpetually
raised the bar....And that's really the crux of the book -- how
challenging the show already was without the weight of people's
expectations. Tony's were tough enough....With stunning detail and
comedic timing that would make Tony proud, Tom drops us right into
the action to explore what made his boss such a 'force of nature'
and what it was like to lose him....The book is spit-out-your-tea
funny....His account is the closest thing we'll ever have to being
there in the weeds with Tony."--Huckleberry
"A deep insight into how powerful, impactful television is made and
a plunging dive into Bourdain's complicated character and
personality."--The Takeout
"A fun book even as it's tinged with grief and loss, as Vitale
frames different sections with his present-day search for
answers....Vitale resists the temptation to beatify Bourdain."--The
OC Register
"A memoir of incomparable travelogues snatched from the clutch of
chaos....Vitale's memoir of those years--and of the vacuum in his
life following Bourdain's suicide--is a fascinating insider's
account of the making of groundbreaking TV. It is also the most
complete picture yet of Bourdain's complex and conflicted
character.... Vitale's writing is seductively alive, pulsating with
events and vividly rendered observations of people and exotic
locales, hairbreadth escapes, and all the high-wire escapades,
cultural revelations, and ethical questions that accompanied being
Bourdain's traveling companion.... Drawn from show footage,
notebooks, logs, travel itineraries, e-mails, and old receipts, his
book is thrilling, sobering, harrowing, and as entertainingly
frenetic as the events described, a tale told by a survivor still
trying to make sense of it all. Clearly, watching Bourdain's shows
was nothing like living them, as this high-flying memoir amply
demonstrates."--Kirkus Reviews (starred)
"A revealing snapshot of what a television director has to do
behind the lens to turn raw, unpolished travel footage into a
glittering Emmy-winning gem....In the Weeds is emotionally
exhausting, exhilarating, and fascinating... the most intense I've
[read] in ages."--TheTakeout
"Accepting the impossibility of ever capturing the essence of such
a brilliant, curious, darkly funny, loving, cruel, über-rebellious,
wholly mercurial man, a shell-shocked Vitale still lays out an
immersive narrative, rich with insight and detail, of their work
together.... Vitale's account might be as close to an authentic
portrait of the late chef-traveler as readers will
find."--Booklist
"An insider's account that is about as close as we will ever get to
fathoming Bourdain's complex and conflicted character....Vitale
clearly has too many stories to tell to fit into a single book. But
those he does relate -- harrowing, hilarious and everything in
between -- seem as fresh as the day they happened. And that is one
of the strengths of In the Weeds, the you-are-there feel. It's as
much about Vitale's observations as Bourdain's, though the author
never comes across as self-absorbed. Bourdain remains front and
center."--Post & Courier
"Bourdain's longtime director and producer shares stories and
secrets from more than a decade of globetrotting with the beloved
and complicated foodie/adventurer."--Associated Press
"That there still remain fresh, mesmerizing insights about life
with Bourdain is astonishing, as revealed in the compellingly
intimate new memoir by Bourdain's longtime producer and director,
Tom Vitale....In the Weeds is a fast-flying, deep-diving, funny,
loving, tender, joyful, painful, jolting, twisted, tumultuous and
shockingly wild ride. Reader: Hold on tightly....Details upon
details unfurl, layer and build spell-binding and sometimes scary
descriptions of TV-making goings-on of which viewers are mostly
unaware....Spotlit are a sumptuous array of destinations....In the
Weeds explores the tightrope of personal and professional longings
and expectations; the complexities of borders and the people within
them; the ache for mutual trust and the ache of distrust; the
multiple meanings of home and family and friendship; the allure and
intensity of lust and seduction. And Bourdain's love affair with
Asia Argento....Bourdain's fans will find plenty to savor, think
about and discuss. This is Vitale's memoir, his singular account.
Stones are lifted. Curtains are pushed back. An engaging narrative
is woven. Vitale opens his heart and veins to create powerful,
poignant, passionate prose. A page-turner, indeed."--Forbes
"This adventurous and candid account is a fascinating
behind-the-scenes look at Bourdain's work and an honest story about
persisting in the wake of loss. It will resonate with many readers
as a travel and entertainment memoir, exploration of grief, and
tribute to a beloved figure.--Library Journal (starred review)
"Tom Vitale's In the Weeds digs deep into how Bourdain lived....Mr.
Vitale tells the stories others will not....Part memoir, part
eulogy, In the Weeds is rambly and scattershot, big-hearted and
engaging, all the qualities that fans loved best about
Bourdain."--The Wall Street Journal
"Vitale's arresting tales of life as chef-turned-media star Anthony
Bourdain's longtime director and producer offer a vivid look at a
demanding, passionate, volatile man.... As he reflects on more than
a decade of working with Bourdain... Vitale shares mesmerizing
recollections of their travels... while probing the fascinating and
frustrating facets of the chef's larger-than-life personality....
With this exhilarating travelogue, he paints a complicated
portrait, packed with vibrant details."--Publishers Weekly
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
