Books recommended by Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain, a renowned chef and travel writer, gained fame with his memoir Kitchen Confidential, which exposed the culinary industry’s inner workings. His work is characterized by its raw honesty, vivid storytelling, and unflinching exploration of cultural differences. The recommended books, including Crash, The Man Who Lost the War, Ripley’s Game, Ways of Escape, Total Chaos, and others, reflect Bourdain’s signature style, which blends travelogue, memoir, and culinary journalism to create immersive and often provocative narratives that challenge readers to rethink their assumptions about food, culture, and human connection.
- Crash: (by J. G. Ballard). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- The Man Who Lost the War: (by W. T. Tyler). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Ripley's Game: Ripley, Book 3 (by Patricia Highsmith). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Ways of Escape: (by Graham Greene). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Total Chaos: The Story of the Stooges (by Jeff Gold). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- The Friends of Eddie Coyle: (by George V Higgins). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Eating Viet Nam: Dispatches from a Blue Plastic Table (by Graham Holliday). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Adios, Motherfucker: A Gentleman's Progress Through Rock and Roll (by Michael Ruffino). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Prune: (by Gabrielle Hamilton). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- You're Better Than Me: A Memoir (by Bonnie McFarlane). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Rice, Noodle, Fish: Deep Travels Through Japan's Food Culture (by Matt Goulding). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- The Devil All the Time: (by Donald Ray Pollock). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Thrown: (by Kerry Howley). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- The Rogue's March: John Riley and the St. Patrick's Battalion, 1846-48 (The Warriors) (by Peter F. Stevens). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Agents of Innocence: A Novel (by David Ignatius). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Something to food about: Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs (by Questlove). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Between Meals: (by A. Liebling). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Essays: (by George Orwell). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals / Portraits, Interviews, and Recipes (by Melanie Dunea). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- True Grit: A Novel (by Charles Portis). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Under the Volcano: A Novel (by Malcolm Lowry). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
- Naked Lunch: The Restored Text (by William S. Burroughs). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain , Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- How to Live: Or A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer (by Sarah Bakewell). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain , Marc Andreessen , Ryan Holiday
- The Wind in the Willows: (by Kenneth Grahame). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain , J.K. Rowling
- The White Album: Essays (by Joan Didion). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain , Kara Swisher , David Sedaris
- A Brief History of Seven Killings: A Novel (by Marlon James). Recommended by Adam Sessler , Anthony Bourdain , Geoff Ramsey
- The Quiet American: (by Graham Greene). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain , Richard Branson
- Dancing Bear: (by James Crumley). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain , Andy Greenwald
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Fear and Loathing, Book 1 (by Hunter S. Thompson). Recommended by Anthony Bourdain , Jordan Peterson , Naval Ravikant