A large chunk of the book is also dedicated to United States travel, which may come in handy for Americans easing back into travel after taking a pandemic-induced break. In addition to Nari Kye’s essay on South Korea, two standout chapters are on Laos and Uruguay, which Woolever says were of special interest to Bourdain because of his fascination with covert US operations in those countries. THE SETTING: They cover 43 countries, in alphabetical order from Argentina to Finland to Mozambique to Vietnam. He had no idea-or maybe he did-that he was changing my life, with this one episode of the show.” Back in New York, watching the edit come together, I thought, ‘This is the greatest thing I've ever done.’ And I was so grateful to Tony for allowing me to do it. She writes, “I knew then, hearing this story, making this show, would change me. She heard stories from his life that she’d never known before, including his escape from North Korea and the year it took to reunite with her grandmother. For instance, in the South Korea episode of No Reservations, Kye and Bourdain met her grandfather at the DMZ. We also hear from Bourdain’s brother, Christopher, and his production manager, Nari Kye, who credits Bourdain with giving her a new appreciation of her Korean heritage. Interspersed are guest essays from people they met in their travels, which is befitting for Bourdain, whose greatest gift was less his charm or audacity, and more his compassion for others and their stories. For me, his use of terms like “boner” and “hard on” seem a bit too old-boys-network for the current times, but they channel the true Tony Bourdain. So expect to raise your eyebrows from time to time. As promised, we get Bourdain’s irreverent voice and uncensored opinions. The result is a comprehensive guide to many of Bourdain’s favorite places, complete with hotel and restaurant recommendations, written in Woolever’s words-and in Bourdain’s-mainly from his television shows, No Reservations, The Layover, and Parts Unknown.

“Maybe the world could use another travel guide, full of Tony’s acid wit and thoughtful observations and a few sly revelations of the mysterious contours of his battered heart, stitched together from all the brilliant and hilarious things he’d said and written about the world as he saw it,” she writes. After the outpouring of sympathy and love when Bourdain took his life, Woolever resolved to carry on her friend’s wishes. He finally convinced her, but the two met just once to discuss details. THE PREMISE: When Anthony Bourdain suggested working on a travel guide together, Woolever wondered if the world really needed another one.

Anthony bourdain book world travel