A Tasteless World?

This narrator did a fantastic job of describing Grant and his trials and tribulations from working his way up at the French laundry to Alina and what he encountered along the way.
As a chef I found the book inspiring enough to want to pick up his cookbook as well as Thomas Keller's. It's also a gentle reminder to us all, not to take anything for granted including our sense of taste.

Some of his creative ideas and food presentations descriptions have given me pause for thought. If you haven't looked up his YouTube video that videos you might do so just to wet your taste buds.

A great story about beating the odds, not accepting no for an answer and delving forth with courage when you think you're all tapped out.

5 people found this helpful

Great Cook! Great Story!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this to anyone who loves the ins of the kitchen. It is comes across as an honest look at inside the life of a cook (chef).

Who was your favorite character and why?

I have always been fascinated by chef's and the look into their world and this is what Grant Achatz gives you.

Have you listened to any of Johnny Heller’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No but he is a great narrator.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely!

3 people found this helpful

WOW! this was a great book.

I could not put this book down. I found myself emotionally involved in Grant and Nick's Adventure.

2 people found this helpful

Still thinking about this story weeks later

An intense recounting of an intense life in a profession where obsession is nearly a pre-requisite for success. The structure of the two-person narrative gives this memoir depth. An exploration of the meaning (impact) of family, a life of demanding work with passion, the drive to live and where our choices take us.

2 people found this helpful

inspirational

I am a chef by trade out of Austin, Texas. I absolutely loved this book. It reminded me of how precious life is and how u can't let anything get you down. Grant & Nick are idols to me and I hope one day I can have such an amazing success story. (minus the cancer).

2 people found this helpful

Not as good as Grant's Food but a story

I love food and this story was compelling even though not written by writers. For those who aren't foodies, not sure if it would be worth the trip.

2 people found this helpful

Amazing Chef, book less so.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I would take out most of the Nick Kokonas parts and delve more into Chef Achatz motivations and experiences. There is a lot of story there and I felt like the reader didnt get as much as they could have. Nick's story is pretty standard and other than being quite a self promoter, it was unremarkable and relatively uninteresting. The interesting parts of Mr. Kokonas' story could be covered in half a chapter or as a footnote.

Which scene was your favorite?

Chapters 7-9 are absolutely brilliant. You see Chef Achatz growing and have his "aha" moment. It gives some insight into Chef Keller's way of running a kitchen and you see what Grant learned from him.

Any additional comments?

Considering what Chef Achatz has been through I expected the book to be just his story, a true autobiography. I bought it without reading the reviews or jackat based purely on his reputation and skill. Truth be told the book is about 60% Chef Achatz autobiography and 40% Mr. Kokonas vanity project.

2 people found this helpful

Not much I didn't know

I knew the story of the innovative chef in Chicago who developed serious tongue cancer and found a doctor with a new procedure that spared the mutilating surgery typically done. I imagine that most folks were interested in how he dealt with the cancer and his work, and the new surgical technique but that spared his tongue and therefore his career, but this only occurred in the last 1/4 of the book.

I found the specific information about the food interesting - can't imagine how he came up with ideas like these EVERY day. I did not find the business negotiations very interesting - about opening new restaurants, dealing with landlords and agents, etc.

I don't think the commentary by Nick Kokonas was necessary or added anything to the book. In addition, the narrator voiced both parts exactly the same way. It was an odd and subtle way of speaking that was believable for Achatz, but not for Nick. I would forget to whom I was listening frequently because they both sounded the same.

2 people found this helpful

Delicious and Courageous

Would you consider the audio edition of Life, on the Line to be better than the print version?

Many of the French preparation terms would have compelled me to stop reading so I could look up the pronunciation and definition so I preferred the audio edition.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Life, on the Line?

When he realized that he was given an amazing second chance and started spending more time on "life."

Have you listened to any of Johnny Heller’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was a first, but I'd like to hear more.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was touched that he wanted to treat his dad to a dinner at TFL and when he and his mother sat crying on the sofa toward the end of his radiation therapy.

Any additional comments?

My husband is presently undergoing the same treatment for the same type of cancer to his tongue. This book gave us a lot of hope that all the things that seem so difficult right now will improve. I was overwhelmed by the chef's courage throughout the book, but wish there had been more follow-up on his present prognosis and what his follow-up treatment has been like.

2 people found this helpful

Wonderful

A wonderful book showing the development of one of the best Chefs in the country.

1 person found this helpful