The tragedy is that, buried here beneath the accounts of inebriation and self-hate and depression, there is some good stuff. Maybe that's why he felt the need to get so pissed. The rest of the book is punctuated by morose and thoroughly tedious diatribes about how awful it is being Anthony Bourdain and, especially, Anthony Bourdain being followed by a television crew. There is no good reason why any other reader should bother to do so. When I signed on the dotted line, any pretence of virginity or reluctance - of integrity (I don't even remember what that is) - vanished.' I know why I read beyond that line - I was being paid to do so. He then compounds the insult by announcing, two pages later, that he agreed to have his entire travelogue filmed by the US television's Food Network in a deal which both publishers and TV people agreed would be good for sales.

Try to pretend that you want us to be interested, not that you are merely trying to fulfil a contractual obligation. I needed another idea for a book - preferably while I was still in good odour from the last one.' Well yes, that is indeed how publishing works, but at least have the grace to finesse it a bit. In the introduction, he announces simply: 'I needed something to do. It might have worked were Bourdain himself not so terribly unconvinced about the project. This book is almost entirely about his life outside it. That book only stuttered and stumbled when, running out of material about the gonzo furies of kitchen living, he began writing about his life outside it. He was able to take on the role of spokesman for a subculture not known for its articulacy. His vivid, testosterone-sodden style suited his subject matter. Bourdain's previous book, Kitchen Confidential, was an assured and funky description of life backstage in restaurant kitchens. Bourdain sends out a lackey to score hashish for him and then gets monstrously stoned. In an Islamic country (however moderately Islamic), the opportunities for hitting the bottle must be limited. Around page 100, when he arrives in Morocco, there is hope of relief. As with any account of drunkenness in which you were not involved it can be tedious.

A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain