Posthumous Travel Guide From Anthony Bourdain Released

Image: Anthony Bourdain (photo via Flickr/dackelprincess)
Image: Anthony Bourdain (photo via Flickr/dackelprincess)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 4:00 PM ET, Tue April 27, 2021

If ever there were a word to describe travel giant Anthony Bourdain, it was irreverent.

Bourdain did nothing by the book, even in his new posthumous book now out - "World Travel: An Irreverent Guide" by Bourdain and Laurie Woolever.

The iconic Bourdain, who parlayed his food acumen with travel and hosted two different television shows - 'No Reservations' and 'Parks Unknown' - had previously authored a book with Woolever in 2016, a cookbook titled "Appetites."

The two had just begun their collaboration on "World Travel: An Irreverent Guide" when Bourdain committed suicide at the age of 61 in June of 2018.

"Right away, I thought, that's the end of that book," Woolever told CBS News.

But Bourdain's family urged her to finish it. Now, "World Travel: An Irreverent Guide" is another platform for Bourdain's unique voice and observations about the world.

And she had the notes from their initial brainstorming session: "I taped the whole thing, thank God," she said of their initial brainstorming meeting. "And I had a list of every place he had ever been. ... It was a very long list. The ones he said yes to, he also would have very clear and sometimes very emotionally-resonant memories about those places."

Woolever said Bourdain's strength was getting people to try something new, be it a destination or a restaurant. The book chronicles his further adventures to cities, eateries and hotels.

"I think (Bourdain's philosophy on travel) means to be very open to whatever it is that the place is offering, and to try and not go in with your one, set agenda of, 'This is how I travel,'" Woolever said. "He was willing and open to accept what it was that people wanted to give him. He was an incredibly gracious guest."

"World Travel: An Irreverent Guide" by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever (Ecco), is available in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats via Amazon and Indiebound.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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