What do You think about Humble Pie (2015)?
Celebrity autobiographies are always a mixed bag. They're equal parts self-promotion and self-medication more often than not. But sometimes they're revealing in ways they don't intend, and occasionally the author (or, frequently, the ghost writer) is pleasant to read.So let's take it in reverse order.The writing is not objectionable. There is an over-reliance on the simple declarative sentence. I'm not sure if that is pandering to the perceived audience or if it is a style choice/author ability statement.For me not much was revealed. But, to be fair, I've seen most episodes of every one of his TV series (ones from Channel 4 in Britain included) except for the British version of Hell's Kitchen, and only about half of the Master Chef episodes. So I have a sense of the public persona that is Gordon Ramsay, and occasionally there are hints of who the man is Tana married, and who the kids call Daddy. If you've only seen Hell's Kitchen that only a slice--authentic, but just a slice. All this book did for me was fill in some chinks of what I already knew.So--self-promotion and self-medication. Yes. But that's alright. Poor boy makes better than good, and wrestles some formidable demons along the way. And maybe the writing of it, the publishing of it, allows him to put some of the demons to bed, and have his say on some of the more scurrilous bits the British tabloids have been tossing about for the last decade and a half.To be honest, I'd rather read his cookbooks, and watch the shows (particulary The F Word and the British version of Kitchen Nightmares than pick up the inevitable next volume in the Gordon Ramsay written word oeuvre. But, then, for me, it's all about the food.
—Rosemary
Anyone who enjoys the Hell's Kitchen series will enjoy this book. Surprisingly, Ramsay admits that he has some problems with his mouth! Sheesh, do ya think? lol After perusing this bio, you'll come away with a completely different respect for those who endeavour to take up the Chef profession and it is by far a hell of a ride. You'll also have a deeper understanding and respect for what goes on in the kitchens of the world you visit. To you, you order an item off the menu and bam! it's put on the table in front you. Read the book...you'll feel differently.From inside dusk jacket:"Everyone thinks they know the real Gordon Ramsay: rude, loud, pathologically driven, stubborn as hell. For the first time, Ramsay tells the full inside story of his life and how he became the world's most famous and infamous chef: his difficult childhood, his brother's heroin addiction, his failed first career as a soccer player, his fanatical pursuit of gastronomic perfection and the TV persona - all of the things that made him the celebrated culinary talent and media powerhouse that he is today.In 'ROASTING IN HELL'S KITCHEN' Ramsay talks frankly about his tough and emotional childhood, including his father's alcoholism and violence and their effect on his relationships with his mother and siblings. His rootless upbringing saw him moving from house to house and town to town followed by the authorities and debtors as his father lurched from one failed job to another.He recounts his short-circuited career as a soccer player, when he was signed by Scotland's premier club at the age of fifteen but then, just two years laters, dropped out when injury dashed his hopes. Ramsay searched for another vocation and, much to his father's disgust, went into catering, which his father felt was meant for "poofs."He trained under some of the most famous and talented chefs in Europe, working to exacting standards and under extreme conditions that would sometimes erupt in physical violence. But he thrived, with his exquisite palate, incredible vision and relentless work ethic. Dish by dish, restuarant by restaurant, he gradually built a Michelin-starred empire.A candid, eye-open look into the extraordinary life and mind of an elite and unique restaurateur and chef, 'ROASTING IN HELL'S KITCHEN' will change your perception not only of Gordon Ramsay but of the world of cuisine.Gordon Ramsay's radical career change at the age of seventeen led him to London and to huge success as chef, restaurant-empire-builder and celebrity. At thirty-two Ramsay established 'Royal Hospital Road', which has received three Michelin stars. He has since opened seven additional restaurants in London, taking his tally of Michelin starts to eight, and has started global expansion with restaurants in Tokyo and Dubai. Ramsay has published nine bestselling cookbooks and stars in the successful television series "Hell's Kitchen."From the back cover of the dust jacket:"I've got the wonderful family, the big house, the flash car in the drive. I run several of the world's best restaurants. I'm running round, cursing and swearing, telling people what to do, my mouth always getting me into trouble. They probaby think: that flash bastard. I know I would. But it's not about being flash. My life, like most people's, is about keeping the wolf from the door...When I think about myself, I still see a little boy who is desperate to escape, and anxious to please. The fact that I've long since escaped, and long since succeeded in pleasing people, has made little or no difference. I just keep going on, moving as far away as possible from where I began."
—Louise
This book was phenomenal. I saw so much of my personal life in Chef Ramsay's. I lived with my mom, grandmom (if you could call her that), my sister. No father in the home. I had the same horrid, rough upbringing, but in my home my grandmother ruled with an iron fist. She was psychopathic, brutal, violent, verbally abusive. Very few times was she calm. I felt fear creep over me when she got into one of her "spells" and it would last for days. And I prayed on my knees every night it would be over.My sister, who is 12 years older than me, drowned herself in crack cocaine to numb the violence. She eventually moved out and my mom and I endured the roughest parts. Now being clean my sister doesn't want to own up to what happened.All the strain caused my mom to have open heart surgery but she died 5 years later. Grandmom died 5 years after that. I did not attend her funeral. My sister went and made excuses for me. I did go to view her body but I felt nothing but numbness. I was 32. People say I have a very gruff exterior also, but I think it's a constant self preservation mode you're in. You don't want to end up like them and you've taken so much crap for years that your guard is constantly up. You strive to make what is left of your world the best way you know how. You feel like your voice needs to be the biggest one in the room because you've been held down a good part of your life and achievement is like a balm on a sore wound. I'm in therapy now. I have panic attacks and depression. I pushed the memories down so far that they finally exploded, coming to the surface when I was 45.Thanks, Mr. Ramsay, for such an open, honest, raw declaration of your life. It resonated with me in more ways than you could ever imagine.
—stephabo
