Walter

What a great listen. I discovered Anthony Bourdain through his No Reservation shows on the Travel channel. If you've enjoyed those as much as I have, you'll love this. I can't imagine anyone else reading it like the author. From the CIA (the school, that is), to P-Town, to NYC, to Tokyo and back with a supporting cast of dishwashers, waiters, sous chefs and the best baker in the world (with no last name !), you'll love hearing about his life and exploits. Enjoy.

The author's prejudices come across from the start and continue throughout his rants in subsequent chapters. Don't waste your time.

The book does not deliver on all of the Masonic hype. It's a very minor part of an otherwise interesting yet ultimately disappointing plot. It has a few good moments but not worth the investment of time. I found the beginning of chapters/section pauses and music most annoying. It reads like a screenplay and, no doubt, there is probably a movie deal already. I'll wait for the discount DVD. The old adage that quality is generally inversely proportional to hype rings true for this. If the tons of money spent promoting this went in to better editing and plot twists, we may have something. Two thumbs down.

Not a lot of the usual Clancy attention to detail. The plot tediously unfolds as expected abruptly ending leaving one craving for more. The "dark ops" are unimaginative though somewhat plausible.