Dave

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).

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

No but he is a great narrator.

Absolutely!

This book is the best of food writing and the worst of being a man. The title should not include How to Cook Like a Man but should include A Memoir of Cookbook Obsession. The author takes you on a wild ride of his inadequacies and obsessions as a husband, a father, and a would-be chef (cook) as he cooks his way through cookbooks from Alice Waters to Thomas Keller. What I love about the book is the way Duane talks about food and cooking. He has the opportunity to cook and learn from some of the greatest chef's in the world. The food that he cooks for his family sounds amazing and if you are a foodie, a gourmand, or just a home cook with a passion, Duane's cooking adventures are exciting and full of wonderful recipes. Every cookbook he describes, that I do not already have, I want!
The problem for me is the main title of the book, "How to Cook Like a Man;", and how it relates to the story. The real story is of a man who comes across so self absorbed; so weighted down with his own inadequacies; so inwardly focused that I had a hard time getting past ALL of it. This is not the story of a man teaching himself how to be a better cook to become a better man. This is the story of a winey little boy who uses an obsession for cooking to escape a wonderful life with a family that loves and supports him. He describes these elaborate dinner parties with incredible menus that sound wonderful; and would have been wonderful had his wife not been several months pregnant and he wasn't using them to hide from his impending doom.
My advise is to read this book. Daniel Duane is a good writer and James Patrick Cronin is a great narrator. However be warned that this book has nothing to do about being a man. It is about a guy who is so self centered he cooks with an obsession to hide what a great life he really has and it is that obsession for cooking that makes this a good book to read for a foodie. Daniel Duane does a good job of describing the food, fresh produce, and wonderful meals he prepares and tastes and it is that journey that I enjoyed. Take this book for the great food writing and Daniel Duane....get some help!

This is a great book but the narration gets in the way. There are so many great ideas and lessons in the book. I read the orginal book and I was blown away as to how many useful suggestions there were.
Although this is the orginal book being read that is exactly what Jason McCoy does; he reads the book. His narration is chopping, strained, and at times incomprehensible. It doesn't appear that he has ever read the book before so he fumbles his way through phrases and sometimes complete paragraphs.
I would suggest this book to anyone, but I would recommend you either by the book or try to find it narrated by someone else. If you do find the latter, please let me know because I want a GOOD audio copy.