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Life, on the Line: A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat Audiobook
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(4.00) - 1,878 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In 2007, chef Grant Achatz seemingly had it made. He had been named one of the best new chefs in America by Food & Wine in 2002, received the James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef of the Year Award in 2003, and in 2005 he and Nick Kokonas opened the conceptually radical restaurant Alinea, which was named Best Restaurant in America by Gourmet magazine. Then, positioned firmly in the world's culinary spotlight, Achatz was diagnosed with stage IV squamous cell carcinoma—tongue cancer.
The prognosis was grim, and doctors agreed that the only course of action was to remove the cancerous tissue, which included his entire tongue. Desperate to preserve his quality of life, Grant undertook an alternative treatment of aggressive chemotherapy and radiation. But the choice came at a cost. Skin peeled from the inside of Grant's mouth and throat, he rapidly lost weight, and most alarmingly, he lost his sense of taste. Tapping into the discipline, passion, and focus of being a chef, Grant rarely missed a day of work. He trained his chefs to mimic his palate and learned how to cook with his other senses. As Kokonas was able to attest, the food was never better. Five months later, Grant was declared cancer-free, and just a few months following, he received the James Beard Foundation Outstanding Chef in America Award.
Life, on the Line tells the story of a culinary trailblazer's love affair with cooking, but it is also a book about survival, about nurturing creativity, and about profound friendship. Already much-anticipated by followers of progressive cuisine, Grant and Nick's gripping narrative is filled with stories from the world's most renowned kitchens—the French Laundry, Charlie Trotter's, el Bulli—and sure to expand the audience that made Alinea the number-one selling restaurant cookbook in America last year.
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"If you are a fan of Alinea, Grant Achatz, or food, then you'll like this book. I'm a fan of all three. And I'm glad I read the book and there was a lot that was interesting about it. But I wish more time was spent having Grant talk about his ideas behind food. The few times he does this after he starts Alinea are fascinating. So possibly just something to look forward to in a future book."
— Cinnamon (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“This must-read for the culinary crowd is the literary equivalent of caviar and Krug.”
— Booklist -
Achatz and Kokonas share an engaging, well-written, and informative description of what it's like to work in commercial kitchens along with the stirring story of Achatz's fight for his life.
— Library Journal
Life, on the Line Listener Reviews
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" I couldn't put this book down. A fascinating story and a quick read. Just be prepared to want to go out for dinner afterwards. "
— Kelly, 2/18/2014 -
" Curiously interesting. The descriptions of how dishes were created and executed was as compelling as any mystery story. Being a semi- foodie who doesn't cook, I marvelled at the energy it takes to make a seemingly effortless yet artful dish. Grant's drive was off the chart. Glad he had a fine mentor. He gives everything in him to his work which leaves little for the people he loves. Perhaps this is what comes with unusual talent. Definitely worth reading. "
— Joyce, 2/13/2014 -
" Achatz is the owner of Alinea in Chicago, considered one of the top restaurants in the country. Fascinating story of his life made extraordinary by his illness. "
— Meinhold, 2/1/2014 -
" A tad self-congratulatory, but filled with enough amusing anecdotes to make it worthwhile. "
— Justin, 1/21/2014 -
" The amazing journey of a young, world class chef and survivor of tongue cancer. "
— Roxanneandvince, 1/3/2014 -
" I am not a foodie but found this book quite enthralling! Makes me want to go to Alinea or Next! "
— Anne, 12/31/2013 -
" Really interesting. About an young man that goes to culinary school, works with one of the best chefs in the world (Thomas Keller) goes on to open his own resturant and win numerous awards. All this happens before he's barely over 30 and then he finds out he has tongue cancer. "
— Tamika, 12/14/2013 -
" I have a new appreciation for fine dining after reading this book. I always enjoy stories about other creative professionals, glimpsing the challenges they face to continually create new ideas. My foodie antennae got turned up a few notches with this one. "
— Erika, 11/12/2013 -
" This is a fascinating story about food, creativity, and the restaurant industry. Achatz's account of dealing with cancer (both horrifying and inspiring) makes it a unique book. "
— Tatiana, 10/21/2013 -
" Great book, as a chef and as a human this story inspires me to push no! "
— Darryl, 5/10/2013 -
" Amazing. Doesn't matter what you're doing, if you're are looking for inspiration, pick this book up. Finished the nearly 400 pages in two days. You wont be disappointed. If you are, Im sorry in advance. "
— David, 4/10/2013 -
" Interesting memoir of a most driven chef. "
— Christopher, 1/21/2013 -
" If you ever wondered what Beethoven must have felt on realizing he was losing his hearing then read this book. Though the book is about a chef and his quest for excellence, his passion, obsession and methods are universally applicable and gives anyone a preview of what it takes. "
— Amit, 12/4/2012 -
" Shockingly frank and totally fascinating. "
— Kate, 8/20/2012 -
" Amazing read, I am obsessed :) "
— Sarah, 3/8/2012 -
" Chef Grant Achatz' amazing story of trials and successes - makes you wish cooking was an Olympics sport so you could cheer for all the chefs who put their souls into their art. Must go to Alinea! "
— Susanne, 1/31/2012 -
" I enjoyed the story, but Chef could've used a ghost writer. It took a while for me to get into it because I found his literary voice to be annoying. I still recommend it if you're a fan. "
— Amanda, 11/18/2011 -
" I loved this book, what an inspiration Grant is, he just never gave up to live his dream despite the tragic events in his life. I must go to his restaurant! "
— Nancy, 4/28/2011 -
" The story will always be fascinating. Achatz' writing is very much like I'd expect him to be in person -- spare, driven, and non-emotional. This isn't a typical "My life as a badass chef" books, but it is profoundly engaging. I read it, essentially, in a day. "
— Felicity, 4/26/2011 -
" Halfway through - LOVE it. It is a great "foodies" book - "Kitchen Confidential" much less dark. Looking forward to finishing it. And really enjoying the culinary education. "
— Stacy, 4/25/2011 -
" This is an amazing story of courage in the face of devastating illness, and the dream of one young chef to create the restaurant of his dreams... "
— Red, 4/18/2011
About the Authors
Grant Achatz is an award-winning chef and the owner of the restaurant Alinea in Chicago. He won the Rising Star Chef of the Year Award in 2003 and was named Best Chef in the United States in 2008 by the James Beard Foundation. Alinea was named best restaurant in America by Gourmet magazine and was added to Restaurant magazine’s list of top fifty restaurants in the world, eventually making it to number seven. Grant has written for Gourmet and the New York Times Diner’s Journal, and he is a columnist for the Atlantic‘s Food Channel.
Nick Kokonas is a managing partner of Achatz LLC, which was formed to envision, create, and manage the restaurant Alinea in Chicago. Together with award-winning chef Grant Achatz, Kokonas coordinated the creation of Alinea, including the formation and execution of the business plan, hiring of all professional trades, and management of ongoing operations. Prior to his involvement with Alinea, Kokonas spent over a decade as a derivatives trader, founding his own proprietary trading firm in 1994. He has been an investor in, and adviser to, a number of mid-size technology firms, and he currently serves on several corporate boards. He holds a BA in philosophy from Colgate University.
About Johnny Heller
Johnny Heller, winner of numerous Earphones and Audie Awards, was named a “Golden Voice” by AudioFile magazine in 2019. He has been a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award winner from 2008 through 2013 and he has been named a top voice of 2008 and 2009 and selected as one of the Top 50 Narrators of the Twentieth Century by AudioFile magazine.