Books : Humble Pie

Rating: - You don't have to be a fan to enjoy this one!
I echo the comments of my fellow reviewers; I am not really a fan of Gordon and cannot claim to have watched his programmes, but having been given the book as a gift I thought I'd give it a go. What a really interesting book, which holds the readers attention through each of the gritty chapters. He is, and clearly always has been, a driven individual who has worked his way through hard times to achieve his success. He uses the 'F' word quite a lot in his book, as he does in reality, but it doesn't detract. Keep turning those pages, it just gets better! Enjoy.

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Rating: - Humble Pie
I loved this book. Like another reader I was not really a fan of his but was interested in reading about his life. The book does cover a lot and you can understand why he comes across like he does on the tele. He is not being rude 1) that is the way he is 2) read this book and you will understand why. You learn a little about how restaurants work with star ratings aswell. Even though it is an autobiography I did not find it was a "me me me". It was a great read and am looking forward to see if there is a follow on. The saying is true if you can not stand the heat get out of the kitchen.

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Rating: - A lovely read
I loved this book and was sorry that it had to end. I wasn't a big fan of Gordon Ramsay before I read this book but afterwards I felt I knew him and I respect him enormously now. The book wasn't too heavy a read and it was nicely paced and kept me interested. Read it and enjoy!

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Rating: - A surprising read!
I didn't get around to getting a review copy of Humble Pie when it was first published in hardback but still wanting to read it I have just bought the paperback. I had decided it was too late to write a review so I had bought the book purely for my own interest.

Just before I started reading Humble Pie I had been reading a crime thriller (a top seller) about which the Daily Express wrote "Grips from the first page until the final deeply satisfying sentence". I was reminded of this as I read Humble Pie because I had found the crime thriller less than gripping but Humble Pie . . . I couldn't put it down!

Which is why you now find me writing a review. It is a book well worth reading if you have any interest in those who cook for a living or the culture of the celebrity chef.

I have to confess my early reaction to Gordon Ramsay, when he first started to be seen on TV, was not good. As a result I avoided watching him and read very little about him. The occasional TV trailer or newspaper headline would be sufficient to confirm my snap judgement was right.

With that attitude I would never have read Humble Pie but some time last year I sat down and watched an episode of Kitchen Nightmares. That made me sit up I can tell you. Here was someone who was nothing like my perception and this was good interesting TV, a real change from some of the more bland celebrity chefs that are getting churned out in an attempt to find a new Rick Stein or Keith Floyd.

The strange thing about living in the UK is the way we all snipe at success. We love the star in the ascendancy but once it arrives we all want to put it down and bring it down. Is it jealousy of another's success? Certainly there is plenty of sniping and attacking Gordon Ramsay by the different media and it would be hard to find someone who has not heard of him and doesn't have an opinion to express!

A lot of these opinions are based on the hype that has surrounded him, especially the language. (The way everyone goes on you would think he was the only chef to use bad language!). I have to say I was one of those people with the wrong opinion for which I do not apologise. Instead I blame all those PR people who have hyped Gordon Ramsay as something and someone he isn't.

Read the book and you will see what I mean. Like the rest of us Gordon Ramsay is a human being and it shows throughout the book from start to finish, the love he shows for his mother to the support he has tried to give to his heroin addicted younger brother. Not that he is any mister softy.

To get where he is today Gordon has had to demonstrate a singular determination to succeed and to learn his trade. Would you have given up a top position as a London chef to go to France and start at the bottom again so that you could gain further experience and learn more? Not me! I would have been too stubborn and proud. Yet Gordon Ramsay did exactly this. Having been Sous Chef to Marco Pierre White, when his restaurant was leading the way in London, he gave it all up to start in Paris as a Commis Chef . . . taking all the shit arrogant French chefs could throw his way in pursuit of excellence.

Gordon Ramsay deserves all the success he has achieved. He has served his time and worked for it, and along the way he has gone through a lot of personal grief to get there, all of which is included in Humble Pie.

Someone to admire and respect. One of life's achievers. Don't believe me? Well read the book then!

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Rating: - couldn't put it down
I read it in one go. I am not a cook, and have no desire to go to eat in his restaurants, because it's not my sort of thing, but as an autobiography, it really shows you how hard he has worked against enormous odds, to get to where he is. I couldn't help but admire the guys capacity for hard work, and the effort he has put into his career to train himself to be a top chef.

Doesn't seem to leave himself much time for a social life though, but that's his choice.