I recently went to this chef's 3 Michelin star NYC restaurant Le Bernardin. It was a culinary experience of a life time and I wanted to know more about Eric Ripert. This book is about his lonely and troubled childhood, culinary school, and his first few chef experiences. If I ever had dreams of being a chef this book has cured me of such aspirations. Grueling is too mild of a word. You have a front row seat view of what made him the chef he is today. The book ends as he boards a plane from Paris to NYC. I was left wanting more. Lucky for me has written other books.