Anthony Bourdain's long time director and producer takes readers behind the scenes to reveal the insanity of filming television in some of the most volatile places in the world, and what it was like to work with a legend.  "The most complete picture yet of Bourdain's complex and conflicted character ... Vitale's writing is seductively alive, pulsating with events and vividly rendered observations." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Since Anthony Bourdain's death, no one else has come close to filling the void he left. His passion and genuine curiosity about the people and cultures he visited made the world feel smaller and more connected. Despite his affable, confident, and trademark snarky TV persona, the real Tony was intensely private, deeply conflicted about his fame, and an enigma even to those close to him. Tony’s devoted crew knew him best, and no one else had a front-row seat for as long as his director and producer, Tom Vitale. Over the course of more than a decade traveling together, Tony became a boss, a friend, a hero and, sometimes, a tormentor.In the Weeds takes readers behind the scenes to reveal not just the insanity that went into filming in some of the most far-flung and volatile parts of the world, but what Tony was like unedited and off-camera. From the outside, the job looked like an all-expenses-paid adventure to places like Borneo, Vietnam, Iran, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Libya.  What happened off-camera was far more interesting than what made it to air. The more things went wrong, the better it was for the show. Fortunately, everything fell apart constantly. Nominated for the 2022 BookTube Prize in Nonfiction An Amazon Best Book of October 2021: Fans of Anthony Bourdain’s shows will at last get what we have long desired: a behind-the-scenes view of life on the crew, traveling to faraway places, and working directly with Bourdain. Vitale was his director and producer for over a decade, and In the Weeds is the story of their years together, revealing just how tremendously complicated shooting the show really was and illustrating Bourdain’s love/hate relationship with “the TV machine.” Bourdain’s death affected Vitale deeply, but he doesn’t gloss over Bourdain’s unflattering moments, just as he says Bourdain himself “never shied away from…presenting himself in an unflattering light.” In the Weeds is a full immersion experience, rich in detail and dialogue that you can hear in your head. I can still vividly recall so many moments from the book; they run the gamut from wild and funny to scary and serious. This book is everything I hoped for, and more. —Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor "A gripping and deeply personal book....[Vitale's] book details the utter frenzy and chaos of the shoots but also of his relationship with an incredibly complex but extraordinary man. The writing is truly sensational and visceral--I feel like I was there. And now I need a drink, or two." ― Lisa Ling, host of "This is Life with Lisa Ling" "That there still remain fresh, mesmerizing insights about life with Bourdain is astonishing, as revealed in the compellingly intimate new memoir by Bourdain’s longtime producer and director, Tom Vitale....In the Weeds is a fast-flying, deep-diving, funny, loving, tender, joyful, painful, jolting, twisted, tumultuous and shockingly wild ride. Reader: Hold on tightly....Details upon details unfurl, layer and build spell-binding and sometimes scary descriptions of TV-making goings-on of which viewers are mostly unaware....Spotlit are a sumptuous array of destinations....In the Weeds explores the tightrope of personal and professional longings and expectations; the complexities of borders and the people within them; the ache for mutual trust and the ache of distrust; the multiple meanings of home and family and friendship; the allure and intensity of lust and seduction. And Bourdain’s love affair with Asia Argento....Bourdain’s fans will find plenty to savor, think about and discuss. This is Vitale’s memoir, his singular account. Stones are lifted. Curtains are pushed back. An engaging narrative is woven. Vitale opens his heart and veins to create powerful, poignant, passionate prose. A page-turner, indeed."― Forbes "Tom Vitale’s In the Weeds digs deep into how Bourdain lived....Mr. Vitale tells the stories others will not....Part memoir, part eulogy, In the Weeds is rambly and scattershot, big-hearted and engaging, all the qualities that fans loved best about Bourdain."― The Wall Street Journal " In the Weeds  is much more than a revealing behind-the-scenes peek at the making of two landmark television shows. It’s also a thoughtful and penetrating portrait of a man whose passion for life, curiosity about cultures, and love of a great meal revolutionized the way we think about travel. Best of all, Vitale’s own observations about each of the many filming locations are every bit as evocative as what viewers saw on screen."― Variety “Bourdain's l