Exciting and Inspiring!
ââ?¬Å"Convictions of a Chef: Cooking for the Counterculture and the One Percentââ?¬Â? by Evan Marcus-Rotman, is a compelling memoir about a chef who carries moving messages of courage and wisdom. You will follow Chef Evanââ?¬â?¢s life from boyhood to manhood, as he describes how he overcame the pitfalls of life, from being knee-deep in the drug war, to prison, to how food, travel, and music were his saving graces. There are several stories that are quite serious, but these are balanced by the authorââ?¬â?¢s sense of humor and humanity. Readers will be enthused if not inspired by his adventures and sense of philosophy toward life and his experiences.
The author has taken the memoir genre and turned it into a dramatic work that reads like a fiction novel. The first-person point of view brings you into this personal story, and the theme of food that runs through it will satisfy the palate of any foodie. I like the edginess of the book, Evan�s resilience, and the honest approach to the subject matter. The world travel aspect also adds another layer to his personality. Readers feel like they get to know Evan through magic mushrooms and the Grateful Dead, but more than that. He is on a quest to find himself. When he does, it�s not just in mushrooms and music, but in all of the things he does and all of the places he goes.
I enjoyed his take on life, whether it was his humble beginnings with food, prison, his thoughts on the drug crisis, to the more elegant times on yachts. He learned to make the most of any situation, whatever it was, and this is a life lesson for everyone. The writer�s attention to detail is also a grounding factor in the narrative. He makes everything come alive. This memoir is the kind that can leave you in a good mood after reading it.
One of my favorite parts is in the beginning, where everything starts with a chaotic event in his home with his young son Cassidy asleep. The book just keeps growing with interest and urgency from there. If you are looking for a life-affirming book that is also a compelling drama, ââ?¬Å"Convictions of a Chef: Cooking for the Counterculture and the One Percentââ?¬Â? by Evan Marcus-Rotman is a must-read.
