That book pulled the curtain back on the cutthroat culinary atmosphere that allegedly could be found in New York City, and his personality seemed like a natural fit for the chaos and competitiveness that drives the glut of competitive-cooking reality shows that sprung from that time and exist now.
Bourdain broke into this field in 2000 with the best-selling book Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.
Though Bourdain will always be known for his culinary achievements, it was his books and, later, television shows that thrust him into the national spotlight and made him a household name.