Jamie Oliver: Turning Up the Heat: A Biography (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: nouvelle cuisine, turkey twizzlers, catering college, Jamie Oliver, The Naked Chef, Soil Association (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A thoughtful and energetic look at Oliver's life."  —Library Journal

Product Description

By the age of eight, Jamie Oliver was already cooking in his parents' pub and restaurant in Essex. By the age of 22, his foul mouth and mischievous image in the kitchens of The River Cafe won him his own TV series, The Naked Chef. This is the definitive biography of a man who grew up in the kitchen and came into his own on television, as Jamie and his buddies—strewn through his series as effortlessly as he tossed herbs into his easy dishes—became familiar, welcome presences in the public's living rooms. Equally interesting as his fame is what he has done with it—grabbing at-risk kids off the street and training them to cook, setting up a charity that would keep them working at one of London’s trendiest restaurants, and working to bring radical change to the public school meal system. Exclusive interviews with those at the forefront of the food industry and with those who have helped shape Jamie's career round out this look at the man known alternately as a television star, the chef that taught guys to cook rather than defrost, and a people's champion.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Andre Deutsch; illustrated edition edition (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0233001689
• ISBN-13: 978-0233001685
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,500,926 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Better second half, May 24, 2009

By	Himri "Himri" (Tempe, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

When I picked this book, I didnt know anything about Jamie Oliver. That part would have been satisfied by reading the first half of the book on Jamie's rise as a great chef with successful TV shows. That could have easily been 'all the story' and then we go home.

But what follows next is 'Oliver's twist'(taking on the already punned) and this is where it gets more interesting. Jamie's bringing about awareness amongst the general public regarding good food change needed in schools by his 'feed me better' campaign, his 'fifteen foundation' for providing resources to talented youngsters are all great things to know.

'He represents the power of the individual, even in a global age when everything is dominted by mega corporations'- Gill Hudson.

'Its a Fame kind of movie,the coach who comes and whips the no-hope baseball team into shape, and changes more than the kids- thats what attracted me to the story.'- Michael Kuhn.

The message and the story are all in the story, only it could have been better told. With too many people quoted in the first half, it was difficult to maintain clarity.I feel that the story would have more life, if it was an autobiography.