Books : Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter

In association with Amazon.com
  

by: Steve Dublanica Aka The Waiter

: Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter

List Price: $24.95
Amazon.com's Price: $16.47
You Save: $8.48 (34%)
Prices subject to change.



Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
More Information


This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 647.95068
EAN: 9780061256684
ISBN: 0061256684
Label: Ecco
Manufacturer: Ecco
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 320
Publication Date: August 01, 2008
Publisher: Ecco
Release Date: July 29, 2008
Sales Rank: 6676
Studio: Ecco



Related Items:

Editorial Review:

Product Description:


According to The Waiter, eighty percent of customers are nice people just looking for something to eat. The remaining twenty percent, however, are socially maladjusted psychopaths. Waiter Rant offers the server's unique point of view, replete with tales of customer stupidity, arrogant misbehavior, and unseen bits of human grace transpiring in the most unlikely places. Through outrageous stories, The Waiter reveals the secrets to getting good service, proper tipping etiquette, and how to keep him from spitting in your food. The Waiter also shares his ongoing struggle, at age thirty-eight, to figure out if he can finally leave the first job at which he's truly thrived.





Customer Reviews
Average Rating: out of 5 stars

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Good Book, A Must Read
I'll make this short and sweet. If you've ever worked in the food industry you must read this book. Very well written. I love it.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars - Interesting View Into Waiter's World
I enjoyed Waiter Rant, the stories and anecdotes were amusing and made for a fine afternoon's reading. The book provides an interesting peek into the lives of people whose job it is to be invisible until needed, which provides them with plenty of opportunities to see things (and write about) other people do.

As a drawback, I thought this book, or rather, the writing, lacked a sharpness of wit to really bring the stories to life. I was entertained certainly. But in holding this particular book up against some others in the genre, it holds its own but I don't think it rose above.




Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Tip your waitperson 20+ percent! They have earned it!!
This is a great book that tells you a whole lot about an occupation that most of us frequently encounter and often take for granted. I have never been a waiter (I will use this to cover both men and women if I may), but when I think about what has made many dining experiences (at almost any type of restaurant) pleasant or not, it often comes down to how good the waiter's service has been.

This book gives the insight of a very articulate writer (who I understand does a lot of blogging) about this profession and really gives a good sense of how hard the job may be. This book reminded me a lot of chef's Anthony Bourdain's "Restaurant Condifidential" from the perspective of the waiter. The job is often NOT easy, with ranting managers, crazy cooks, and most of all obnoxious customers.


The book certainly not all complaints (or rants) but rather a very funny, well written, and sympathetic telling of what waiters put up with as they are expected to smile and be courteous. This is a great book by a fine writer who works as a waiter and really gives insight into what it is like to do your best on a job.

Since we all go to restaurants (and also deal with people who have to serve customers who may in fact be jerks), we should all read this book. You will learn a lot about how to appreciate other people's feelings and respect them. You will also learn about how unpleasant working at a restaurant can be (confirmed to me by friends who have spent some working in restaurants) and maybe come to the conclusion a good waiter is hard to find and should be rewarded for their good work.

This is a five star book -- instructive and very, very fun to read!!




Rating: 2 out of 5 stars - Too much uninteresting biography, not enough 'waiter rant'
This book would make a great short story. I can't imagine being very interested in his philosophical discussions with himself. The running of the restaurants, the interplay among front and back of the house is fun to read, but apparently he (and presumably his editor if there was one) either didn't have enough similar material, or he assumed we wanted to know about his inner turmoil. The book felt disjointed to me, but I did finish it. I wouldn't recommend it, however. (I have worked in restaurants, and find it surprising that after so many years the author couldn't come up with more compelling stories to fill this volume. Not looking forward to his next book.)


Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - A Winner
The author/waiter is a highly educated college graduate who proves to be an excellent writer as well. He can take any situation or anecdote, embellish it with a little humor and turn it into a story that capture's one's attention from beginning to end.
While nothing in the book is earth-shattering, I will say that much of it is eye-opening. Besides, there are many stories that most of us can relate to on a daily basis, especially those who work with the public: dealing with nasty customers; working for a screwy boss; and observing human nature at its best and it's worst.
My favorite stories in the book were about the squirrel running loose in the restaurant, the lady complaining about the hair in her salad (which turned out to be her own) and the couple who used the restroom for their sexual pleasures.
The author's claim that he is an avid reader is evident in his writing. He has so many interesting tidbits of trivia that he gathered from books and movies which he shares with his readers. The way he describes things is so rich in detail that I could see, hear, smell and taste everything going on at the Bistro as if I were there.
The author is brutally honest, quite humble and has a keen insight into human behavior. This book is a definite winner. I highly recommend it.

see more


More Information
Browse for similar items by category:

 

HOME

Debt Consolidation - Bankruptcy - Reggaeton Videos - MPAA - Bankruptcy