Kitchens - by Gary Alan Fine (Paperback)

About the Book

"From the raw to the cooked, "Kitchens" takes us inside the fascinating world of restaurant work. But be prepared. Abandon preconceptions all ye who enter, for here's an original and important peek into the patois, the pecking order, the profits, and the people who produce what we eat when we eat out. . . . A real by-the-book example of superior occupational sociology, as it was meant to be."--Rob Faulkner, University of Massachusetts
"A carefully researched, brilliantly analyzed and elegantly described study of a major American industry. His negotiated order and combined interactional-structural approach is a model for sociological industries and organizations."--Anselm Strauss, University of California, San Francisco

Book Synopsis

Kitchens takes us into the robust, overheated, backstage world of the contemporary restaurant. In this rich, often surprising portrait of the real lives of kitchen workers, Gary Alan Fine brings their experiences, challenges, and satisfactions to colorful life. A new preface updates this riveting exploration of how restaurants actually work, both individually and as part of a larger culinary culture.

From the Back Cover

"From the raw to the cooked, Kitchens takes us inside the fascinating world of restaurant work. But be prepared. Abandon preconceptions all ye who enter, for here's an original and important peek into the patois, the pecking order, the profits, and the people who produce what we eat when we eat out. . . . A real by-the-book example of superior occupational sociology, as it was meant to be."--Rob Faulkner, University of Massachusetts

"A carefully researched, brilliantly analyzed and elegantly described study of a major American industry. His negotiated order and combined interactional-structural approach is a model for sociological industries and organizations."--Anselm Strauss, University of California, San Francisco

Review Quotes

"Oozes with first-hand accounts of pranks and mishaps. . . . Fine's book entertains as it enlightens."-- "North By Northwestern" (10/30/2009 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Gary Alan Fine is John Evans Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University.