Mark's story about his younger years and life in the food industry provides a humorous tale of life in the trenches. You'll never look at your restaurant meal the same again without wondering just what has happened behind the scenes. The anecdotes present a picture of barely (and sometimes not!) controlled mayhem. I doubt that many people could handle this type of life but I do hope that some of them are living it. Not for the current experience but so they will have something relevant to talk about in their later years. An underlying theme is the lessons of life and management that he has obviously learnt and applied to his current successful business. We all learn these in many ways but unless they are hard lessons they rarely stick. Mark has learnt them in a way that will stick forever. Whilst memories often improve with age, like a fine wine, Mark is able to remember the hard times and whilst enjoying reminiscing about the past realises that it is better left in the past. However, his joy at preparing fine food will never leave him and if the opportunity to be a dinner guest ever arose I would be there in a flash. “The mind is a terrible thing to waste.” P120, to my mind typifies this book. Regardless of what you do or think, being prepared to try new things is the key to enjoying life. The examples provided are many and often humorous, yet unless warranted, not malicious. Dealing with characters at work is essential for survival. Demystifying the food industry will probably cause angst amongst chefs, and so it should. Learning to prepare quick and healthy meals is something all of us should learn. But the insistence of chefs that their craft is full of mystery and mystique can only hurt their business. In conclusion a quick and easy read that offers many little gems of humour and some outright belly laughs. Thanks for the opportunity to read and comment.