Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I agree with the other reviewers who have some problems with this book. First, I don't think the book is very well written. There are some clumsy passages. The writer also comes across as a bit of a whiner. He tries to convey the passion it takes to become a chef, yet it doesn't work, probably because it is secondhand. It is like seeing a friend who is in love, and trying to write about being in love, even though you have never been in love yourself. So for me this book fell flat, and I would not recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: great subject, poor execution
Review: I think that the subject of cooking school is definitely one worthy of a book. If another book comes out about it, I'd probably read it too, in hopes that it would be better than this one. First of all, the book jacket is misleading in that the author didn't actually attend the full CIA program, he only sat in on certain classes. Also, the writing seemed very scatter-brained. The book contains a bit too much tedious kitchen play-by-play that doesn't always contribute to the overall story. Still, the program and personalities are interesting enough to overcome the disappointing execution.
Rating: 
Summary: For anyone with a passion for food or cooking...
Review: I like to cook, I like to eat. This is a GREAT book for anyone who has a passion for cooking or a passion for food. And I stress PASSION because in this book, which describes the classes at the Culinary Institute of America, this school teaches you about the infinite complexities behind each item used in any given dish. These students, these teachers take EXTREME PRIDE in their work - they don't just make a soup, they break it down chemically, item by item, why it tastes like it does, what contribution the numerous ingredients make and why. It's truly wonderful to understand that there is so much more to a dish than the sum of its parts.
Rating:
Summary: Yawn...the CIA should pay for this publicity!
Review: I read this book before enrolling at the CIA. While the descriptions of the school are fairly accurate (it is a very stressful environment and there are many passionate and talented students and instructors), the writing itself is insipid and seems to pander to the CIA's teachers and administration (and indulge in more than a fair amount of ego-stroking to boot). What Rulhman seems to lack in his overly abundant coverage of the food industry and its players is a really compelling story. His florid descriptions from everything to making stock to the mache in the walk-in bespeak a writer suffering from thesaurus overruse rather than an interesting plot or an artful writing style.
Rating: 
Summary: Dull, dull, dull
Review: A perfect book if you want an adolescent accounting of a personal experience. Two-dimensional (if that) writing, little real insight into the other characters, dull chronical of the experience. Look elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Hard going for non-chefs
Review: This book is ideal for chefs but rather hard going for non-chefs. This book is filled with culinary jargon that is a foreign language to the lay person. However, if you can navigate your way through all this, you will have a good read.
Rating:
Summary: I adored this book!!
Review: I just finished this book, and I absolutely loved it! I am a stay at home mom with an interest/obsession with cooking and I found this book to be absolutely intriguing!Michael Ruhlman does an amazing job at sucking the reader into being a student at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America). If you have ever wondered what it was like to go to culinary school, you will be fascinated by his account of what goes on behind the scenes at the most prestigious one in America (and, some argue, the world). If you think cooking school is a walk in the park, think again! These students get run through the mill day in and day out, in their quest to make the "perfect" meal! If you are an aspiring chef...you must read this book. If you are a "foodie" (like myself) you will thoroughly enjoy this book. I, for one, am keeping it in my collection so I can read it again. Bravo, Michael Ruhlman!!
Rating:
Summary: Must reading for any prospective chef
Review: Before reading this book, I had always imagined the halls of the CIA as a glorious place to be for any fan of the culinary arts, not unlike a trip to Disney World for the average 5 year-old. Boy was I wrong! An education at the hallowed CIA is more like an initiation into hell that only a true masochist would enjoy. Call me sick, but I still want to go. In this book, Michael doesn't just walk through the classes, observing what the students are doing. He actually becomes a student, going through the same gruelling schedule, and the same humiliating criticisms that the other students experience. How else could he paint such a vibrant picture of life at the CIA? You will experience all the highs and lows that Michael and his fellow students experience. Especially amusing was when Chef Pardus shamed Michael into coming into class during a dangerous snowstorm. Chef Pardus had basically intimated that being a chef isn't for everyone, (chefs ALWAYS get where they need to be when they need to be there) and that perhaps Michael just wasn't cut out to be one of those chosen few. The reader actually feels Michael's outrage, and can't help root for him, as he sets out to prove Chef Pardus wrong with his new determination to experience every morsel of hardship that his fellow students are forced to swallow. This singular event haunts him throughout most of the rest of the book, and I suspect, still does so today. Of special interest is when Michael notices how studying to be a chef actually changes how one operates in everyday life. You forever look toward maximum efficiency, and look down with disgust on any wasted movements, even when not in the kitchen. While not meant to be an instructional book, this book is very likely to make you a better cook, simply by inspiring you to accept nothing less than perfection in your own kitchen.
Rating:
Summary: The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary I
Review: After reading this title, boot camp and law school will seem like child's play. Ruhlman enrolled in the prestigious and expensive Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to get both material for a book and a culinary education. However, the drive and commitment required from day one, the demand for speed and precision, the pressure and perfectionism of the job'all hilariously and touchingly told'immediately erase his writer's detachment. But the tale goes beyond Ruhlman's anecdotes; he describes the curriculum with objective detail, so the reader also learns how a chef makes a flawless stock (and repairs a flawed one at a moment's notice), organizes the cooking station, prepares gourmet meals for crowds, and attains excellence and recognition. The short chart at the end shows the course work for the CIA's associate degrees. An enjoyable read, recommended for most collections and required for aspiring great chefs
Rating: 
Summary: Pitch Perfect!
Review: Even as I found myself devouring the last chapters as the course culminated with the frenetic pace of cooking in the CIA's restaurants, I was terribly reluctant to turn the final pages. Michael Ruhlman gives us a fascinating look at the Culinary Institute of America's inner workings, introducing us to his colorful classmates and zealous instructors. He is truly a gifted writer, and now, equally as important, a cook. Fans of Ruth Reichl and Anthony Bourdain can't miss with this, and I can't wait to tuck into Soul of a Chef next.
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