Background information

[Bux]

Leslie Brenner's latest book, The Fourth Star: Dispatches From Inside Daniel Boulud's Celebrated New York Restaurant, is a behind-the-scenes look at every aspect of how a great restaurant is run, from how the reservationist decides what time slot to offer a caller, to how the waitstaff coordinates with the kitchen to send out perfectly timed courses, to how new cooks are hired and paid. Leslie will be happy to answer questions about how she came to write the book, how she did her research, what her intentions were in writing the book, and what chef Daniel Boulud's reaction has been, as well as any aspect of how a four-star restaurant is run.

Gael Greene reviewed the book in last week's New York magazine, writing, "I gobbled the book in one sitting." Positive or negative, just about every critic agrees: they can't put the book down. In any case, for anyone interested in food and serious dining, The Fourth Star is quickly becoming the must-read of the summer.

Leslie Brenner is the author of four previous books about food and wine, including the award-winning American Appetite: The Coming of Age of a Cuisine, as well as the highly acclaimed novel Greetings from the Golden State (Los Angeles Times Best Books of 2001). A finalist for the Prix Medicis, the coveted French award for fiction, Brenner has also received a James Beard Foundation Journalism Award for her magazine writing. Recently transplanted from New York City, she now lives in Los Angeles, where she is a Contributing Editor for Travel + Leisure.

Newsday review.

Barnes & Nobel page with Kirkus and Barnes & Nobel reviews.

The author and publisher have graciously agreed to award five copies of the book to members. Names will be selected at random from those participating in the Q&A.