Three of the four most popular chef-based reality series are Top Chef, Top Chef Masters and Top Chef - Just Desserts. Each has dvnamic leadership: Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons for Top Chef; Tom Colicchio for Top Chef Masters; Gail Simmons and John Iuzzini for Top Chef- Just Desserts. What is it about these chef competitions that is uniquely appealing to BRAVO viewers? The quirky personalities of the competing chefs, all trying to rise quickly in the culinary profession and facing a lot of competition, is primary for me in Top Chef and Top Chef-Just Desserts. The Top Chef Masters, having already arrived at the pinnacle of their profession, are much more relaxed and sharing. The personalities of the staff and judges are important for Top Chef and for Top Chef-Just Desserts, but less so for Top Chef Masters as the show has been set up in a decentralized mode with the master chefs the major stars. Top Chef is set up to feature the competing chefs plus to a lesser extent Tom Colicchio with approximately 15 episodes. Top Chef Masters is truly decentralized, with about 24 master chefs competing in preliminary rounds and champions rounds totalling about 10 episodes. Top Chef- Just Desserts is set up just like regular Top Chef but with fewer chefs and fewer episodes. There are a variety of tasks which are the challenges the chefs face. In Top Chef there are Quickfire Challenges to test specific skills and abilities and there are Elimination Challenges which will test a broader array of skills, particularly ability to handle unexpected situations and twists. Top Chef Masters and Top Chef-Just Desserts have quite similar episode structures. The purpose of all except a few episodes is to find a loser (who is eliminated) and one winner (who gets a reward most of the time) .

Arthur E. Perkins Jr. grew up in New England and has also lived in the Northeast, Midwest and South. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a B.S. Economics and from the Sloan School of Management with a M.S. Management. He had a 19 year management with large process industry companies. His second career has been consulting with small management services companies. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and dog. He has 2 adult children. He is a superfan of Top Chef, Top Chef Masters and Top Chef-Just Desserts. This is his second book and a third one on Hell's Kitchen will be available in 2011.