Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry: Love, Laughter, and Tears at the World's Most Famous Cooking School

( 22 )
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Paperback (Reprint)
$13.98
BN.com price
$15.00 List Price (Save 7%)
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$0.01
$15.00 List Price (Save 100%)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
All (121)  
Used (97)  
New (24)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 13
Showing 1 – 10 of 121 (13 pages)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
OwlsBooks-TRM
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(22568)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good
Giving great service since 2004: Buy from the Best! 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship! Find your Great Buy today!

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
GreatBuyBooks-WA
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(18248)

Condition: Good
Buy from the best: 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship today!

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
GreatTimeBooks
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(551)

Condition: Good
Used book in average shape. Quick shipping, friendly service. Your satisfaction is guaranteed! BN

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.01
(Save 100%)
OwlsBooks-TRM
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(22568)

Condition: Good
Giving great service since 2004: Buy from the Best! 4,000,000 items shipped to delighted customers. We have 1,000,000 unique items ready to ship! Find your Great Buy today!

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.25
(Save 98%)
Clickgoodwill
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(81)

Condition: Good
Very minimal damage to the cover no holes or tears, only minimal scuff marks minimal wear binding majority of pages undamaged minimal creases or tears. Book may have writing, ... underlining, highlighting, wear to cover and corners, notes in margins, writing Read more Show Less

Ships from: Indianapolis, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.79
(Save 95%)
Wonder Book
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(13616)

Condition: Good
Good condition. Lightly dampstained.

Ships from: Frederick, MD

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 93%)
Alibris NV
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(20386)

Condition: Very Good
2008-10-01 Trade Paperback Very Good Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 290 p.

Ships from: Sparks, NV

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 93%)
Alibris NV
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(20386)

Condition: Good
2008-10-01 Trade Paperback Good Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 290 p.

Ships from: Sparks, NV

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 93%)
BooksForGoodwillGetJobs
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(225)

Condition: Acceptable
2008 Paperback Fair The book is clean but may have markings or highlights througout.

Ships from: St Paul, MN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$0.99
(Save 93%)
WNYBOOKS
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(34)

Condition: Acceptable
2008 Paperback Fair ACCEPTABLE-Any or all listed conditions may apply: Covers may show wear( cracks, bends, rips, etc. )binding may show wear ( yet still intact) Pages May be ... worn, bent, dirty, yellowed with age, stained, etc. Item may include notations, underlining, highlighting, inscription. GOOD READING COPY-not typically collection worthy-USED CONDITION. We Love and Value Our Customers-WNYBOOKS Thanks You! Read more Show Less

Ships from: Buffalo, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 13
Showing 1 – 10 of 121 (13 pages)
Close
Sort by
NOOK Book (eBook)
$12.99
BN.com price

Available on NOOK devices and apps

  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for iPad
  • NOOK for iPhone
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK for Android (Tablet)
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

More About This Book

Overview

A delightful true story of food, Paris, and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream

In 2003, Kathleen Flinn, a thirty-six-year-old American living and working in London, returned from vacation to find that her corporate job had been eliminated. Ignoring her mother's advice that she get another job immediately or "never get hired anywhere ever again," Flinn instead cleared out her savings and moved to Paris to pursue a dream-a diploma from the famed Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry is the touching and remarkably funny account of Flinn's transformation as she moves through the school's intense program and falls deeply in love along the way. Flinn interweaves more than two dozen recipes with a unique look inside Le Cordon Bleu amid battles with demanding chefs, competitive classmates, and her "wretchedly inadequate" French. Flinn offers a vibrant portrait of Paris, one in which the sights and sounds of the city's street markets and purveyors come alive in rich detail. The ultimate wish fulfillment book, her story is a true testament to pursuing a dream. Fans of Julie & Julia, Almost French, and Eat, Pray, Love will be amused, inspired, and richly rewarded by this seductive tale of romance, Paris, and French food.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

When the author, an American journalist and software executive working in London, is sacked from her high-powered job, she enrolls as a student at the Cordon Bleu school in Paris. With limited cooking skills and grasp of the French language, she gamely attempts to master the school's challenging curriculum of traditional French cuisine. As if she didn't have enough on her plate eviscerating fish and knocking out pâtéà choux, she determines to write a book about her experience and gets married along the way. The result is a readable if sentimental chronicle of that year in Paris in which her love life is explored in great detail, dirty weekends and all, and cooking features as a metaphor for self-discovery. Some readers may feel disappointed that the narrator's encounters with French cookery remain largely confined to her lessons at the Cordon Bleu. On those rare occasions when she ventures into the food-obsessed city, the descriptions of meals are glancing at best. Although her struggles with the language and lack of knowledge about the culture lend comic elements to the story (once, trying to order a pizza over the phone, she said, "Je suis une pizza"-I am a pizza), they, too, constrain the author's culinary explorations. (Oct.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
This tasty offering . . . seems destined to earn an honored place on the crowded bookshelves of many foodie readers.
More Reviews (1) Fewer Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
An American expatriate follows her dream to study at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. When 36-year-old software executive Flinn got fired in 2003, she was faced with a choice: She could look for another job or pursue her passion. Actually, it's two passions: cooking, and a man. While a corporate wage-slave, she feared making a commitment to Mike back in Seattle. Now unemployed, single and with no country to call home, nothing held her back. She called Mike, drained her savings, moved with him to Paris and started classes. Part memoir, part insider's look at the famed culinary institute where the world's elite chefs have been trained in the art of French haute cuisine, the text takes the form of chronological chapters interweaving lessons learned at the school with lessons learned about life. We meet characters both eccentric and multicultural, from the seemingly bipolar Gray Chef to a roster of far-flung classmates. The range of students from Europe, America, South America, Asia and the Middle East makes it apparent that French cuisine is now global, but Flinn merely touches on that theme. It's not the only potentially fascinating topic she scants; she barely seems to notice that Paris now competes with London, formerly the butt of many jokes about bad food, as the home of superlative dining. Instead, Flinn attempts to use cooking as a life metaphor, a dicey tactic when your personal revelations mostly resemble outtakes from Sex and the City. The book is best when she sticks to cooking, France's culinary history, diverse regional traditions and the challenges of meeting the impeccable standards of Le Cordon Bleu's demanding chefs. A fascinating look inside a famed elite institution, unnecessarilygarnished with lackluster autobiography. Agent: Larry Weissman/Larry Weissman, LLC

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780143114130
  • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
  • Publication date: 9/2/2008
  • Edition description: Reprint
  • Pages: 304
  • Sales rank: 165,788
  • Product dimensions: 5.40 (w) x 8.30 (h) x 0.70 (d)

Meet the Author

Kathleen Flinn
Kathleen Flinn

Kathleen Flinn has been a writer and journalist for nearly twenty years. Her work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, USA Weekend, Men’s Fitness and many other publications. She is a proud member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the Author’s Guild. She divides her time between Seattle and southwest Florida.

Table of Contents


Author's Note     ix
Prologue: This Is Not for Pretend     1
Basic Cuisine     5
Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal     7
Lost in Translation     17
Culinary Boot Camp     25
Taking Stock     35
Memoirs of a Quiche     46
La Vie en Rose     56
No Bones About It     66
Splitting Hares     74
The Souffle Also Rises     83
As the Vegetables Turn     92
Final Exam-Basic     103
Intermediate Cuisine     113
Class Break: Spain     115
C'est la Vie, C'est la Guerre     118
A Week in Provence     128
Rites of Passage     134
The Silence of the Lamb     143
"I Am a Pizza for Kathleen"     150
A Sauce Thicker Than Blood     158
La Catastrophe Americaine     164
Bon Travail     171
Final exam-Intermediate     177
Superior Cuisine     183
Class Break: Normandy, then America     185
Back in Bleu     189
Great Expectations     202
Gods, Monsters, and Slaves     211
LaDanse     220
Bye-bye, Lobster     231
I Didn't Always Hate My Job     243
An American Hospital in Paris     249
Final Exam-Superior     259
Epilogue: Thanksgiving in Paris     271
Extra Recipes     275
Acknowledgments     279
Selected Bibliography     281
Index of Recipes     283
Menu Guide for Book Clubs     286

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 22 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(11)

4 Star

(8)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(2)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 22 Customer Reviews

  • Posted August 5, 2009

    "Live your life the way it's meant to be lived."

    The author closes her book with this line and it's true, and a lesson she learned along the way. Her story is one I can relate to since I went back to culinary school a few years after being out of college and found I hated being stuck behind a desk all day. The book is just a fun read about love, finding yourself and achieving your dream. It is hard working in a professional kitchen, as she learned it school, but it certainly is rewarding. Great recipes too!

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted March 30, 2009

    A 'life change' with food....what a yummy book!

    So far, besides me, my husband, our 20-something daughter, and one of my husband's male buddies have read this book, and we ALL loved it! I should note first that we all love to cook complex recipes and eat fabulous food. And, because of that, it may be that we all loved the book for it's lessons on better cooking steps, intriguing preparations and great recipes. (We highly recommend that readers read the recipes completely as they appear in the book---don't leave them until the end. They help you understand what is happening in the cooking classes as you go along.) The story about a 30-something business woman chucking it all to go to school at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris is a tantalizing fantasy for anyone who loves to cook. We're all jealous! But her telling of the story is more than just a recount of her experiences at the school. It's about changing, learning, growing, accepting and embracing life---and all while describing the making and devouring of delicious foods! There's a very sweet love story, tales of friendship, competition among students, mean and harassing instructor/chefs, fear of failure, and achieving success all wrapped up in the writer's lively telling of her diversion from 'real life' into her life's fantasy. We have decided that this book will not reside in our library, but will stand on our kitchen cookbook shelf so we can pull it out often to try the many incredible-sounding recipes found within. What a yummy little book this is!

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 27, 2009

    Good Book

    I really enjoyed this book. It is a quick and easy read. It describes her struggles and joys while attending the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. I would recommend this book if you love reading about Paris and cooking.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 30, 2011

    Fun Read

    I enjoyed this book start to finish. As a bonus, there are recipes throughout.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 20, 2010

    Funny and touching

    Has some very funny parts. An enjoyable read.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted April 6, 2009

    Really enjoyable reading, well written and humorous.

    A great book for anyone who has ever considered attending the famous Cordon Bleau cooking school in Paris. The book is well written and enjoyable to read.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted March 23, 2009

    A true culinary adventure--full of fun

    I loved the telling of this culinary experience at Le Cordon Bleu. It was funny, romantic, enlightening, and I love having some of the recipes included. I love Paris, and this is a great way to "take yourself there," especially if you like to cook. Enjoyable to read.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted February 24, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    Enjoyable read

    This book is great for anyone who has a passion for cooking or just a passion that they have yet to pursue. It is filled with recipes and culinary information. It also tells a sweet love story.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 23, 2009

    for the aspiring chef!

    This was an excellent and absorbing book, expecially for a self taught gourmet cook with aspirations to learn more. It was also poignant, funny, and entertaining at different moments. I have given several copies to friends already. I highly recommend it.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted December 12, 2008

    I loved this book

    This book is one my favorites from the past couple of years. I have now read it twice. The story starts when the author came back from vacation to find that she had lost her job -- one that she was unhappy in but could not find the resolve the quit. Almost on a whim, she cashes in her savings to attend Le Cordon Bleu, the famous culinary school in Paris. Her new boyfriend quits his job in Seattle to go with her and the result is a romantic, inspirational story about what can happen when you follow your passions.

    The author is a great storyteller and draws a reader into her daily life in Paris, the difficulties and the joy of studying French cuisine at a high level and the many intriging characters that she meets along the way. She also weaves in about three dozen recipes, mostly French. In the paperback, she has a menu guide for book clubs. My book club read this title in October and the guide was very useful.

    I have given this book to several people, and they have all loved it. It's sort of got it all -- Paris, food, love -- but at the heart of the story is the issue of what's important in life, and how we all keep thinking that we'll do something "one day." It's truly inspirational.

    I read recently that it is being turned into a movie. when you read it, you'll see why.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 8, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 19, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 13, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 10, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 21, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 5, 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 10, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 8, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted August 25, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 2, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 22 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit