{"schema_version":"bf_book_companion_v1","release_id":"20260402T191500Z-bisacv2site-fullset","book":{"amazon_purchase_url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F2B7BPRD?tag=bookfrontier-20","asin":"B0F2B7BPRD","authors":["Drew Nieporent","Grand Central Publishing"],"book_id":"9781538765579","canonical_url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781538765579","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781538765579.jpg?v=20260402T191500Z-bisacv2site-fullset%3A2026-04-05T16%3A15%3A58Z","description":"A USA TODAY BESTSELLER Drew Nieporent has been a staple of the New York dining scene for decades, establishing a host of iconic restaurants like Nobu, Tribeca Grill, and Montrachet. But his career started from much more humble beginnings—the grill at the local McDonald’s. A middle class kid from New York’s East Side, Drew spends his childhood tagging along with his father to help restaurants get their liquor license, igniting a lifelong obsession with food. His passion takes him on a winding, continent-spanning journey, crossing paths with legendary chefs, iconic athletes, and movie stars as he grows into one of the most influential names in the culinary world. From waiting tables on a cruise ship to getting his first three-star review; from squabbling with Cornell professors to partnering with Robert DeNiro; this is more than a story of one man’s extraordinary life—it’s a story of an evolving industry. As culinary trends come and go, and relationships blossom and combust, Nieporent navigates it all with a simple yet powerful philosophy: give the customer what they want. Told in Drew’s unforgettable voice, I’m Not Trying To Be Difficult is a rollicking memoir that feels like sitting across the dinner table from someone who has seen it all—one of the last great restaurateurs.","forthcoming":false,"isbn13":"9781538765579","publication_date":"20250923","publisher":"Grand Central Publishing","slug":"i-m-not-trying-to-be-difficult","subtitle":"Stories From the Restaurant Trenches","title":"I'm Not Trying to Be Difficult"},"discovery":{"categories":{"all":[{"bisac_code":"BIO003000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Business Lives","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"BIO029000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Food World Lives","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"CKB030000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Food Writing & Memoir","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"}],"hint":[],"publisher":[{"bisac_code":"BIO003000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Business Lives","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"BIO029000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Food World Lives","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"CKB030000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Food Writing & Memoir","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"}]},"genres":[{"label":"Business Lives","score":1,"slug":"business-lives"},{"label":"Food World Lives","score":1,"slug":"food-world-lives"},{"label":"Food Writing & Memoir","score":1,"slug":"food-writing-memoir"}],"reader_fit":["Good for readers who enjoy Business Lives","Good for readers who enjoy Business Lives and Food World Lives.","Strong fit for readers who prefer grounded, real-world context."],"related_lists":[],"series":null,"similar_books":[{"authors":["Anthony Bourdain","Random House Audio"],"book_id":"9781582340821","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781582340821.jpg?v=20260402T191500Z-bisacv2site-fullset%3A2026-04-05T16%3A15%3A58Z","score":12.4337,"title":"Kitchen Confidential","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781582340821"},{"authors":["Bonny Reichert"],"book_id":"9780593599167","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780593599167.jpg?v=20260402T191500Z-bisacv2site-fullset%3A2026-04-05T16%3A15%3A58Z","score":12.353,"title":"How to Share an Egg","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780593599167"},{"authors":["Michael Cecchi-Azzolina","Macmillan Audio"],"book_id":"9781250325747","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781250325747.jpg?v=20260402T191500Z-bisacv2site-fullset%3A2026-04-05T16%3A15%3A58Z","score":9.4313,"title":"Your Table Is Ready","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781250325747"},{"authors":["Anthony Bourdain","Laurie Woolever"],"book_id":"9780062802767","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780062802767.jpg?v=20260402T191500Z-bisacv2site-fullset%3A2026-04-05T16%3A15%3A58Z","score":8.101,"title":"World Travel","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780062802767"},{"authors":["David Gelles"],"book_id":"9781668032268","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781668032268.jpg?v=20260402T191500Z-bisacv2site-fullset%3A2026-04-05T16%3A15%3A58Z","score":7.9966,"title":"Dirtbag Billionaire","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781668032268"},{"authors":["Phil Knight"],"book_id":"9781501135910","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781501135910.jpg?v=20260402T191500Z-bisacv2site-fullset%3A2026-04-05T16%3A15%3A58Z","score":7.9834,"title":"Shoe Dog","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781501135910"}],"topics":[{"evidence_refs":["keyword:culinary history"],"label":"History","score":0.9238,"slug":"history"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:new york dining"],"label":"York","score":0.0661,"slug":"york"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:culinary memoir"],"label":"Memoir","score":0.0644,"slug":"memoir"}],"what_you_get":["Themes: History, Memoir.","Reading lane: Business Lives and Food World Lives.","Publisher: Grand Central Publishing."]},"llm_signals":null,"source_presence":{"amazon":true,"book_detail":true,"goodreads":true,"llm_signals":false,"similarity_seed":true},"stats":{"amazon_ratings_count":0,"goodreads_ratings_count":358,"goodreads_reviews_count":54,"quality_score":0.8905}}