"MADAM, STEP AWAY FROM THE SQUIRREL!"

 - The Waiter's (aka Steve Dublanica) Waiter Rant. 
  

The title quote is one of the memorable moments in Steve Dublanica's witty and insightful memoir of his life as a waiter at very high-end restaurant. I have a "secret" addiction to reading service industry memoirs. I blame it on years of working retail and a curiosity about everyday careers I know nothing about. 

If you ever wanted to know who is really cooking your food or how wild retail customer demands can get, here are the best books exploring the other side of customer service. Just click on the book image to enter the catalog and place your hold.

Anthony Bourdain's memoir/expose of the restaurant industry intends to reveal what Bourdain calls "twenty-five years of sex, drugs, bad behavior and haute cuisine."

Freeman Hall details his experiences as a handbag salesman at "The Big Fancy" aka Nordstrom's, sparing no punches in his descriptions of various customers.












Jacob Tomsky's reviews his life working hospitality while teaching his readers the ins and outs of getting out of various hotel fees and scams.










Peter Allison's career is a little more exotic, but his tales of being a a tour guide highlight some of the adventures of people who work in tourism.










A flight attendant's tell-all about over a decade of flying high and dealing with testy travelers.












Bruns's does for Carnival cruise ships what Bourdain does for restaurants in this raunchy but amusing confidential.












Ehrenreich's book is a departure from the others on this list. Nickel and Dimed is a critical, fascinating look at various jobs earning minimum wage and qualify as "unskilled" labor.