A Journey Across America: Exploring the Art of Dishwashing in All 50 States

Andrew Loughnane: If you work in a kitchen, this is a MUST! Everything is laid out for you from the perspective of a true pearl diver, down to hiding dirty dishes if the boss is a jerk. Great read, great insight into the life of a dish dog...

United States on Jul 26, 2021

e40: I used to go to a comic book store once a month or so to check to see if a new Dishwasher was in. This was the 90's. I remember loving every issue, which was itself lovingly crafted and hand written. I really loved those times, getting a new issue. I think I still have them in storage somewhere!

I was happy to see this book and the wider audience he would get from it.

I will say, the negative reviews are missing the point. Pete's writing isn't really about washing dishes. It's about a journey. It's about discovery. It's about adventure. It's about history.

United States on Mar 06, 2021

kevin newton: The book is in great shape thanks

Canada on Nov 22, 2020

Mr N C Davies: Bought as a replacement, great book. Item as described, second hand used.

United Kingdom on Apr 16, 2017

R. Bevard: I first heard of Dishwasher Pete, as most people did, from This American Life. Amused by his quirky personality, his stories of the interesting people he'd meet and the adventures he'd have, along with his goal to "wash dishes in all 50 states", just always amused me. The book was great fun throughout, full of little asides and historical tidbits. Jordan is an interesting man with a lot of strange and interesting hobbies like an obsession with bikes, or the idea that, well, washing dishes could be a career! He goes a few really unusual places like a marine tanker for work, and its pretty crazy to see te variety there can be in something you never think about lke dishwashing.

Overall just a really fun read.

Jordan has done another book, "In the City of Bikes" that follows his life after he moved to Amsterdam, and his dishwashing adventures were over, but that book is much more about the history of the city than his further adventures.

United States on Jun 18, 2016

Kevin Dale Lee: Notable things about this book: he did not decide he wanted to write and then do something to write about. He decided to write about what he was doing. Another thing: when I searched for information on touring (by bike) and working my way across country I was surprised to find few sources or stories that put the two together. If I search "dishwash" as an active verb and "America" I get things like about how easy it is to get a job as a dishwasher.

Amazing he stayed with friends so much. No tents. I'm not sure that's workable for me. But to develop an art of quitting, which he does, is impressive on paper. Most people suffer too much. This guy seems to suffer appropriately. Read this book for quitting points.

United States on May 20, 2009

Jay: I was a big fan of Dishwasher zine, constantly bothering the employees at Quimby's in Chicago to ask when they'd have the next issue. Dishwasher was a zine about so much more than washing dishes. It was about freedom, community, the DIY ethos, and humanity. The stories were always entertaining, thought out, and well written.

I was bummed when Pete stopped publishing Dishwasher, but elated when I found out about this book. It's essentially a memoir, and it has many of the same stories that he told in the zine. (I haven't dug up my back issues to check, but at least a couple of the stories seem to be word-for-word re-tellings of stories that appeared in the zine. This is testament to what a great writer and self-editor Pete has always been.) Here, the stories are pulled together and told within the context of a single tale, that of a man trying to find his place in the world. But it's really not as corny as I'm making it sound, sorry.

Anyway, great book.

United States on Jun 08, 2007