REVIEWS 

“It’s easy to think of the 1990s as a fat and insignificant decade, but in the handwritten, photocopied pages of a zine called Dishwasher was a world every bit as vivid and passionate and strange as that of ‘50s beats or ‘70s punks -- the world of nomadic pearl diving (aka suds busting) as described by the heroic Pete Jordan. This is a story of youth (desperate to avoid experience), of work, and of the mad vastness of America, as compelling to my mind as Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. ”
   —  Sean Wilsey, author of Oh the Glory of It All

“Very, very entertaining…fascinating.”
   —  David Letterman

“It’s well-written and funny and evocative.”
   —  Ira Glass (on Dishwasher zine)

“Dishwasher is an instant American classic. It should be required reading for every high school student in the nation, paired with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Few people are audacious enough to lead a memoir-worthy life. Even fewer people are talented enough to write said memoir. By the grace of the literary gods, Pete Jordan is both.”
   —  San Francisco Bay Guardian

“Jordan…serves up one of the most entertaining memoirs to appear in quite a while...The book’s exploration of the dishwashing subculture is fascinating…and the author...is an engaging and lighthearted storyteller.”
   —  Booklist (starred review)

“Exceedingly well-written and explores an American subculture...with real tact and feeling and humor.”
   —  Dwight Garner, senior editor of New York Times Book Review

“Highly entertaining.”
   —  Oregonian (Portland)

“[An] enjoyable manifesto celebrating rootless irresponsibility, with rueful acknowledgment of the pitfalls therein.”
   —  Kirkus Reviews

“Probably in spite of, and not courtesy of, its irresponsible narrator, Dishwasher is almost compulsively readable.”
   —  Pamela Paul, New York Times Book Review

“[Jordan] is...the definition of an individual. If you liked reading the zine (and who wouldn’t?) you’ll be glad you picked up a copy of the book. And to those who haven’t heard of Dishwasher Pete, it’s about time you meet him… An honest and fun account of a strange period in the life of a living oxymoron: a hard-working slacker.”
   —  Bookslut

“Dishwasher Pete has finally written a memoir. If you’re already a fan of his work, you really need read no further. Go…buy the book. It’s great. You’ll love it…Mostly, Dishwasher is the story of 10 fascinating years in the life of a man obsessed – what more could you ask for in an autobiography?”
   —  Willamette Week

“Jordan’s new book, Dishwasher, is not just a celebration of his triumph, and it’s not just a collection of zine excerpts. It’s the back story, the long shot, and the companion to his other writings, and it’s just as funny, just as proudly lazy, and just as inspiring as those photocopied pamphlets so many of us hoard.”
   —  SF Weekly

“There’s something incredibly seductive about Jordan’s ability to simply saunter into a town, pop his head into a few restaurants, and have a job within hours... Sprinkled with fascinating dish-washing history…Dishwasher’s appeal is in Jordan’s triumph, proving that following your heart – even into a sink full of scalding water – isn’t such a bad idea.”
   —  Penthouse

“Full of colorful characters and kitchen antics, the book will have you drawing stares on the bus as you laugh out loud.”
   —  Associated Press 

“Rollicking.”
   —  Portland Mercury

“[An] amusing memoir.”
   —  People (3 1/2 out of 4 stars)

“A humorous page-turner.”
   —  Playboy.com

“A charming read.”
   —  Amsterdam Times

“A slacker’s idyll.”
   —  New York Times

“A good story, well told...ironic...worth reading.”
   —  San Francisco Chronicle

“A (casual) rallying cry for those disinclined toward the nine-to-five.”
   —  Chicago Reader

“Twainishly irreverent.”
   —  East Bay Express

“This memoir has it all -- humor, insight, pathos, adventure, travel and piles of dirty dishes.”
   —  Sacramento Bee

“Jordan takes readers to the heart of the kitchen, a place known as the dish pit.”
   —  Michele Norris, All Things Considered

“Jordan has an eye for devastating detail, but he wraps what he sees in humor. No matter how grim his situation, the reader senses he couldn’t wait to write it down, check the place off his map and keep going.”
   —  Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“An astute observer of human behavior, [Jordan] snarkily recounts how kitchen condescension is omnipresent at summer camps, casinos, fast food joints, fish canneries and college cafeterias.”
   —  Boston Herald

“What’s best about the book, however, is that despite Mr. Jordan’s hardened exterior as a tough-guy slacker, he approaches his experiences with a delicate sensitivity toward the people he meets along the way.”
   —  New York Sun

“It’s true that everyone has a story; some people’s are just more interesting than others. Such is the case with Pete Jordan.”
   —  Chicagoist

“A collection of engaging vignettes, sometimes insightful but always entertaining… And the stories are well worth reading.”
   —  Hawaii Island Journal

“A fun graduation gift for your favorite smart aleck.”
   —  Charlotte Observer

“The writing is lucid and earnest, and Jordan’s passion for dishwashing and, even more so, for blowing-in-the-wind traveling, is infectious. As his quest extends from one year to the next, and he questions the worthiness of his goal to ‘bust suds’ in all 50 states, he demonstrates an ability to convey his deepest fears without losing the upbeat, fun tone that pervades the entire memoir.”
   —  Publishers Weekly

“Warmly recommended.”
   —  Library Journal