A MEAT SMOKING MANIFESTO

I love everything about Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay. I initially got this book for my daughter, who is an amateur smoker always looking to improve. However, once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I didn't get halfway through the book before wanting to run to the store to get a quality brisket and make my own smoker.
The first chapter of this book is dedicated to how Franklin took his interest in smoking meat from a hobby to a food truck to the successful lunch-only restaurant he runs today. I was really interested in the back story and appreciated his insight into starting a business and following your passion.
Chapters 2, 3 & 4 are The Smoker, Wood, and Fire + Smoke. The Smoker covers everything from how to choose your smoker to building your own. In Wood, Franklin discusses how to find the best wood to use in your smoker and how to find a good source for it. Fire + Smoke is devoted to building a fire and creating that magical smoke that will take your meat from good to great. This may sound boring, between the style of writing and the details, I found all of it fascinating.
Chapters 5, 6 & 7 are Meat, The Cook, and Serving + Eating. Meat is an incredibly interesting chapter on how to choose good meat and some of the "behind the scenes" from Francklin's restaurant. I went to the store armed with all sorts of things to look for in order to find meat that would be worthy of the time it took to smoke it. The Cook prepares you for smoking your meat and includes a few recipes. At first, I was a bit disappointed at the vagueness of Francklin's recipes. However, he encourages the home smoker to start smoking and develop their own tastes and recipes and I see the value of his words.