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Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs Hardcover – May 23, 2023

by Jamie Loftus (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 231 ratings
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A NEW YORK TIMES AND INDIE BESTSELLER!

Part travelogue, part culinary history, all capitalist critique―comedian Jamie Loftus's debut, Raw Dog, will take you on a cross-country road trip in the summer of 2021, and reveal what the creation, culture, and class influence of hot dogs says about America now.

A Best Book of the Year from NPR and Vulture. Featured in: NPR Weekend Edition • Bon Appétit • Oprah Daily • Glamour • NY Mag • Splendid Table • The Wall Street Journal • Eater • Betches • USA Today • Boston Globe • Eater • Slate • The Next Big Idea Club • Buzzfeed and more

“Wise and funny” ―ANDY RICHTER • “Revealing, funny, sad, horny, and insatiably curious” ―SARAH MARSHALL • “A wild ride” ―ROBERT EVANS • “Deeply incisive and hilariously honest” ―JACK O’BRIEN • “Gonzo yet vulnerable” ―GABE DUNN • “Hot dog Moby-Dick” ―BRANSON REESE • “One of the freshest and most insightful new comedic voices of this decade.” ―LINDSAY ELLIS

Hot dogs. Poor people created them. Rich people found a way to charge fifteen dollars for them. They’re high culture, they’re low culture, they’re sports food, they’re kids' food, they’re hangover food, and they’re deeply American, despite having no basis whatsoever in America's Indigenous traditions. You can love them, you can hate them, but you can’t avoid the great American hot dog.

Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs is part investigation into the cultural and culinary significance of hot dogs and part travelog documenting a cross-country road trip researching them as they’re served today. From avocado and spice in the West to ass-shattering chili in the East to an entire salad on a slice of meat in Chicago, Loftus, her pets, and her ex eat their way across the country during the strange summer of 2021. It’s a brief window into the year between waves of a plague that the American government has the resources to temper, but not the interest.

So grab a dog, lay out your picnic blanket, and dig into the delicious and inevitable product of centuries of violence, poverty, and ambition, now rolling around at your local 7-Eleven.

The hardcover edition of Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs includes gorgeous endpapers, an illustrated case, as well as illustrations by the author throughout.

"Raw Dog will leave you nourished." ―BuzzFeed

"You will certainly never read a funnier book about taking a hot dog-themed road trip across America." ―Glamour

"A journey both silly and profound." ―Vulture, Best Books of 2023

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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Forge Books
  4. Publication date
    May 23, 2023
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 1.1 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1250847745
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1250847744
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

Raw Dog Jamie Loftus

Raw Dog Jamie Loftus Lindsay Ellis quote

Raw Dog Jamie Loftus

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Part gonzo travelogue in which Loftus and a boyfriend spend the summer of 2021 traversing the country to sample its dogs; part cultural analysis of the tube meat as American icon; part takedown of the factory farming system; part memoir about a crumbling relationship straining under the weight of cheap motel rooms and indigestion” ―New York Times

"A wonderfully weird and wild mashup of history, social commentary, personal revelation and food journalism." ―BookPage

"Laugh a minute." ―Kirkus Review

"You will never read a funnier book about taking a hot-dog-themed road trip across America than Raw Dog." ―Glamour (Best of 2023)

"Somewhere between a send-up and a takedown of America’s favorite sausage." ―Bon Appétit

"Equal parts meat-processing indictment, travelogue, hot dog history, and odd facts, this book is irreverent, hilarious, entertaining, honest, and, at times, gross. Will fascinate readers interested in hot dogs, road trips, and regional recipes." ―Library Journal

"Raw Dog will leave you nourished." ―BuzzFeed

“Jamie Loftus is a wise and funny storyteller, and her enthusiasm is inspiring. There’s so much about hot dogs that you need to know, and Jamie is here to teach you!” ―ANDY RICHTER, actor and writer

“A moving, gorgeously written and lovingly researched dive into the world of hot dogs, American nationalism, in-group scandal, and delicate human relationships. This gonzo yet vulnerable trek is meaty, fun, critical, and evocative all at once. Jamie Loftus is the hot dog generation's Joan Didion.” ―GABE DUNN, New York Times bestselling coauthor of I Hate Everyone But You

“Jamie deftly interweaves the absurdity of the ubiquitous hot dog with the chaos of an American culture trying to suss out its post(?)-pandemic identity. Her eye for detail, sly wit, and whip-smart way with words makes her one of the freshest and most insightful new comedic voices of this decade.” ―LINDSAY ELLIS, New York Times bestselling author of Axiom’s End

“Who but Jamie Loftus could’ve given us the hot dog Moby-Dick? This book is like getting shot in the chest and waking up three hours later, stronger and wiser.” ―BRANSON REESE, New York Times medium selling author of Hell Was Full, creator of FX’s Swan Boy

“Raw Dog is a wild ride. I cannot prepare you for it, and I wouldn’t want to. Enjoy the surprise.” ―ROBERT EVANS, host of the podcast Behind the Bastards

“Jamie Loftus is the best travel companion a reader could ask for, and in Raw Dog she takes us on a revealing, funny, sad, horny, and insatiably curious journey across America, and into the truth of what it means to be human.” ―SARAH MARSHALL, host of the podcast You’re Wrong About

“Jamie Loftus is the most deeply incisive and hilariously honest artist in podcasting, and her singular comedic voice rings as crystal clear on page as it does on mic. With Raw Dog, she continues to find the subject you didn’t know you wanted to spend hours learning about, and leave you wanting more. Loftus writes with the laugh-a-minute cadence of a Fey, the twisting, somersaulting vitality of a young Eggers.” ―JACK O’BRIEN, cofounder of Cracked.com and head of comedy at iHeartPodcast Network

“Growing up, I never thought I would want to read an entire book about hot dogs. But that was before Jamie Loftus decided to write one.” ―ALLISON RASKIN, New York Times bestselling author of Overthinking About You: Navigating Romantic Relationships When You Have Anxiety, OCD and/or Depression

Praise for Jamie Loftus:

"One of the most interesting voices in podcasting . . . It is Loftus’s probing curiosity that is her greatest asset." ―The New Yorker

"Unexpectedly gripping explorations of niche subjects, infused with her biting comedic delivery." ―The New York Times

“Thoroughly entertaining.” ―Vulture

“Diving headfirst into a minefield of impossible yet crucial questions.” ―Mashable

About the Author

JAMIE LOFTUS is a comedian, Emmy-nominated TV writer, and podcaster. She’s worked as a staff writer on Teenage Euthanasia, Robot Chicken, and Star Trek: Lower Decks, and wrote and starred in her own web series for Comedy Central. She writes and hosts popular limited-run podcasts―“My Year In Mensa” (2019), “Lolita Podcast” (2020), “Aack Cast” (2021), and “Ghost Church” (2022)―and cohosts, with screenwriter Caitlin Durante, a podcast on the How Stuff Works Network called “the Bechdel Cast.” She has her baby teeth bronzed and loaded into a slingshot.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Forge Books (May 23, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1250847745
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250847744
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1.1 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 231 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
231 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Travis K
5.0 out of 5 stars Come for the hot dogs, stay for the extras
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2023
Verified Purchase
Aside from the world’s most comprehensive Google Maps list of hot dog joints across the US, this book has given me more entertaining anecdotes, informative mini-podcasts, and opinions on hot dogs (I no longer use ketchup) than I ever thought it would. Jamie Loftus is an incredible writer who takes you on a WILD ride throughout all of America, and I think wrapping up a part-memoir, part-social-commentary, part-drama in a book about a hot dog is brilliant. My one note is that she should’ve mentioned Rudy’s in Times Square ☺️.
3 people found this helpful
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Stormsdream
4.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing and Melancholy
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2023
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Wonderfully engrossing, fascinating, and incredibly melancholy. While very entertaining and funny, it was sad . . . very, sweetly sad, but very much worth reading
One person found this helpful
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Daniel A
5.0 out of 5 stars Hot dog, what a fantastic book!
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2023
Verified Purchase
Raw Dog: The Naked Truth about Hot Dogs by Jamie Lotus is a book about…well, hot dogs, but it’s so much more than that a story of a woman traveling the country looking for the best wiener with the best snap and the most compelling story with which to wash it down. There is so much to her meaty trip across America during 2021 in what she’s dubbed “Hot Dog Summer”. There are stories within the story, placed between the pages like a sultry tube of mystery meat (which won’t be such a mystery if you read this book!). You don’t only find out the history of the hot dog and the restaurants, stands, and carts that sell them. There’s more to Raw Dog. Jamie’s life is laid out on the pages. She bares all: A relationship on the rocks as well as on the road, the eye-opening and somewhat racist history of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Championship and the bastards behind it, a look into Loftus’s past and family life, and the origin of The Gender Pickles (you’re going to have to read it to find out more about them—it’s a pretty big dill).

I’ve been a fan of the author’s various podcasts for years, and I pre-ordered the hardcover version of the book the moment I found out about it. This book did not disappoint, bringing Loftus’s comedic self-deprecating style in full force against a backdrop of hot dog slingers, a tapestry of Americans burnt out on Covid protocol, and a stunningly real look of how America has changed in the light of…well, *gestures at everything*.

What else can I say? I relished reading this book so much it gave me indigestion. It’s as real as it gets, as in your face as it needs to be, and doesn’t hold back. This will change how you look at the hot dog (though I doubt it’ll stop me from eating them) and America in general. I may wind up listening to the audiobook in the future for that Jamie Loftus podcast-voice experience—I bet it comes off as a whole different adventure. So grab yourself a copy of this book, and hold the ketchup.
4 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars go ahead.
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
Rambling, shambolic, and desperately in need of a ruthless editor, Raw Dog is a journey in search of a destination that never quite seems to find its way. Screeds too unfocused to really hit are interspersed with in-jokes and confessional anecdotes so completely lacking in context that they read as more jarring than resonant. Nonetheless, there are some really great moments that do manage to spin garbage-pail chilli into pure, authentically, body-cavity-warm gold, as well as more than a few passages that are laugh out loud funny. It wasn’t quite all it could be, but I also don’t regret reading it one bit. I do regret to inform you, however, that I am now perpetually craving hot dogs, in spite of the chapter detailing how, exactly, the sausage is made. So. Watch out for that.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Raw dogged my heart
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2023
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Jamie Loftus is such an incredible writer. Her narrative voice comes through in print with many of the qualities that make her an amazing Podcaster. She is funny and playful and curious. But I’m writing she brings a vulnerability that made me see and admire her work in a new light.
One person found this helpful
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Sean C.
5.0 out of 5 stars Literally one of the best books I read 2023
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2024
Verified Purchase
I picked this book up because of the Behind the Bastards podcast. There was an episode where she went all in on hot dog eating and the world around it. And I realized that anyone that was that passionate about ANY subject was 100% worth a read on their book about it. One of the best reads of 2023 for me. AND.... me buying this for my friend has ended up with no lack of comedy as she keeps forgetting it at work and asking the managers to hide Raw Dog for her in the office. LOVE IT.
One person found this helpful
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Julie
4.0 out of 5 stars Quick read
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2023
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Funny and good info if you have the opportunity to go to the places she went
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Scott K.
5.0 out of 5 stars Hot diggity dog.
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
This book is fun. I love the author’s podcasts and her work stays entertaining in this book. Maybe I learned too much about hot dogs? Is that possible? But beyond comedy, she provides interesting historical context to the mean industry.
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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars An easy read that's as smashable as a NY City hot dog
Reviewed in Australia on October 6, 2023
Verified Purchase
Have listened to many of the author's podcast offerings and enjoy both her comedy and the level of depth in which she researches a topic. This book could easily have been another podcast, but deserves to be a book given the amount of passion Jamie Loftus clearly has for hot dogs. The book is a delight to read.

Whilst there's plenty of history and "how the sausage is made" (pun intended), I would describe this more as a book about a woman who is obsessed with hot dogs than just a book about hot dogs.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars An easy read that's as smashable as a NY City hot dog
Reviewed in Australia on October 6, 2023
Have listened to many of the author's podcast offerings and enjoy both her comedy and the level of depth in which she researches a topic. This book could easily have been another podcast, but deserves to be a book given the amount of passion Jamie Loftus clearly has for hot dogs. The book is a delight to read.

Whilst there's plenty of history and "how the sausage is made" (pun intended), I would describe this more as a book about a woman who is obsessed with hot dogs than just a book about hot dogs.
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