04.25 2007

DISHWASHER: One Man’s Quest to Wash Dishes in All Fifty States

Most people would love to travel the country, work at unique places, see beautiful and renowned cities and landmarks, and preferably not spend a lot. But who has the money or the time? Pete Jordan had the time, didn’t have the money, but he made it happen—by washing dishes.

Pete Jordan, a college drop-out and self-proclaimed slacker who was always looking for free grub or a place to crash, had the desire to travel and explore. As a result, he became a man with a mission: to wash dishes in all 50 states. After chronicling some of his experiences in his self-published ’zine called Dishwasher, which erupted into a cult following of 10,000 subscribers, contributing numerous times to public radio’s This American Life, playing an infamous prank on David Letterman, and being approached by countless publishers, Pete finally decided to immortalize his outrageous 12-year journey through the kitchens of America’s food joints in the paperback original, DISHWASHER: One Man’s Quest to Wash Dishes in All Fifty States (Harper Perennial; May 1, 2007; $13.95).

After following a girl to Alaska where he took up a dishing job at a mess hall for fisherman, he realized dishwashing could quite possibly be the perfect job. Pete ended up losing the girl, but he had found his calling.

In DISHWASHER, “Dishwasher Pete” writes about the adventures he experienced on his crusade to wash dishes in every American state. He learned about a “three day soaker,” and the best places to ge