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Biography & Autobiography. Business. Nonfiction. Economics. HTML:The unusual, frequently outrageous autobiography of one of the great business geniuses of our time, Richard Branson. In little more than twenty-five years, Richard Branson spawned nearly a hundred successful ventures. From the airline business (Virgin Atlantic Airways), to music (Virgin Records and V2), to cola (Virgin Cola), and others ranging from financial services to bridal wear, Branson has a track record second to none. Many of his companies were started in the face of entrenched competition. The experts said, "Don't do it." But Branson found golden opportunities in markets in which customers have been ripped off or underserved, where confusion reigns, and the competition is complacent. In this stressed-out, overworked age, Richard Branson gives us a new model: a dynamic, hardworking, successful entrepreneur who lives life to the fullest. Branson has written his own "rules" for success, creating a group of companies with a global presence, but no central headquarters, no management hierarchy, and minimal bureaucracy. Family, friends, fun, and adventure are equally important as business in his life. Losing My Virginity is a portrait of a productive, sane, balanced life, filled with rich and colorful stories, including: - Crash-landing his hot-air balloon in the Algerian desert, yet remaining determined to have another go at being the first to circle the globe - Signing the Sex Pistols, Janet Jackson, the Rolling Stones, Boy George, and Phil Collins - Fighting back when British Airways took on Virgin Atlantic and successfully suing this pillar of the British business establishment - Swimming two miles to safety during a violent storm off the coast of Mexico - Staging a rescue flight into Baghdad before the start of the Gulf War And much more. Losing My Virginity is the ultimate tale of personal and business survival from a man who combines the business prowess of Bill Gates and the promotional instincts of P. T. Barnum.… (more)
User reviews
From this book I have learned so much more and have a true reason to respect and emulate his attitude. he would be my first choice of men to spend a day chatting.
This is a new classic in my personal library.
The part where I felt a bit put-off was where
Branson talks about his upbringing and how he decided to quit school at 16 to start a newspaper, which eventually branched out to trains,
The problem is that it is not very cohesive. Branson himself doesn't have a long attention span, and the book certainly shows it. The writing is very poor, and it mostly feels like dictation. The story bounces around, from paragraph to paragraph each introducing some new subject. There's little followthrough or organization, though Branson often doubles back on himself. Branson is very self centered and not very reflective, so some of the threads—for example, an excruciatingly detailed elaboration of his libel case against British Airways—are just boring.