Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson

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Review of "Losing my Virginity" by Richard Branson

Book title: Losing My Virginity

Author: Richard Branson

Place of publication: Rainville Road, London, England

Publisher: Virgin Books; Rev Ed edition

Year of publication: June 27th 2002.

Number of pages: 672

ISBN-10: 0753506483

ISBN-13: 978-0753506486

Synopsis:

Richard Branson takes the reader on the adventure; which is his life. The author openly discusses his family, friends, sexual escapades, life threatening attempts to fly around the world in a hot air balloon; he also covers his many business endeavors ranging from Virgin Records to Virgin Galactic. Richard Branson offers us an insight into his own unique business philosophy which most of the time contradicts the stuffy nature of traditional business academia.

Background of the Author:

Richard Branson was born in 1950 and educated at Stowe School. In 1966 he borrowed just £4 off his encouraging mother to start up what was to be his first business venture ‘student magazine'. In 1992 Richard reluctantly sold the Virgin Music group to Thorn EMI in a record $1 billion dollar deal. This huge cash flow allowed Branson to embark on many new business ventures such as Virgin Mobile, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Money, Virgin Hotels, and expand old ongoing ventures such as Virgin Atlantic. The Virgin group employs over 50,000 employee's world wide and is a widely recognized and respected brand all over the world.

In 1999 the Queen awarded Richard Branson with a knighthood for his ‘services to entrepreneurship'. Married twice and proud father to a musician son and pediatric doctor daughter, Branson alternates his time between his homes in London and Oxfordshire. Special occasions and holidays are spent among...

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...just interested in finding out more about this inspirational man. Although the book is a chunky 672 pages, it's a real page turner, a book you will be reluctant to put down.

Conclusion:

Richard Branson's autobiography makes for an exciting, riveting and inspirational read. Branson comically but fondly recollects his past business ventures, love affairs, youth, family, death defying adventures and many famous and influential friends. This is a book that I recommend to all students of business, Branson is eager to teach the reader "the business rules they don't teach you in business school". Refreshingly Branson does not try to force his views on any subject upon the reader, nor does he claim to offer advice or disclose any hidden secrets of success. His informal, rewarding and caring management style is one that I feel should be emulated by more business people.

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