Rating: 
Summary: A brilliantly light-hearted approach to serious business...
Review: 10 stars. Never have I met more people than I have recently when they've seen me reading this book in public places as I laugh and turn page after page eager to learn of Richard Branson's and Virgin's next (ad)venture...I have learned about the evolution of all of the Virgin companies from its predecessor as a student magazine to the music record and recording industry to Virgin Atlantic airlines and beyond. Richard Branson is inspirational in his approach to life and business: adventure, risk, commitment to overcome challenges, and most important -- fun and going with the intuition. Within this book lies the insight to the success factor for which most people spend thousands of dollars to try to attain... the beauty is that you are born with it -- you don't learn it in a classroom.
Rating:
Summary: A non-stop vestal read
Review: After reading the business autobiography of Richard Branson (Sir Richard Branson), 'Losing My Virginity', I've decided to tell of how riveted I was to the book. The CEO of Virgin has many things to say and for almost the entire book, I couldn't put it down (other than his extended musings on British Airways). From starting his first magazine called 'Student', then opening up the first Virgin store on Notting Hill, to buying an old castle to make into a recording studio, to losing his virginity to an asmatic girl. He has broken world records in hot-air balloons around the world. He gets the balloons up to an altitude of around 35k feet where the jet stream is and rides across the atlantic ocean reaching speeds of 240mph, or the pacific ocean and the way he recounts these trips is addictive to read and hard to put down. He's also broken ocean records by being the fastest man alive to boat the atlantic ocean averaging 45 knots (I think that's the speed). Branson's reality show on Fox starting November 9th at 7pm should be interesting since the contestants will compete over the CEO position of Virgin. I don't know if the position will be permanent or not. Branson's book is a very, very entertaining read and makes anybody want to go out and start their own business because he makes it sound just the opposite of business. One former airline CEO tells Richard that he needs to get a physical every year and have the doctor stick his finger 'up your bum, then he'll tell you what's what.' The man when on to say, 'just make sure to look back when his finger is up your bum and make sure that both his hands aren't on your shoulders.' Branson goes into detail about many of his relationships and what he thought about other people at the time and feels no shame, the book sounds as if the thoughts went straight from Sir Richard's steno-pad into publication. Richard Branson is now my new entrepreneurial hero. The book also explains the much asked question of why he decided to name his company something so innocent but epicureanly alluding.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, superb, exquisite...
Review: An amazingly fast paced narrative full of adrenaline pumping narratives of corporate rivalry and raw aggressive enterprunal instincts almost all of which came good at almost all the right times interspersed with crazy and ambitious life threatening balloon expeditions. The story of Richard Branson told by Richard Branson almost reads like a bestseller Michael Crichton novel and not an Autobiography. I really was not aware that the virgin group of companies has under it's flagship (can you believe this) 200 companies and all this created just by the positive energy and never say die attitude of a man whose mantra is "anything is worth a shot at least once". And he really applies this as Branson dabbled his fingers in almost anything and everything so that from the beginnings of a record company virgin music (which he later sold to EMI), he created Virgin Atlantic airways, virgin cars, virgin rails, virgin cola, virgin books, Virgin holidays, Virgin insurance, Virgin cinemas, Virgin wear and even - Virgin Bridal! There are a lot more Virgin companies, which need to total around 200 making up Virgin Group as a whole. I kept glancing at the cover and kept rechecking whether this was an autobiography or a piece of fiction. If some one had even written a novel, which scripted the whole Virgin story, I would have found the plot too unbelievably fairy tallish even if it inhabited a fictional world. Branson is as candid as he can be in this book. Although if he has left out anything, we will never know and don't have the right to know in any case. Also if he presents his viewpoint on the battle against British airways as a righteous crusade painting himself as a hero, he has every right to, as this is his autobiography. The most exciting parts of the book are the balloon expedition narratives and the most suspenseful is the narrative of the crusade against the 'dirty tricks' campaign by lord King of BA (This part is almost like a first rate novel, you'll forget you are reading an autobiography, full of intrigue, corporate skullduggery and potentially damaging but 'untrue and baseless' journalistic exposes planned by some papers against RB albeit with the supposed help of the BA dirty tricks wing.This is the best autobiography I have yet read. Most mainstream bestseller novels will seem dull in comparison to this action packed success story, which actually happened to a person. In fact I would love to read the other side of the story regarding BA and RB. Would be interesting to read a book on BA by someone from BA and how it compares to what RB has to say. After reading this book, I have stuck RB's poster to my cupboard which when I look at immediately inspires me to stay positive and to persist carrying on chugging away at achieving my goals and to laugh off the temporary setback and carry on.
Rating: 
Summary: Big Tales and Tall Success!
Review: Branson has had in incredible adventure. Just when you think there's no way he can do it, he does it. His writing is equally outlandish, a lot of details and flourish in his triumphs. But you have to give him credit, he is certainly one who thinks "outside the box" and does it extremely well. Reading the book just for this insight is worth it. Also what's heartening is that both his family life and business life thrills him. He shows the importance of family amidst the success. Reading him gives one hope for the impossible.
Rating:
Summary: I highly recommend !!!!
Review: I have never seen an autobiography other than "Losing my Virginity" that I couldn't stop myself from reading on and on. It is like a Sidney Sheldon novel. You can't stop yourself from moving on to next chapter as soon as you done with the earlier chapter. Richard Branson has lived an extraordinary life full of adventure, sex, and fun. And he doesn't mind talking about it. Richard Branson is an outstanding entrepreneur -- what an inspiration!
Rating: 
Summary: Some Teaching Points but lacking depth....
Review: I have to agree with several other readers. Sir Branson articulates himself to be a born entrepreneur, risk-taker (sometimes calculated, other times not), iconoclastic and, perhaps subtlely, family-centered.
Unfortunately, his vivid descriptions of his variegated love life and only tangential discussion of his personal life philosophy and philanthropic work, leaves one saying "He's an exciting, flamboyant character; but not someone who will be remembered in the manner of a Carnegie or Rockefeller".
Whenever I read and review biographies, I try to encapsulate key takeaways--relevant teaching points--for future benefit. I present them below in the hope that they might be beneficial to someone:
-A tight knit social circle of family and friends is critical; the wealthier and more successful one becomes, the tighter and more important this circle should be
-JVs (Joint Ventures) can be a valuable way of expeditiously creating new business lines in an unfamiliar industry or environment
-European banks are far more conservative/less risk-taking than American ones (rather well known)
-Sub-units managed as individual corporate entities are an effective way of hedging risk and building employee buy-in
-Put employees first (vs. shareholders) and profits to owners/shareholders will dutifully follow
Overall, I am pleased that I read this book because I enjoy Virgin's services (particularly Virgin Airways). Branson's adeptness at branding is unquestionable. However, I came away with the feeling one often has after completing a meal at a much hyped restaurant yet not having had one's appetite pleasurably satisfied.
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational - but cautionary
Review: If you intend to be self-employed and have big ambitions about it, then this book will definitely prove to you that what one man can do another can do. Richard Branson details how he was achieved what many people in society believe to be impossible: Improved his position on life and reached the top by working hard and by having a good instinct for what the people want based on his down-to-earth way of life. On the other hand the story also reads, in places, like the story of a gambler who happened to get lucky, reminding me of something my father said about gambling on horses and how you only hear about the people who win. There were a lot of incidents, in both business and in the ballooning expeditions, where he has survived by the slimmest of margins of luck. On the other hand, parts like the postal strike almost wiping out his mail-order business and forcing him to start up the lucrative high-street retailing business show that he has an uncanny ability to turn a bad situation to his advantage.
On the technical side I will criticise the editing of this book. It reads a little bit disjointed. For example he goes into great depth about the early days of the Virgin record label for a chapter, and then in the next chapter he digresses to a record-breaking attempt. Then in the next chapter he tells us that he was 'attempting to start a record label' as if this was the first time he had mentioned it in the book.
But this did not detract from the enjoyment of this incredible story of an incredible man and who's exploits get more and more audacious. I look forward to reading the updated version when he gets around to chronicling his experiences with Virgin Rail and Virgin Galactic!
Rating:
Summary: Awe inspiring; minus the Epilogue.
Review: The book is brilliant, inspiring yada yada yada. I read the latest edition of this book which included a few pages of pictures at each quarter of the book. The pictures were an essential part of Branson's story as each event, as unbelievable as they sounded, was then driven home by the stunning reality portrayed in the pictures. My only criticism of the book is that after the last chapter Branson has included an Epilogue that spanned the years from around 1997 through to around 2003. I found this addition to the book poorly written and a half hearted attempt from Branson. The events were repetitive and particularly boring. By this stage I found myself completely "Virgined OUT." If I was to read another word about another Virgin anything, I think I would have screamed! It was delightful to hear about a company growing from nothing into something great. Unfortunately after the Epilogue, I am left with the taste in my mouth that Virgin has become what Branson fought so hard to defeat.
Rating:
Summary: Forthright ambition in the flesh
Review: This book provides insight into why some people rise above the crowd to succeed. Richard Branson's voracious appetite for life is on display here. Great financial success here was not the result of a great intellect, but great charisma, curiosity, and drive. Branson's creed is keep it simple, and it's not what you know, but who you know: contacts, networking. Branson makes much of how busy he is, but I don't believe he's that much busier than any professional person, where 12-16 hour workdays are the norm. His rewards (and risks) have just been much greater than the average guys. Despite the apparent youthful greed that got him arrested for tax evasion, and that almost got him to sue John Lennon for breach of contract after the death of Lennon's unborn child, Branson comes across as deserving as anyone of his financial success. He's aware "success" is an illusion, and is willing to lose it all, his family, his wealth, in an agnostic balloon crash. The ballooning extracts in the book were the most exciting, though the financial juggling to keep the various Virgins afloat as overdrafts were about to be withdrawn was entertaining reading. Hooray for Branson's wealth and interesting life, but Virgin Cola like Coca Cola doesn't do much for the vast mass of humanity out here in the third world. There's no big answers here though, why some do so well, and why the mass of humanity in the third world, even if they are as honestly ambitous as Branson, suffer. Not a boring read. Branson is refreshingly forthright.
Rating:
Summary: Absolute page turner!
Review: This is a great book! I read an excerpt while in London and got it as soon as it was available here. I read it in 4 days, which is quite rapid for me. Richard Branson has lived an incredible life, and he details the successes and failures in his business career and his personal endeavors. I think this book is highly entertaining and very useful to people interested in bettering themselves. Branson's business philosophy is described through the work which opened my eyes to a number of possibilites. I only wish there was a volume two available that I could look forward to reading.
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