Losing My Virginity [Hardcover]

Richard Branson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 27, 2002

On its first publication, Richard Branson's bestselling autobiography was hailed as 'compelling' by the Sunday Times, and 'candid and humorous' by the Times. Now in this newly revised edition. Richard Branson adds to that amazing memoir, bringing both his - and Virgin's - story up to date. From the highs and lows of both his personal as well as business life, Richard Branson bares his soul.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Compelling' Sunday Times 'Candid and humorous' The Times 'Branson has a list of achievements unmatched by any other U.K businessman. For anyone burning with entrepreneurial zeal, his reminiscences are akin to a sacred text'. The Mail on Sunday (June 1999) '...a remarkable story of business success against the financial odds, against all precepts of conventional management...Having defied everyone who has ever predicted his downfall and having created one of the world's most admired brand names, Branson is entitled to tell it all...' Martin Van der Weyer, Evening Standard 'Richard Branson is an incredible man, and this is an incredible autobiography... a great read - sex, balloons, intrigue and money' Frank Kane in Sunday Business 'Branson bares his soul - and everything else - in a non-fiction blockbuster...a must read' Business Age

From the Inside Flap

"Oh, screw it, let's do it."

That's the philosophy that has allowed Richard Branson, in slightly more than twenty-five years, to spawn so many successful ventures. From the airline business (Virgin Atlantic Airways), to music (Virgin Records and V2), to cola (Virgin Cola), to retail (Virgin Megastores), and nearly a hundred others, ranging from financial services to bridal wear, Branson has a track record second to none.

Losing My Virginity is the unusual, frequently outrageous autobiography of one of the great business geniuses of our time. When Richard Branson started his first business, he and his friends decided that "since we're complete virgins at business, let's call it just that: Virgin." Since then, 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.

Many of Richard Branson's companies--airlines, retailing, and cola are good examples--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.
And in this stressed-out, overworked age, Richard Branson gives us a new model: a dynamic, hardworking, successful entrepreneur who lives life to the fullest. Family, friends, fun, and adventure are equally important as business in Branson's life. Losing My Virginity is a portrait of a productive, sane, balanced life, filled with rich and colorful stories:

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

Selling Virgin Records to save Virgin Atlantic

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.

Also available in the UK from Virgin Publishing, and in Canada from General Publishing, --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 672 pages
• Publisher: Virgin Paperbacks; Revised edition (June 27, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1740511832
• ISBN-13: 978-1740511834
• ASIN: 0753506483
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,852,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars truly inspirational, August 12, 2005

By 

high aadmi (india) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Losing My Virginity (Hardcover)

Warning: Don't get carried away by the title of this book, it is purely metaphoric.

When you are handed a 600 page autobiography of an entrepreneur, at first, you may wonder whether such a piece is worth even leafing through. Who has the time to read stuff like this?

LOSING MY VIRGINITY is an extraordinary book written by an extraordinary man, Richard Branson. One may actually have some reservations about reading about a not exactly well-known business magnate (I am talking about India, of course). But rest assured, once you read through the author's bio and the very impressive blurbs, you will realize that it is far from a conventional (boring, if you like) memoir.

Branson is one of a rare breed, a paragon of British entrepreneurship, and a genius who has revolutionized British culture and lifestyles. Throughout this book, one can find a real humility in Branson's narrative of himself and his experiences. Like most contemporary memoirists, Branson uses the confessional mode of writing, which has allowed him to do things that a conventional novel will not. Branson's style of writing is so good-humored and his perceptions so remarkable that this book is worth a read even if you don't have the slightest interest in business. As one critic wrote about this book - Heavy but impossible to put down.

The book is written in a chronological fashion, and the chapters have rather stimulating titles. The chapters are actual chunks taken from Branson's life, and provide a rich visual and verbal experience to the reader. Some 130 photographs (both color and black & white) are there, and they complement the narrative beautifully.

It is fast paced, and has an honesty which is a little trivial at times. Branson reveals much about himself. Towards the middle, he gives a passionate account of his devotion towards music. His other great passion, adventure (some of which have been near-death experiences), is also dealt with in detail. Branson's love for ballooning, which he calls the most exhilarating of all sports, got him an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records, a real tribute to his daredevilry.

Branson's tale is novel, and is filled with instances of courage, the courage to break away from tradition. At age 16, Branson started a student's magazine and then ventured into music, which was a big hit. Richard Branson recounts this as a sad moment in his life when he had to sell Virgin Records to Thorn EMI in order to keep a floundering Virgin Atlantic Airways afloat. Today, apart from Virgin Atlantic, the Virgin Group owns Virgin Cola, Virgin Vie, Virgin Brides, Virgin Mega-stores and many more such ventures, which cater to everything any person would want in his daily life. Now, after conquering the world, he wants to fly you to space.

I would hate to spoil the read for you, so suffice it to say that LOSING MY VIRGINITY is a real, inspirational story that can only be told by the man himself. Such is the popularity of this book that it has become a byword for 'What they don't teach you at Business Schools'. From another perspective, it is a comic recollection of life's ups and downs juxtaposed with anecdotes about rock stars, politicians, friends and foes.

One finds no moral story in the end, no grandfatherly advice to the young blood. Instead, one is left with a deep feeling of admiration and a constant mulling over his adventures. If you ever want to know how much a single guy can achieve with "talent, initiative and good ideas", read this book. It comes as close to providing the real experience as any book can, and for this reason alone it should be coveted.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amusing, Inspiring, Educational and a Great Read!, September 13, 2003

By 

James N Simpson (Gold Coast, QLD Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Losing My Virginity (Paperback)

This is a sensational book. Most autobiographies are boring and so full of only positive stuff about the person that you just know you are not getting the full picture. In this book Branson openly admits mistakes and bad business decisions. He gives credit to others acknowledging Virgin's success would not have happened without them. He also included instances when he has been brought back down to earth for example when two tourists asked for a picture he thought that he was being nice and started posing for them until he saw their confused faces and realised they wanted him to take a picture of them.

This book tells the reader everything about the Virgin empire from the first issue of Student magazine in 1968 to approval for their trains thirty years later in 1998. Obviously a lot more has happened since 98 such as Virginblue in Australia but we will have to wait for the sequel for that. This is a brilliant book which is as enjoyable as the great financial fictional thrillers like Harry Bingham's the Money Makers and Maxx Barry's Syrup. This is so mush more inspiring when you realise Branson is not a fictional character and these achievements are real. This book will inspire you to get out there and make money. Buy it!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The European dream!!!, March 24, 2005

By 

Pranav Chandrasekhar (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Losing My Virginity (Hardcover)

"Losing my virginity" is an entertaining page-turner all the way from the beginning to the end. It is fascinating to read about what a mildly dyslexic man with no college education could create for himself.

Richard Branson is a man with a zest for life and all its challenges. Fun lies at the core of everything he does. The best part is he makes money doing what he does. His social circle includes a wide variety of people that include his small-town neighbours, Peter Gabriel, Queen Noor and Rod Stewart. The book includes the birth of Virgin records, Branson's daredevil ballooning adventures, his legal battle with British Airways, and experiences that I truly wish were personal experiences.

It will leave you hooked all the way until the end. Every guy that reads this will wish that this is the life he could lead - definitely the European dream.