Losing my Virginity

When you are handed a 600 page autobiography of an entrepreneur, who you haven’t heard much about (I am talking about India) at first, you may wonder whether such a piece is worth even leafing through. Who has the time to read so much?

But not to worry! "Losing my virginity" is an entertaining page-turner from the beginning to the end. It is fascinating to read about what a dyslexic man with no college education could create for himself. He started with a loan from his parents and aunt of about 8000 pounds Now, apart from Virgin Atlantic, the Virgin Group owns Virgin Cola, Virgin Brides, Virgin trains, Virgin Money, Virgin Cinemas, Virgin Mega-stores and scores of other ventures. It’s crazy!!!! It has an honest approach to it, where Branson reveals much about himself. Branson's tale is novel, and is filled with instances of courage and it will also give you some great laughs!

The other thing I like about Branson is that he can identify that something is going wrong and there is a better way of doing things. He then simply goes ahead and does it. He makes it seem too simple. At age 16, Branson started a student's magazine and then ventured into music, which was a big hit. Apart from this, he swam several miles to safety during a violent storm, off the coast of Mexico. His near death experiences in the hot-air balloon are very gripping to read about. He signed Janet Jackson, the Rolling Stones, Mike Oldfield, and Phil Collins. A arranged a rescue flight into Baghdad before the start of the Gulf War (I never thought a corporate could get involved in all of this!) He had to sell Virgin Records, his baby – when it was at its height to save Virgin Atlantic. Tussle between British Airways and Virgin Atlantic was slightly stretched but Virgin Atlantic finally emerged victorious. This part will make you not want to fly British Airways again!

In the end there is no grandfatherly advice to the youth. Instead, I was left with a deep sense of admiration and a constant mulling over his adventures. It’s inspiring!