Losing My Virginity：How I Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way

"Oh,screwit,let'sdoit."That'sthephilosophythathasallowedRichardBranson,inslightlymorethantwenty-fiveyears,tospawnsomanysuccessfulventures.Fromtheairlinebusiness(VirginAtlanticAirways),tomusic(VirginRecordsandV2),tocola(VirginCola),toretail(VirginMegastores),andnearlyahundredothers,rangingfromfinancialservicestobridalwear,Bransonhasatrackrecordsecondtonone.LosingMyVirginityistheunusual,frequentlyoutrageousautobiographyofoneofthegreatbusinessgeniusesofourtime.WhenRichardBransonstartedhisfirstbusiness,heandhisfriendsdecidedthat"sincewe'recompletevirginsatbusiness,let'scallitjustthat:Virgin."Sincethen,Bransonhaswrittenhisown"rules"forsuccess,creatingagroupofcompanieswithaglobalpresence,butnocentralheadquarters,nomanagementhierarchy,andminimalbureaucracy.ManyofRichardBranson'scompanies--airlines,retailing,andcolaaregoodexamples--werestartedinthefaceofentrenchedcompetition.Theexpertssaid,"Don'tdoit."ButBransonfoundgoldenopportunitiesinmarketsinwhichcustomershavebeenrippedofforunderserved,whereconfusionreigns,andthecompetitioniscomplacent.Andinthisstressed-out,overworkedage,RichardBransongivesusanewmodel:adynamic,hardworking,successfulentrepreneurwholiveslifetothefullest.Family,friends,fun,andadventureareequallyimportantasbusinessinBranson'slife.LosingMyVirginityisaportraitofaproductive,sane,balancedlife,filledwithrichandcolorfulstories:Crash-landinghishot-airballoonintheAlgeriandesert,yetremainingdeterminedtohaveanothergoatbeingthefirsttocircletheglobeSigningtheSexPistols,JanetJackson,theRollingStones,BoyGeorge,andPhilCollinsFightingbackwhenBritishAirwaystookonVirginAtlanticandsuccessfullysuingthispillaroftheBritishbusinessestablishmentSwimmingtwomilestosafetyduringaviolentstormoffthecoastofMexicoSellingVirginRecordstosaveVirginAtlanticStagingarescueflightintoBaghdadbeforethestartoftheGulfWar...Andmuchmore.LosingMyVirginityistheultimatetaleofpersonalandbusinesssurvivalfromamanwhocombinesthebusinessprowessofBillGatesandthepromotionalinstinctsofP.T.Barnum.AlsoavailableintheUKfromVirginPublishing,andinCanadafromGeneralPublishing,--FromtheHardcoveredition.