Inspiring books

[The-Crow]

Richard Branson

A few years ago I used to fly with a Hot Air balloon pilot called Dave Fish who flew commercial flights for Virgin from Willen Lake in Milton Keynes.

He told the story that if Richard Branson wanted to come on a flight in his balloon, he would always take his jack russell dog along .

I asked Dave why and he said his dog would keep Richard busy feeding and playing with him.

He had also trained the dog to bite Richard if he tried to fly the balloon, lol

[The-Crow]

A good read is "As the Crow flies " Jeffery Archer

Also try  http://www.crowbooks.com/

[rex008]

I read Victoria Coren's latest one recently (can't remember the name). Most excellent, I thought.

[cdw1111]

Ranulph Fiennes,
 Eton,Guards regiment,SAS,walk somewhwere cold,go hot places,up Everest,heart attack,run all over the place=stone cold nutter

[Bongo]

Alan Sugar's book seems oddly inspirational

[Dingdell]

Any of The Dean's books.

This needs more love imo. ;-)

[Nakor]

The following are fascinating, but not necessarily inspiring biographies:

Any Elvis Bio - the man was a nutter, made Wacko Jacko seem normal.
Mick Foley - he may be a dumb wrestler but it was really one of the most well articulated books Ive ever read
The Dirt - the Motley Crue bio, one of the most brutally honest rise & fall books ever about the most decadent band in rock
Jackie Chan - has had a pretty fucked up life
Amarillo Slims in a World Full of Fat People - great read, shame he is a paedo

Yet to read it, but I hear great things about Tony Cascarinos book

Foleys book is top class - well the first one, also try Nikki Sixx's Herion Diaries - such a novel book, a year in the life diary and all the main cast commenting on passages some years later, is a scary insight into the life of a "Star" and such a novel presentation of a book.

Steve Claridge's autobiography still has to be up there as one of the best football books written.

White Line Fever - Lemmys autobiog is fantastic as is Neville Staples insight into life in the 60's and 70's as a first generation immigrant leading to the Specials.  For me Adam Ants autobiography is the best I have read, his battle with mental illness in a period when everyone was just happy to milk the cash cow and put his behaviour down as eccentric is quite remarkable.

Oh and before Red and Mr K arrive you have to read Papillon and Banco - both are quite remarkable and about as inspiring as you can get.

[Nakor]

Oh and Brian Blessed - Dynamite Kid is incredible, although some 20 years old now the things that man has done, and continues to do put 99.99% of the worlds population to shame.
I do wish he would turn out one for the last 20 years though.

[ripple11]

Never really seem to have time to read.....but I bought two audio books for a drive across Europe a couple of years ago,both very enjoyable.

 Frank Skinner (as already mentioned)  and Penguins stopped play  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguins_Stopped_Play)

[Hairydude]

Thanks for the Thread outrageous; got a list of about 10 books I want to buy now.

Can get most of them on Amazon for a penny + £2.75 delivery

[kinboshi]

Richard Dawkins books are inspirational. 

The God Delusion and The Selfish Gene are two for starters (the second one requires some interest in science).

Although saying that, I'd also say that Christopher Hitchens is a far better writer and well worth a read too.

[Bongo]

This set of non 10 fiction books for £10 has some decent reads (inc The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly previously recommended).

link

[GreekStein]

must read Angela's Ashes if you haven't

[david3103]

Niall Quinn's autobiography
John Bird's autobiography (the John Bird who founded Big Issue, not the one who performs with John Fortune and Rory Bremner)
and Reach For the Sky - the story of Douglas Bader

[RED-DOG]

Jump for Life by Ruth Altbeker Cyprys.

If you only read one more book before you die, make it this one.