This is a terrific story! I had read a different review stating that the audiobook version was the best and I must certainly agree. Hearing Richard's wife Mindy tell her part of the story just had me bawling like a baby. You can hear so much love and emotion in her voice, it's just completely heart wrenching. The story did move very quickly though. I wanted more. So, I guess I'll just have to find more of his books. Thanks Hamster.

One of the UK TV shows I watch is Top Gear, the British version, and it was Richard Hammond, one of the presenters, whose autobio I read over the holidays. It tells of his early start in his journalist career, his love of bikes and cars and how he managed to get a great job combining both. But mainly, the book is an honest account of how Richard and his wife coped with the aftermath of the crash that nearly ended his life and how they both overcame a terrifying situation for them and their family and friends.
The style is humorous and very much 'The Hamster' we all like and respect.

This is an interesting book. It's not a funny book, though it has light moments. It's definitely a serious book and it gets you thinking. Richard briefly talks about his childhood and how he became a daredevil. He briefly talks about growing up and becoming an adult, starting off at a radio station and eventually working up to his job as presenter on Top Gear. Most of the book centers on his jet car accident. Richard describes everything up to the point of the crash, then his wife Mindy takes over the writing as Richard's mind is shattered. She poignantly writes about the pain it caused and his arduous recovery, littered with doubt. As Richard recovers and his mind becomes whole again, he becomes more of a presence in the book, gradually taking over more of the account from Mindy.

It's meant for those who are interested in what happened to Richard after his jet car crash, and those who are looking for an autobiography will not find that here. Though it lived up to my expectations and wound up being a surprisingly quick read.

I purchased this as a gift for my husband and once he picked it up he couldn't put it down. We both share the hobby of enjoying one terrific sports car-- and Hommond's story was truly unique and amazing at the same time.

Great book. He writes just like he talks, at least on Top Gear. Amazing story of a very quick recovery. Watching the programs on BBC America, it has been hard to imagine what he went through. No signs of it. And to 'hear' his wife's side was also very interesting. Deffinately a must read for any fan of the show.

I was already a die-hard fan of Top Gear and of Richard Hammond. After reading his book, my appreciation and admiration has greatly increased. You get a nice glimpse of Richard's life before the accident, and then it quickly becomes about the big event itself. I wasn't expecting most of it to be written by his wife, however, that is what makes the book so incredible. You feel like you're right there beside her during the whole thing. At times it can be really emotionally exhausting. I finished the entire read in 4 days because I couldn't put it down. A must read for any Top Gear fan.

When my wife picked this up for me for my birthday, we both thought it was an autobiography of Richard Hammond. His life and times, etc. It isn't. This book is about his jet-car accident and recovery from the resulting brain injury. There is certainly biographical material here. But it exists to establish who Richard is, who his friends are, and how his family came to be prior to his accident. The meat of the book concerns the accident, the near miraculous progression of his recovery, and how it has effected everything and everyone in his life.

The recovery section is really the best part of the book. Both Richard and his wife Mindy take turns telling the story in their own words. Richard describes having brain damage from the inside. Mindy describes his problems from her perspective along with the challenges faced by his family and friends. The initial passages are very Mindy heavy as Richard is largely incapacitated and as his injury has left him unable to recall these events himself. But as his brain heals, Richard tells more and more of his own story. His injury and recovery aren't just described, they are also demonstrated by the presence (or lack) of his narrative voice within his own story. Even if the narrative structure wasn't so clever, the story itself is quite touching and worth reading anyway.

I liked this book a lot. I even gave my copy to my wife and suggested that she read it. While she barely knows who Richard Hammond is and doesn't watch Top Gear, I think she will really relate to Mindy and the kids. Because this is a book about rebuilding a life after a horrible accident and that really could be about anybody, not just a British TV host.

Received this book quite a while ago, around Christmas 2008. I found it to be quite a good autobiography about Richard Hammond and his accident. I loved the fact that his wife Mindy told her account of what she went through during the whole time from accident to recovery as well. Very well told and a very good book overall.

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I listened to the audiobook. It's an interesting story. If you're a fan of the Hamster, you'll love hearing him read this.