Posted by Magnus Smith on October 07, 2014 at 08:14:53 user Magnus.
In Reply to: Re: Favourite Books of the Famous posted by Peter Ceresole on October 07, 2014 at 01:24:37:
This is not new news. Branson said this to the BBC in 2004 - see bottom of http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/uk/newsid_3694000/3694488.stm - and back then S&A held the #1 spot!
If perhaps there were any PR fibs, then what Branson says he reads is even more revealing than what he really does read! He's telling us he holds S&A in high estimation, regardless of whether or not he's read it. He's telling us that he thinks that reading S&A is the mark of a good solid Brit, with brains and success. He wouldn't be putting his name alongside it otherwise. So we can be chuffed either way.
I'd like to believe he was telling the truth, and that he spent his childhood dreaming of exploring islands and sailing clinker dinghies. He did try sailing as an adult (on a big scale), but it seems he later got distracted by kite-boarding with naked women clutching onto him.
Searching around Branson's quotes in various articles you spot something familiar which occurs over and over:
"Don’t waste time – grab your chances."
"If you spot an opportunity and are really excited by it, throw yourself into it."
It is clear that WDMTGTS is in his top ten books too!