Business the Richard Branson Way

Des Dearlove is no stranger to singing the praises of the corporate great and good. As an author and journalist, Mr Dearlove has also undertaken a study of the mighty Bill Gates in the same BigShots series. Here, as with Gates, a top businessman is anatomised through the medium of a business guide. We are promised "10 secrets of the world's greatest brand-builder" but what we get is more hagiography than inside track. This is somewhat surprising given the book's opening challenge, viz. do we "see him (Branson) as the bearded crusader or simply capitalism with a hairy face?" After 160 pages of almost unadulterated praise, agreeing with the second statement might well be prosecutable under crimes against the state. Mr Dearlove, you are well named indeed.

On the other hand, Business the Branson Way positively brims with the snappy titles that make the author such a sharp practitioner of this genre. "Beard faced cheek"; "All teeth and no trousers"; "Have brand will travel" give the book a pacey feel. As Dearlove herds his text forward with admirable alacrity so he is careful to match speed with prudence in a series of bulleted reminders at the end of chapters.

Not the most objective study but lively enough for your next three-hour flight. --Jasper Reid

In the modern world of business, Richard Branson stands alone. In an era dominated by strategists, he is an opportunist. His company, the Virgin Group, is unique. Never before has a single brand been so successfully deployed across such a diverse range of goods and services. The distinctive red and white Virgin logo, it seems, is as elastic as Mates condoms - just one of many products it promotes. Branson is the ultimate brand-builder.

How does he do it? Now brought completely up-to-date for this new edition, Business the Richard Branson Way not only reveals the secrets of Branson's remarkable success but also draws out the universal lessons and identifies strategies that can be applied to any business or career. From picking on someone bigger than you to moving faster than a speeding bullet, and from making work fun to keeping the common touch, you have in your hands the secrets of phenomenal success.