I'm not generally a fan of autobiographies per se, finding many of them bland and without substance and certainly with very little resonance. This was a very nice surprise, I picked up the book on a whim, having enjoyed the show "Kitchen Nightmares", and I'm pleased I did as it gives a great insight into a man with extraordinary drive, huge resilience, if slightly questionable manners.
In this book, Ramsay lays bare his tough childhood, his enormous passion for food, his will to succeed, which are all admirable qualities. However, his confront of the problems ahead of him and huge predilection and penchant for hard work are what inspire. Ramsay hasn't overly sanitised his biography to stop offence or to bury the hatchet regarding past grievances (but then that shouldn't come as any sort of surprise if you have seen any of his television shows). He is polemical regarding those who he feels have attempted to undermine him, or have deservedly experienced his ire.
This review may seem a homage to Ramsay, and I do hold in high regard his incredible strength of character and determination, which from my viewpoint (restricted of course as I have not met the man) are senior quailities to even his cooking ability, after all how many of us will really work 16 hours a day for 10 years to reach their goal? Add into that the salaries on offer generally in catering, and you conclude that you must exude an inordinate amount of avidity, enthusiasm and zest for your craft. I'm not sure I would ever want to work for Ramsay and have to render my excuses while meeting him on one of his cantankerous episodes, but if I was ever to give an example of how single-minded you must be to have such massive success, Mr Ramsay would not be far from the top of the list.
If this autobiography had contained a little more on the business intricacies relating to his success, it would have received five stars, but he's not worth over 50 million for nothing, so as predictably as sun will rise, I will buy the next book which covers his business interests. I am another one of Gordon Ramsay's many customers that comes back, even if it does rankle a little in this case, you can't deny this Michelin recognised chef's star quality.