What If I Had Never Tried It: The Autobiography

by Valentino Rossi

What If I had Never Tried It is the first autobiography of arguably the world's greatest motorcycle road racing champion, Valentino Rossi. Certainly he is the greatest in modern times and similarly the best loved. This is the official, personal story: fast paced yet insightful. Rossi’s record in the motorcycle road racing World Championship is supreme. First in the ultra-competitive 125 class starting in 1996; then in the 250 class only to graduate shortly thereafter to the big league of the 500s. In 2002 the premier class switched direction moving from 500 cc two-strokes to 990 cc four-strokes from then on to be known as MotoGP. Rossi rides for Honda and wins. He wins on a Honda the next year and then switches to Yamaha, to every race fans’ surprise, and wins against all odds. He wins again in 2005. No one is close. No one is faster. And all at speeds which approach 200 mph. Both on and off-track, on the ubiquitous TV screen or walking in the street, Rossi is idolized as though he were a rock star. From his native Italy to California, from Philips Island to Laguna Seca, he has raised the limits, reshaped the frontiers of the sport and set new trends. Rossi has become the 21st Century face of motorcycle road racing. Yet he remains faithful to himself—one moment the intelligent, articulate interviewee; the next a jokester; the next the single-minded, focused, strategic racer with split-second skills the rest of us can only dream of.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Sports, Autobiography, Motorcycle, Memoir, Indonesian Literature

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Valentino Rossi is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name – seven of which are in the premier class.

Reviews

[Gideon · Rating 2 out of 5]

i love grandpa but he is not making it into heaven lol

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed with this book. What could have been a really compelling and insteresting perspective read negatively. Rossi, one of the winningest MotoGP riders to compete sounds like a child. I am a huge Rossi fan. But what is in those pages only reinforces that no matter how much money, fame, or prestige you have, there is always something to complain about. Being a champion must be really difficult.

The writing was simple and many times stories were repeated. I couldn't help but hope for more from the history of Valentino. He had several races recaps which were interesting as well as a short discussion on his superstitions, but other than those two items there was little substance or background to who rossi really is.

I appreciated it for what it was, but really wish it could have been more. It didn't seem very candid; in fact, it sounded forced and short sighted.

[Rere · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Loooove him...He is brave, cool n calm..

[Q-TOP CHE-Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

VALENTINO ROSSI lahir pada 16 Februari 1979, di Urbino, Italia. Ia memenangkan GP pertamanya pada umur 17 tahun, titel kejuaraan dunia pertamanya pada umur 18 tahun, dan kejuaraan MotoGP pertamanya pada usia 22 tahun. Ia kini membalap untuk Yamaha dan tinggal di London tengah.

Alam memberinya talenta dan ia melakukan sisanya.

Sewaktu kecil, ia hanya ingin menjadi pembalap sepeda tercepat. Impiannya menjadi juara dunia. Tetapi ia telah meraih lebih dari impian tertingginya : ia mendominasi berbagai kejuaraan, a mematahkan lusinan rekor, ia megoreksi batas kecepatan dalam dunia balap motor, dan ia menciptakan tren baru.


Ia adalah dewa sirkuit motor, raja MotoGP, penguasa balapan motor. Ia tak terkalahkan.

Pada 2002, saat usianya baru 23 tahun, ia sudah mampu meraih sukses yang eblum kejuaraan dunia untuk semua kategori : 125cc, 250cc, 500cc, dan MotoGP.

Ia telah menang di level internasional dengan Aprilia, Honda, dan Yamaha.

Ia membalap dan hidup di luar ...

There's quality in Valentino heart's... CHE-Q

[Jes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly entertaining! If you're not a MotoGP fan, however, this is probably not the book for you. And certainly not for you if you aren't a Rossi fan. (How can you not be a Rossi fan? This is the GOAT we're talking about!)

Because the book is translated, prepare to ignore grammatical issues. In other words, this book should be read for Rossi's candor and insights into the world of MotoGP. Portions of the book covered stories I had already read elsewhere or viewed while watching Faster and Fastest (the Mark Neale documentaries).

As I read in other reviews, Rossi's stories jump around a bit. (This is why it's important to be a fan; you will be able to keep up when he hits the esses.) I wasn't particularly affected by the jumping around. He just has a roundabout way of telling his stories. But a lot of the stories are quite funny. It was easy to imagine him in most of the situations he described.

As I said, the book was highly entertaining. Worth the read if you love Rossi and MotoGP.

[Angelic Zaizai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gw fansnya Vale Rossi, waaay before dy jadi juara dunia motogp..
dan pernah ke sentul liat dy juara disana waktu gw masih SD, tentunya otobiografinya kudu wajib dibaca.
Gw yakin banget buku ini pasti BAGUS BANGET dalam bahasa ASLInya.. ato paling tidak dalam Bahasa Inggrisnya
cara berceritanya Vale banget, kocak dan full detil..
cerita masa kecil Vale yang bolak balik dikejar2 polisi, gara-gara balap mobil roda tiga liar, hi hi hi... lucu banget

SAYANGnya, buku yang ini, terjemahannya sumpah PARAAAAH BANGET..
kaya'nya yang nerjemahin GA NGERTI soal BALAP.. dan sepertinya GA PERNAH NONTON balapannya Vale Rossi dengan seksama..

amat sangat sayang sekali....

gw udah berusaha cari buku versi bhs Inggrisnya, tapi belum ketemu hikss.. padahal udah ngubek2 toko buku di Singapura, Bangkok dan Hongkong *sedih*

[Chiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Questo libro è la Bibbia per ogni fan di Valentino Rossi.
Vengono raccontati sia fatti inerenti alla sua vita professionale, sia quella privata.
E' sia istruttivo, sia simpatico (ho perso il conto di quante volte ho letto la parte dell'apecar!!).
A dir la verità non è un capolavoro, ma personalmente non posso dare altro voto se non 5 stelle!!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have spent the past two MotoGP seasons being completely mesmerized by Valentino Rossi. I really enjoyed this book and his writing style. It felt like we were just sitting around the paddock shooting the breeze. It was exciting getting to know a little more about the man on the 46 and the path he took to get him where he is today.

[Sidiq Prihatno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice person in or not on track

[Chris Lightfoot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Content great. The most bizarre order, not sequential in the slightest. Nor does it follow any pattern. It seems to jump around all over the place and consequently I found it a difficult read.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good honest look into Valentino's life both before and during his racing. He's 36 yrs old now and is STILL racing competitively in the top world championship series MOTO GP...amazing.

[Gargamella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una perla rara. il tutolo dice tutto.

[Zane Grimshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this biography I was a little surprised as it starts with Valentino Rossi battling with Max Biaggi at the final corner of Phillip island, the final race of the 2001 MotoGP championship, when I expected it to begin with his childhood, which it does in chapter 4. with the first 3 chapters (70 pages in my version) solely focusing on his decision at the end of the 2003 championship to leave the powerhouse that was Honda (who had won 8 of the last 10 championships) to join the once great but now failing Yamaha team which as time has shown us was a successful decision but at the time was highly controversial and it was interesting to find out why he left Honda where he had won 3 consecutive championships

Whilst reading you can clearly tell that this is a translation (originally written in Italian) with the occasional sentence structured incorrectly, or worded weirdly but with a near 300 page book its not frequent enough to be bothersome. Also although not the books fault at all but there is a little melancholy sporadically throughout when racers are mentioned who subsequently died at a young age such as Norifumi Abe who was hit by a truck on his motorbike in 2007 2 years after this was published, Nicky Hayden who was killed in mid 2017, Daijiro Kato at Suzuka in 2003 and Marco Simoncelli at Sepang in 2011

I did like the fact that he doesn’t spend the whole book singing his own praises and freely admits that his first season racing was pretty terrible (he crashed before his first race even started, then again 6 laps in). Also I have never been a fan of Max Biaggi because of his feud with Rossi but Rossi freely admits that it was his actions, or rather words, that started it all. Also he recounts a visit to Japan when he was 21 in which he and his friends were as rude as they could be (queue jumping, making a mess, leaving restaurants without paying) as an experiment to see how far they could push the Japanese, he even has the audacity to say they annoyed him by being too respectful and not reacting

The chronology is also a bit all over the place with the chapters subjects jumping around Chapters 1-3 are about his move from Honda to Yamaha, Chapter 4-5 are about his introduction to racing and leaving school to focus on racing, Chapter 6 is about his rivalry with Max Biaggi, Chapter 7 is about his gags and skits when he won races, Chapter 8 is about his relationship with Jeremy Burgess, his chief mechanic and their first work with the Yamaha M1, Chapter 9 is his ascension from 125cc to 250cc to 500cc to MotoGP, Chapter 10 is about Italians and his friends in Tavullia, Chapter 11 is about his misspent youth and run ins with the police racing scooters and apecars, Chapter 12 is about the 2000 and 2001 Suzuka eight hour races, Chapter 13 is about the 1998 and 1999 250cc championships, Chapter 14 is about the dangers of motorbike racing and the death of Daijiro Kato, Chapter 15 is about his test of the 2004 Ferrari F1 car and finally Chapter 16 is about his relationship with journalists

As you can see if you read the summary of each chapter (the spoilers part) you will see that this is far from a complete concise autobiography and leaves a lot out, this could easily have been twice, even three times longer and I would have been quite happy as I would rather learn about his life from the man himself rather than reading other biographies because although you get a biased view (as its their life), no one knows his life better than he does.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I'll warn you now, I'm an avid Rossi fan so this review is probably a little on the biased side...

This is Valentino writing in his own words, telling his own story how he wants to tell it, from his point of view. He pulls no punches and doesn't shy away from the mischief and reckless behaviour he and his friends exhibited during their youth (which makes a refreshing change for an autobiography) or from the changes he has made during his racing career. Each page is packed with Rossi's own personality with his wit and humour coming to the fore throughout. Yes he has made mistakes (who hasn't) and he admits to these as he does the mistakes of others, but in doing so he shows he is Valentino the person, not Valentino the iconic racer just as he wishes to be.

While this may not be for everyone, MotoGP fans can take a lot from it as it shows the behind the scenes workings of teams, companies and racing as a whole and how each team has a different ethos and defines success in different ways. There are moments when you can't help but shake your head at some of the decisions made by all involved, those surrounding Daijiro Kato's accident and subsequent death were particularly poignant (especially following Marco Simoncelli's death last year and the difference in the response between the two incidents) and show that even until recently safety wasn't the priority it is now. This is an insightful and honest book that allows Valentino's character and his passion for racing to shine, utterly superb and immensely readable.

[Vignesh Ravichandran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a reader of biographies... But this one should be expelled from that list... Great read.. enjoyed a lot... this book brought back lot of memories.. reminded me of his rise and how he conquered the paddock in his early days... Strictly for Valentino Rossi fans or someone who wants to know how a single person brought a lot of attention to the sport with his charisma.. Note: this is a translated book and has lot of grammatical mistakes..

[Raluca Apostol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A weird book, in the sense that it showed me what an ass the man is, but I'm also curious to read a more recent book and see if he changed in any way.

It was nice to read about how he started his career and a bit about riding styles, but at the same time, it kept jumping backward and forward in time and that bit I found annoying.

[marysia ! · Rating 3 out of 5]

valentino rossi i will always love you

[Elma Voogdt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Onlangs kondigde Valentino Rossi aan dat hij aan het einde van 2021 stopt met motorracen. Het werd dus toch wel eens tijd zijn biografie uit 2006 weer eens te lezen en er een recensie aan wagen. Valentino Rossi is een Italiaanse motorcoureur. Hij is een zoon van voormalig motorcoureur Graziano Rossi. Valentino Rossi heeft 9 wereldtitels en 116 Grand Prix-overwinningen op zijn naam en behoort daarmee tot de succesvolste motorcoureurs ooit. Op 5 augustus 2021 kondigde Rossi zijn afscheid van de MotoGP aan.

Het boek dateert zoals gezegd uit 2006 en belicht zijn eerdere successen en vooral de overstap van Honda naar Yamaha. Rossi neemt ons in dit boek mee naar zijn jeugd, hoe het allemaal begon, zijn eerste successen in de minibikes, Rossi won 16 races in de regionale minibikewedstrijden. In de jaren 1992 en 1993 bekwaamde hij zich verder in die sport, wat resulteerde in diverse overwinningen. Inmiddels werd hij te groot voor de minibikes, dus werd er gekeken naar een echte wegracer. In 1993 nam Rossi op een Cagiva Mito 125 cc deel aan het Campionato Italiano Sport Production. Dit ging gepaard met valpartijen. In 1994 werd hij kampioen in dat kampioenschap. In 1994 nam hij op een Aprilia RS 125R ook deel aan het Italiaans Kampioenschap. In 1995 reed hij met deze motor ook het Italiaans- en Europees Kampioenschap. In 1996 maakte Rossi zijn debuut in het Wereldkampioenschap wegracen op een Aprilia RS 125R. Hij haalde in Brno zijn eerste poleposition en won uiteindelijk de race. Hij werd 9e in de eindstand van het Wereldkampioenschap. In 1997 werd Rossi wereldkampioen in de 125cc-klasse. In 1998 stapte Rossi over naar de 250cc-klasse en werd 2e in het Wereldkampioenschap. In 1999 werd hij op een Aprilia RS 250 Wereldkampioen in de 250cc-klasse. In 2000 stapte hij over naar de 500cc-klasse en won op Donington Park zijn eerste race. Hij eindigde als tweede in het Wereldkampioenschap. In 2001 werd Rossi wereldkampioen op een Honda NSR 500 in de 500cc-klasse en was daarmee de laatste 500cc wereldkampioen. Voor het seizoen 2004 maakte hij de overstap van Honda naar Yamaha. Hij kreeg daarbij een Yamaha YZR M1, een motor waarvan velen dachten dat die kansloos zou zijn. Hij slaagde er dat jaar opnieuw in om de wereldtitel in de wacht te slepen. In 2005 werd hij weer wereldkampioen in de MotoGP klasse op de Yamaha YZR M1. In 2006 eindigde hij op de Yamaha YZR M1 als tweede in het wereldkampioenschap van de MotoGP.

Het boek geeft dus een aardig kijkje in de successen van Rossi en wat er vooral in naar voren komt, is zijn vasthoudendheid, hij volgt zijn eigen weg en laat zich niet leiden of verleiden, het is maar hoe je het bekijkt door geld en alles wat daar bij komt kijken. Rossi heeft een doel en dat moet eerst bereikt worden voor de volgende stap gezet wordt. Zijn loyaliteit aan zijn team springt er ook uit. Zelfs bij een overstap probeert hij zijn team mee te nemen, wat in sommige gevallen ook gelukt is. Het boek bevat ook enkele foto’s van zijn jeugd tot en met het schrijven van dit boek in 2006.

Het boek is toegankelijk geschreven, het is open en eerlijk, ook in de minder leuke dingen. Rossi beschrijft wel van de gebeurtenissen op een humoristische wijze, waardoor het allemaal lekker luchtig blijft. Is het een complete biografie? Nee niet helemaal vind ik. Je leest over zijn successen, maar wat je niet leest is wat Rossi er voor moet doen of voor moet laten.. Hoe traint hij bijvoorbeeld, daar lees je weinig over. Je leest wel wat over zijn vrije tijd ( lang slapen en skiën bv). Maar daar blijft het bij. Succes komt niet alleen met talent en rondjes rijden, een goed trainingsschema heb je toch ook nodig. Jammer als sportliefhebber lees je graag hoe iemand tot zijn succes is gekomen.

Samengevat : Een interessant boek waar ik meer van had verwacht. Ondanks de kleine tegenvaller is het boek zeker wel het lezen waard. De boodschap van Rossi is ook duidelijk : Wat als ik het nooit had geprobeerd? Inderdaad dan had je niet geweten waar je gestaan had. Laat het een boodschap voor ons allemaal zijn, volg je hart, hou vast aan je eigen ik en ga er voor, probeer het en zie wat eruit komt…..

[Lisa Rizzon · Rating 3 out of 5]

L'autobiografia, scritta dal celebre pilota di moto, copre il periodo di tempo compreso tra la sua infanzia e la clamorosa vittoria del mondiale del 2004 in sella alla sua prima Yamaha M1. Le vicende non sono raccontate sempre in modo lineare: sono numerosi i flashback e i flashforeward tra una pagina e l'altra, per non limitarsi a raccontare gli eventi, ma rievocandone le cause e tracciandone le conseguenze.

Valentino Rossi nasce e cresce a Tavullia, piccola cittadina delle Marche, e sceglie di raccontare la sua storia partendo proprio dall'infanzia e rispondendo anche a numerose curiosità circolanti intorno alla sua persona. Racconta del rapporto con i suoi genitori, con la scuola, con gli amici e di come tutti questi mondi si siano conciliati in qualche modo con il preponderante impiego nelle corse, nato come una passione e diventato un vero e proprio mestiere.

Alle pagine dedicate ai grandi successi si inframezzano pagine dedicate ai dubbi, alle incertezze nel prendere decisioni importanti, alla caratterizzazione della persona che sta dietro il personaggio che tutti conoscono. La narrazione mostra come anche per un campione come Valentino Rossi la strada non sia stata sempre facile e di come il successo sia stato frutto non solo di un grande talento, ma anche di un costante ed enorme impegno, di una solerte lungimiranza e di un martellante desiderio di mettersi alla prova.

La vicenda centrale, intorno alla quale ruota l'autobiografia, è il passaggio del pilota dal team Honda HRC al team Yamaha avvenuto alla fine del 2003. Si racconta come Yamaha fosse un team arretrato rispetto agli altri, al contrario di Honda, tecnicamente quasi imbattibile. I dubbi sulle reali capacità di Valentino riguardavano proprio l'innegabile superiorità tecnica della sua Honda rispetto a tutte le altre moto e proprio questo è stato il motivo che ha spinto il pilota a firmare un contratto clamoroso con la più scarsa delle scuderie in gara.

Il mondiale del 2004 è stato una sfida sulla quale Valentino ha puntato tutta la sua carriera: se fosse riuscito a vincere nessuno avrebbe potuto più obiettare nulla sulle sue capacità. Una pagina dopo l'altra si racconta di come il pilota abbia preso in mano la scuderia, di quale rapporto abbia instaurato con il team per costruire una moto che fosse vincente e di come, già a partire dal debutto sul tracciato di Welkom, in Sudafrica, abbia fatto della Yamaha l'astro nascente della classe regina. Una carriera, la sua, destinata da lì in poi a decollare.

[George Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What If I Had Never Tried It
Valentino Rossi
29th June 2023
This book made me think about how hard it must've been and still is to be a MotoGP rider. With all of the press and journalists who would always want interviews and also make up stories about the riders. ‘What if I had never tried it’ is the autobiography of famous MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi, all the way from how he grew up and got into motorcycles, to his struggles with the press and then making up stories about him. Rossi talks about how aggressive the press can be and this aggression is demonstrated when he writes “In 2003, at Valencia, on the eve of the final Grand Prix, one journalist actually threatened me because I refused to grant his paper an exclusive interview. The man actually said “You’re not going to do the interview with me?:” he hissed. “Great. I’ll just wait for you outside and we’ll see…”. This really illustrated for me how aggressive they could be when you didn’t do what they wanted you to do. Like if you didn’t do an interview with them or even just not answer one of their questions how they wanted it to be answered; and most commonly in this book they would just manipulate what he said and just write what they wanted to hear, as opposed to what they actually heard from the person themselves. The media also didn’t seem to understand that even though what he was doing was incredible, he was still human and he couldn’t just be asked questions all the time because he would eventually get tired or just simply not want to anymore. I think that what these reporters represent is the fact that he was an amazing human being, who was doing amazing things, but he couldn’t be on show all the time. I believe that in society when we look up to people we idolise, we put them on pedestals and we build them up so much in our heads, and that can be our biggest downfall as if we finally meet them and are disappointed with how they acted it is most likely because they have been talking to so many of there fans already and they are just tired and simply don’t have the energy to be really nice or as cool of a person as we believe they will be.

[Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5! Rounded up because I had so much fun haha. Firstly, I should say I think Valentino Rossi is, like, the coolest rider to ever live. He’s also, in my mind, the greatest motorsports person to ever live - the things he achieved, over so many different periods and with different equipment, the challenges he set himself and the way he did so much of it, whilst also having the stats to back himself up (by the time he retired, he was still statistically in the top 5 riders on the grid, despite it being like 20 years since his debut, insane.). He did that whilst also, as I said, doing it with a style that makes him so exciting. So basically I’m quite biased.
But like I said, I just had a great time reading this. None of the above matters if ultimately the book sucks but thankfully it doesn’t. I especially liked the sections where he talks about racing on the streets with his friends & the quarry & all the different ways in which he learnt to become a better rider, because it adds a good insight. Also tonally, it feels like you’re talking to a friend, almost. I think that feeling is probably what most people like especially about Valentino so it’s nice it’s reflected in his book. Equally - I have no idea what the original is like but - I thought the translation was nice and fluid and helped it feel very conversational and easy to read (sometimes translated works can be like reading through glass, so to speak but this doesn’t do that). I will say two things: if u don’t like Rossi, u won’t like this book probably. I don’t think it’ll change your mind about him. Second, I don’t think this is a definitive Rossi book insofar as his entire career (obviously) but rather it serves as a snapshot into the man + his career and his personal thoughts about some of those things at the time of writing - I don’t necessarily think it’s the best intro to everything VR for example - which is interesting but I think an overview written with some distance would also be interesting and serve as a different angle, so I think it’s dependant on what you’re looking for.

[Willibrordus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kedua kalinya membaca buku ini dalam jarak 8 tahun dengan versi bahasa yang berbeda, ingatan saya masih dengan mudah mengingat kembali kerangka cerita dalam otobiografi Valentino Rossi. "Andaikan saya tidak mencobanya" adalah cerita bagaimana Rossi yang pada saat menulis buku ini dianggap pembalap motor terbaik di awal abad ke-21 sebenar - benarnya adalah manusia. Berpusat kepada proses kepindahannya dari satu pabrikan Jepang ke lainnya sekitar tahun 2004, Rossi lalu mengembangkan cerita kepada nostalgia dan perenungannya akan karir balapan yang telah ia bangun sejak muda dan dampaknya kepada orang di sekitar Rossi.

Vale sama seperti kita di luar kemampuan mengendalikan kuda besi; dia manusia yang memiliki kesenangan kepada sesuatu, juga pertemanan yang tidak terbatas latar belakang. Hal tersebut ditulis dengan baik dalam buku ini sebagai bagian dari cerita akan dilema ketika pindah dari Honda ke Yamaha dan dampak kepada pribadinya sendiri, mekanik plus kru yang dinilainya tinggi, perusahaan motor beserta budaya yang dipahaminya, tak lupa beserta rivalnya. Vale juga tidak lupa menyisipkan pikiran - pikirannya akan subjek seperti jurnalis yang hubungannya pasang surut.

Menarik untuk membaca buku ini dan berkaca kepada perjalanan karir Vale yang sudah mendekati pensiun. Walaupun dambaan akan gelar ke 10 semakin terasa pudar melihat perkembangan MotoGP sekarang, Vale 2004 dengan Vale 2020 tetaplah sama; semangat mau mencoba hal baru dan terus berusaha sepenuh hati dalam ajang balap motor yang dicintainya. Bravissimo The Doctor!

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars because I'm admittedly a biased Rossi fanatic. This translated english version is a great read for anyone familiar with MotoGP or a fan of Valentino Rossi. It was published in 2005, and he gives you a glimpse into his childhood, his mischievous teenage antics (which I especially loved), and his earlier years of racing. He's still at it 15 years later, so there's a lot more to his story after the book is finished. I would imagine he's still the same in a lot of ways all these years later but would love to see another book reflecting on the second half of his career (long may that be) and read how he's developed as a rider and person along the way.

I've been watching his races in order on the MotoGP App, and his autobiography really gives some interesting insight and background on a few of his more notable races, which makes race watching even better. You also get to know how he feels about the pressures of fame and he'll regale you with some entertaining stories. He's a world-class rider, not a world-class writer, so despite the sporadic chapter organization, this translated version is a win for me.

[Rotem_46 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fun for me to read !
Being a racer myself (as a hobby) and into motorcycles since I was 5 I know of Valentino Rossi for over 2 decades.
This book lets you see Vale from a different point of view and through his own eyes.
You get to know how his childhood was and how he was like as a child.
It also reveal the story behind the move from Honda to Yamaha and some behind the scene scoops.
Valentino is the GOAT, the Greatest Of All Times, and to get a chance to read his own book is something a true fan can't pass on.
I think its a must for every MotoGP enthusiast and a VR46 fan!

[Imke Gasseling · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was written in a nice style, like you he was really telling you the story instead of you reading it. It was a bit difficult to follow at some times as it jumped all over the place timing wise. At certain points I was not quite sure at which time something was taking place, especially since I didn't know a lot about Rossi yet before reading the book. I can see why he's a favorite of many after reading the book as he seems like a fun and nice guy, I may even be a bit sad that I only got into MotoGP after Rossi already retired. I felt sometimes there was quite a bit of repitition of stories or they were just very similar. All in all not a bad book at all but it could've been better.

[Gaurav Prabhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This feels like you are talking with the legend himself. Such a down to earth personality despite the pinnacles he has reached. A truly lovable being. Reading through you are sure to draw parallels to various parts of life. Indeed, such are the thoughts shared that you know that you have formed a connection rightaway. Definitely this feels home. A book not just for bikers or for his fans but for those who simply wish to love life and live an authentic one. Recommended to one and all!

[Samantha Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read about an iconic motogp rider. While the translation is a bit iffy in places it makes Valentino's voice ring through the book. An honest account of his like with motorbikes, told in a lighthearted and often funny manner

[Niranjan Borah · Rating 5 out of 5]

By reading the reviews, I am going to buy this book and read. I AM HIS FAN

[Petros Gunner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life lessons that apply even when you do not own a motorcycle. Try until it works out. After so many falls , after so many debuts , then success on a grand scale. Hustle !

[Antonella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy, i love him. He just MUST WRITE A SECOND PART