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bennyberry's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.0
Loved listening to both Richard and Mindy Hammond share their story. I don't know if I would recommend it to people who don't know who Hammond is. There are still interesting topics about a family handling injuries and how it affects everyone around them. So I would recommend it to others who have been in an accident or has a loved one who has been in one. But if you have seen any of Hammond's work, I would say that this is a must read.
liezie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
timgrubbs's review against another edition
5.0
Just because your adrenaline junkie, it doesn’t mean you can’t be afraid…and when something tragic happens, what kind of effect does that have on those around you…who have supported and loved you throughout it…
On the Edge: My Story by Richard Hammond and Mindy Hammond is a deeply personal memoir about personal tragedy and how it impacts not just the injured party…but their family and friends who care about them…
Richard Hammond is a long time media figure most well known for working on Top Gear, but he had a lengthy (though less well known) career before then.
However this isn’t Richard’s story…well it’s not just his story. It’s also the story of his wife Mindy, family, and friends who dealt with a near fatal tragedy in 2006 when his “stunt journalism” career led to a horrible vehicle accident while driving a rocket car.
Whether we live lives of danger or relative safety…be we celebrities or obscure nobodies…we have people that care for us and our fates. A good support network (Mindy especially) and a positive attitude (which Richard has in spades) can go a long way towards recovery.
I recommend this book for anyone that’s been in a major accident that might have otherwise killed them…and even those who have had a loved one that almost suffered a similar fate.
From my own experiences, I personally felt Richard’s struggle and mental mess in the aftermath and recovery phase, while it also helped me understand the trials family and friends might be going through…even though I thought I had a better idea of it before.
On the bright side, it does have a happy ending since he survived and has not let this incident from 2006 slow him down…
On the Edge: My Story by Richard Hammond and Mindy Hammond is a deeply personal memoir about personal tragedy and how it impacts not just the injured party…but their family and friends who care about them…
Richard Hammond is a long time media figure most well known for working on Top Gear, but he had a lengthy (though less well known) career before then.
However this isn’t Richard’s story…well it’s not just his story. It’s also the story of his wife Mindy, family, and friends who dealt with a near fatal tragedy in 2006 when his “stunt journalism” career led to a horrible vehicle accident while driving a rocket car.
Whether we live lives of danger or relative safety…be we celebrities or obscure nobodies…we have people that care for us and our fates. A good support network (Mindy especially) and a positive attitude (which Richard has in spades) can go a long way towards recovery.
I recommend this book for anyone that’s been in a major accident that might have otherwise killed them…and even those who have had a loved one that almost suffered a similar fate.
From my own experiences, I personally felt Richard’s struggle and mental mess in the aftermath and recovery phase, while it also helped me understand the trials family and friends might be going through…even though I thought I had a better idea of it before.
On the bright side, it does have a happy ending since he survived and has not let this incident from 2006 slow him down…
gidaehada's review
5.0
Now I usually struggle with autobiographies of any kind as I don't want to read about some famous person making themselves sound better than they usually are whilst lying to me. But that can definitely not be said for this book.
I remember hearing about Richard's accident growing up as my father was a huge Top Gear fan, but being so young didn't pay much mind to it. It wasn't until his second accident on the grand tour that I was reminded about his first crash and proceeded to do some research which led me to this book.
I purchased the book not really sure what to expect, but as I was reading I realised how honest both Richard and Mindy were being. They mentioned things they didn't need to mention and were completely open and honest about everything they went through, something I wasn't expecting. I was shocked at just how many people were involved in his recovery and how much it had an effect on the entire family and thinking about how young Richard's daughters were was just heartbreaking.
I'm glad I bought this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is a Grand Tour fan.
I remember hearing about Richard's accident growing up as my father was a huge Top Gear fan, but being so young didn't pay much mind to it. It wasn't until his second accident on the grand tour that I was reminded about his first crash and proceeded to do some research which led me to this book.
I purchased the book not really sure what to expect, but as I was reading I realised how honest both Richard and Mindy were being. They mentioned things they didn't need to mention and were completely open and honest about everything they went through, something I wasn't expecting. I was shocked at just how many people were involved in his recovery and how much it had an effect on the entire family and thinking about how young Richard's daughters were was just heartbreaking.
I'm glad I bought this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is a Grand Tour fan.
bethjoanne's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed hearing about both of their perspectives during Richard's crash and his recovery afterwards. It was very heartwarming and inspiring. The writing was very "this happened and I felt like this and then we did this" but that's fine, I was never expecting Shakespeare :)
julieboebooley's review against another edition
5.0
This was a very interesting look into Richard Hammond's life-threatening accident in the jet car. It painstakingly details the difficulties of recovering from brain damage, from both his and his wife's perspectives. It's heart-wrenching at moments when Mindy remembers how Richard had difficulty remembering who his own family was. This is a family that stuck together when it mattered, and managed to pull through one of the most difficult challenges any family could ever be presented with.
andrew_j_r's review against another edition
4.0
When I first started reading this book, I was initially disappointed that so little of the material covered Hammond’s youth and career before Top Gear. It was a biography after all wasn’t it?
Well yes and no. I had missed the point. This book is, specifically, about the accident that caused his brain injury in 2006 and his recovery from it. It is actually very engagingly written by Richard, and then when the accident actually happens the narrative switches from his perspective to that of his wife Mindy. And it’s quite harrowing in places, she had so much to balance what with a husband with brain damage, who was mentally reduced to being a child, plus her actually children, all of whom needed her.
It has made me think about the way the brain works, and the things we take for granted, for example the ability to daydream, which Hammond lost immediately after the crash. So I would argue this book is not for Top Gear fans, it’s for anyone who has a genuine interest in how the brain works and the consequences of it work working properly at some point.
I do however agree with a point comedian Stuart Lee made - this book should have been published by BBC books and proceeds from it gone back into the licence fee. But that’s a minor quibble and did not actually prevent me from enjoying the narrative and get a little closer to understanding how fine a balance of emotion, knowledge and decision making the human brain actually is.
Well yes and no. I had missed the point. This book is, specifically, about the accident that caused his brain injury in 2006 and his recovery from it. It is actually very engagingly written by Richard, and then when the accident actually happens the narrative switches from his perspective to that of his wife Mindy. And it’s quite harrowing in places, she had so much to balance what with a husband with brain damage, who was mentally reduced to being a child, plus her actually children, all of whom needed her.
It has made me think about the way the brain works, and the things we take for granted, for example the ability to daydream, which Hammond lost immediately after the crash. So I would argue this book is not for Top Gear fans, it’s for anyone who has a genuine interest in how the brain works and the consequences of it work working properly at some point.
I do however agree with a point comedian Stuart Lee made - this book should have been published by BBC books and proceeds from it gone back into the licence fee. But that’s a minor quibble and did not actually prevent me from enjoying the narrative and get a little closer to understanding how fine a balance of emotion, knowledge and decision making the human brain actually is.
chesabella229's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0