What If I Had Never Tried It: The Autobiography (ISBN 1844138801)

Ug. He shouldn't have tried it.:
This book is a LONG read. I don't know if the translation got lost, but it was painful. I don't know if Rossi actually penned the verse, but it comes across as poorly written and not at all thought out. His stories are all over the place, and he tends to say the same thing over and over again, but in different ways. On the plus side, it does help explain a bit about Rossi, and what he's about.

Insight into the greatest rider we've ever seen:
The only downfall of this book is the language barrier. It makes for a bit of tough reading at points. But if you're a motorcycle racing fan then this is a must read. Insight into the greatest rider we've ever seen, and he's still under 30! 7 World Championships and counting. This takes you through his childhood up until his last title in 2005 with Yamaha.

Awesome:
This guy is the best rider in the world and his story is very interesting.

A typical "as told to" book:
In America there's not much coverage of Moto GP, so I didn't know that Valentino Rossi is one of the highest-paid athletes on the planet and a national hero in Italy. I began to watch Moto GP on satellite TV in Thailand about three years ago and was captivated by Rossi. He used to stand on the podium with a little smile on his face, as if to say, "What fools these mortals be!" He hasn't been winning so much lately, but he did two weeks ago in an awesome display of excellence. It's hard to imagine just how competitive Moto GP is; tons of money are involved and every one of the riders is incredibly talented. We're talking speeds of more than 200 mph on two wheels. Rossi has been World Champion seven times, which should give you an idea of his skill and determination, especially when you realize how many times he has crashed or fallen off the bike. Success never came all that easy. The book is a typical "as told to" effort by Enrico Borghi, a motorcycle journalist, and translated by Gabriele Marcotti. It is probably as close to Rossi's own beliefs as possible, but it's not great literature. A lot of time is spent on why he races bikes instead of cars (except for his adventures in rally racing, one of the most difficult competitions in the world), why he was happy to leave Honda, and how many friends from his village he is still very close to. I could have done with a bit less self-justification, but he claims to have been persecuted by the press all along, and this is his chance to speak his piece. Rossi is a fascinating person, a gorgeous man if ever there was one, and if you are at all interested in him or in motorsport you will enjoy this book. The only other thing I've been able to find about Rossi was an interview in a British man's magazine that said he likes Dire Straits. Hey, Vale! I like Dire Straits, too. James Ashley Shea

A Mixed Bag for Rossi fans:
If you are a Vale Rossi fan you may not want to read this book as after you read it you may no longer be a fan. The book is not well written. It skips and the time and subject jumps it takes are wholly nonsensical. Some of the content is plainly repeated and some portions seem to be stuck in just to make page limits. It should make light and speedy reading but were I not stuck at LGA for six hours I might not have ever made it through the book as there is nothing compelling about it. I could almost deal with that but Rossi, who has long been one of my heros, really comes across as a jerk. He calls his dad and mom by their first names as if they really are not related to him. He regales us with his exploits terrorizing other motorists in his home city. He freely admits to grossly mistreating people - and especially the Japanese - for his own entertainment. He dotes on his tribe which seems to exist only to compensate for his own lack of social comfort. Not once does he even allude to any romantic interest which makes you wonder about some stories told. All the other riders are wrong and he is always right no matter what the topic or corner. Even the one photo he has of Jeremy Burgess his crew chief has only Rossi in focus which is but one of many very egotistical points of the book. In some respects I wish I had never read this book. I have in my son's room an autographed and framed photo of Rossi that he signed at Laguna Seca a few years ago. I loved the most recent race at Laguna Seca when he proved that he is really the world's best motorcycle racer and that he is not one to sit on his laurels. Having read this book I find it hard to reconcile the Rossi in my heart and now the Rossi I have in my mind.