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Motorcycle Book Store > Motorcycle books beginning with F
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Fast Company: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Motorcycles in Italy |
Author: David M. Gross
Published: 2007-05-15 |
List price: $14.00
Our price: $11.90
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As of: September 07th, 2008 07:26:07 PM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 Vivid, Invigorating, Insightful, and even Fashionable!
"Fast Company," the first book by David M. Gross, is an amazingly rich and detailed account of an American businessman's life in Bologna Italy. Unlike many recent accounts of Italy dripping with overtly idealized romanticism, David instead takes on a much more challenging task. Without the crutches of good vs. evil dichotomies, moralizing, descriptions of fantastical feats or extremes in characterization; David has composed an insightful book that allows his readers to truly observe Italy and its people from a beautifully lyrical yet thoroughly grounded perspective. This feat is only possible due to the author's own depth of experience as both a business man, lover, and passionate motorcyclist.
This account skillfully manages to mix the seemingly disparate worlds of love, business, sport, and culture into an account that as often frustrates as it gives cause for laughter or deep reflection. We learn the difference between language and communication with David as he recalls his often times hilarious encounters with the many eclectic employees of a faltering yet proud motorcycle company. He describes in invigorating detail his love for a young Italian that, like exotic motorbikes, is equally beautiful and dangerous. In sometimes overwhelming detail, he succeeds in describing what becoming and being a motorcyclist means, whether taking a leisurely ride or primally pushing the limits.
The only short coming of this great book is that David's own character often seems to be overshadowed by the many other characters that surround him. He is not overt in giving his opinion, and is quite obviously non-confrontational in demeanor. David is often times a listener, and observer; these very aspects of his character are the keys to what make him his friend's and coworker's confidant and allow the insight so inherent in his writing. His own character may not be overtly painted, but if a reader is observant (a lesson that David artfully teaches) one does become familiar with the author through his experiences.
My recommendation is that you read David's story; yes, you will become intimately acquainted with "life, love, and motorcycles in Italy" but even more so, you will come just a little closer to knowing how you might respond if asked the question, "are you ready to fly without a parachute?"
fast for a while
It is almost as much fun to wonder how David Gross, in a "inside Italian motorcycles" book learns so much, so fast. But he is smart, and he falls in love with Italy in more ways than one. Arriving in Bologna, Italy as "creative director" of the newly financially juggled - hell, can I say that it was "Ducati" now? - motorcycle company, the author adjusts quickly, first seizing upon advertising strategies that center on visualizing Italian grit, and helping to inject a world personality into what the cognoscenti know is the world's most sexy motorcycle.
We're reminded of the woman - a non-motorcyclist - who once gazed on a 1973 Ducati "Super Sport" 750 cc. twin (upon which the modern dukes evolved), and exclaimed, "This is the most beautiful motorcycle I've ever seen!"
And so it is. The imagistic makeover is spliced by Gross'es personal introduction to what we had always heard - that Italy is wild, vain - and unlike the United States - more than mildly corrupt.
`Fast Company' gives hilarious portraits of "crazy genius" motorcycle designers, their temper tantrums, roaming union gangs, and hair-raising motorcycle rides on the cobblestones.
This is a fast-paced, well-written book, tracking the birth of the single-cylindered dukes (great vintage road racers today!). It deftly changes names and dances away from potential lawsuits in a chase for grace and meaning.
In the end, you'll not quite understand the Italian mystery, but for sure, you'll get stylish prose from David Gross, say, the antithesis of a Harley book, which will never get beyond its own narcissism. "Fast Company" is for fans of the finest - a literary rocket for the mountain road.
A great ride, didn't want to get off
The book was a good read on several levels. As a motorcycle
enthusiast and as a designer.. the stories from Ducati.. the inner
workings.. design process.. people were fascinating. Having worked
with all sorts of clients and designers I related easily to the events.
Bologna was presented in vivid descriptions, with its culture,
people, society coming to life. I kept having flashbacks to my 2
years in Milano as well as subsequent visits. I toured most of Italy
but sadly I only stopped at the train station in Bologna. Hopefully
on a future trip I can go to Bologna and visit Ducati.
I thought the sections at the seaside were hilarious.... the descriptions
were like Fellini on Jolt cola I was more exhausted with those stories than
the moto giro ones.
The sections on the MotoGiro were also very compelling for one that rides a
motorcycle....the good, the bad, the ugly, the danger, the exhilaration were all there.
Personal life was interesting, full of irony, but in the end none of my business.
Throughout the book I especially enjoyed kind of a deadpan
description of the theater of the absurd that is Italy..left me with
lot's to think about.
Fast Company: Snapshot of modern Italy
Within captivating literary style, Gross's portrayals illuminate an Italian world as it is now, and this is clearly not the world of "Room with a view". Surely the Italian journals and "Corriere della Sera" are well versed with the struggles of Italian boutique businesses trying to meet the challenge of growth to an international level, but to follow the chain of events of Ducati from within and during a major transitional effort is a special gift. To become acquainted with personal and detailed snapshots of corporate design processes and the trials of prima donna designers is equally rewarding, and sheds a fair light on recent Ducati products. From the beach exploits and dreams of characters depicted, one senses the struggles of modern young Italians. Add to this the author's struggle to rationalize infatuation with a young and arrogant love, and one finds another level or dimension of the Italy of today. This love may have equally been heterosexual, it's characteristics in modern day Italy would have been the same. The vignette descriptions ranging from learning to ride a motorcycle, different bikes, and tours reach out to the motorcyclist in all of us, as these motivate us to reach beyond ourselves whether or not a leg is thrown over a bike. This is a book for everyone where one truly gains a view into the beauty, challenge, and flavor of Italy today. On other levels, having been an Italian ex-pat for three years, ridden motorcycles for 30 years, and a Ducatista for 15 years, this book has touched on many levels and reminds of the need to return.
Very Different Motorcycle Book
Different..... a great read. My daughter lived in Bologna for a few years, and I visited the city which made the book more interesting to me. It really helps to have spent time in the culture on this one. After you get over the funny "attempt" to cover up the Ducati name..very wierd...it's just a wild ride through a culture on many different levels.
Don't read this book to get page after page of mototcycle details. This is a story about people and culture that produce the bikes from the viewpoint of an outsider..who in the end becomes a part of it all. I enjoyed the writing style and content more because it's a true story.
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