Having spent the first half of this week flying across country and then back again, I finally found some time to crack open the memoir of Ducati Creative Director David Gross. Titled, “Fast Company“, the book covers David’s decision to forgo a career as a lawyer in New York and instead embark on a roller coaster of a ride inside the walls of the Ducati Factory in Bologna, Italy. The book offers Ducatista around the world an incredible amount of insight into how the factory works and offers a glimpse into what life is like on a day to day basis. All of the main players (and motorcycle models) have been renamed, no doubt I’m sure due to legal considerations, but if you read between the lines it’s fairly easy to sort out who’s who and once you make that leap it’s a far more interesting book. Having personally visited the factory a number of times now, I have to say that several parts of the book rung especially true. It’s not exactly “Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”, but all in all a fantastically worthwhile read.
If you want more information, check out the website for the book here. You can also order copies from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
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Dylan,
Welcome back from Around the World in 80 Days. Bought “Fast Company” after your recommendation. It’s a hoot! Very irreverent and boisterous. Minoli is a “fattish” bear of a man with floppy hair obsessing over air travel. Alice Coleridge is a “pink whippet of a girl” with hardening nipples. The “designer” is a seething creative nutter. Was he referring to Tamburini as the plumber? Sounds like the early days after TPG’s acquisition of Ducati were insane, raw, and fun. I doubt if anyone will be writing a book about Ducati under Del Torchio. I’m only eight chapters into the book and am finding it impossible to put down. This is a must read Ducatista soap opera and further proof that Ducati is a lot more than a brand of motorcycle. Hope it gets optioned for a movie!
Hey ya Tim-
“Soap Opera” is an apt description of the book! I should have thought of that lol… I had exactly the same problem, once I started it, I just couldn’t put it down…
Hey! I am Carol Gross, Motorcycle mama of David M. Gross, who is Creative Director of Ducati in Bologna, and the author of Fast Company: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Motorcycles in Italy. I’m doing promo for the book. Thanks for your great comments about David’s wacky adventures. David is on a book/bike tour of the U.S. and will be out on the Left coast in San Fran in October, and LA in December. Glad you liked Fast Company. Yeah! It’s a wild wacky ride. Read the recent review in The NY Times, The Oregonian, Philadelphia Inquirer, etc. If you want to meet David when he’s out in Cal, contact his website, www.davidmgross.com. Then check out Youtube and watch David discuss Fast Company with former Ducati CEO Federico Minoli. Click on videos, and then search Fast Company-the book. Thanks again for your support and great comments.