On the Edge: My Story

This was one of the better books I've read in a while, not because it's superbly written or some great literary masterpiece, but because it gives the reader something so often lacking in our society today...true, unconditional love. If you're looking for a "story of Richard Hammond's life" kind of book, you'll get some of that here, but for the most part, the story depicts his horrible accident and subsequent recovery. His wife Mindy was there by his side the whole time as he recovered, and is now I suspect. It was her perspective (some of the book is written by her) and her steadfast love and perseverance that I found so endearing. I really liked this book, and would recommend it!

Long-time Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond's horrific jet car crash at over 200 miles per hour very well could have ended his life. Anyone who has watched Top Gear on the BBC or on BBC America knows that it didn't. Hammond survived and made a remarkable (astounding or miraculous might even be better terms) recovery. On the Edge chronicles the immediate events leading up to Hammond's ride in the jet car, the crash, and his recovery from brain damage. As other reviewers have noted, this is also a touching love story, since Hammond's wife Mindy (who authored a sizable part of On the Edge) was at the television personality's side for the weeks during which he was hospitalized. The ordinarily cocky, brash Hammond was reduced to very limited functionality during the recovery period, but Mindy stuck with him through it all. There are two things, though, that really make this book transcend any stereotypical, surface-level assumptions that readers might have. Firstly, Mindy's account of Richard's recovery conveys in every sense the pervasive feeling of a complete lack of the perception of the passage of time about which she writes. It is not until Richard returns as primary narrator that the amount of time that passed is defined for the reader. And, the ping-ponging between Mindy and Richard that takes place as Richard became increasingly aware of what was happening around him is very effective in conveying the off-kilter nature of Richard's injury and decidedly non-linear recovery. The second thing that really makes On the Edge stand out is that Richard Hammond puts his heart and soul out for the public in the book. He lets down his guard--his brash exterior(second on Top Gear only to Jeremy Clarkson's...)--and it is entirely believable. The book is a must-read for fans of Top Gear, but also for all family members of victims of brain trauma, or anyone who has been involved with the recovery process of anyone seriously injured.