HUMBLE PIE

Gordon Ramsay (HarperCollins, £18.99)

If you are looking for a comfortable, easy read, Gordon Ramsay's expletive-laden biography is not for you. His early life was dominated by a violent alcoholic father and as a small boy he was afraid, ashamed and always poor.

Violence terrified the young Ramsay, who thought he could impress his father with his football skills, as everything else he did had failed to work. But he was a father from hell, who thought that any man who cooked had to be gay.

Because Ramsay's family moved so frequently, securing a place in a new football team was a constant challenge. He did, however, make it to Rangers youth team and may well have become a professional player if he hadn't smashed his cartilage during a training session.

It was while living in a flat in Banbury that he started to get excited about food. He began working in a local hotel washing up and his real vocation began to reveal itself. He was fascinated by all the noise in the kitchen and became enraptured by the atmosphere and general buzz surrounding him as he washed the dishes.

His first real break come when he faced the formidable Marco Pierre White and found himself being tested on his ability to make ravioli. But Ramsay moved on because of Marco's famous mood swings and the way in which he treated his staff. Those years living with an opressive father may have taught Ramsay to be strong, but he wanted more from life than abuse.

By the time he was 31, Ramsay had established 68 Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, which achieved three Michelin stars. He has since collected eight Michelin Stars and owns a network of restaurants from London to Dubai.

This frank account of the years leading to his inevitable success leaves very little to the imagination - this is a man who continues to use his energy to move further and further away from where it all began.

If you are prepared to accept that the F word colours every page, this book will help you understand why Ramsay now counts his money in millions and no longer has to move house every few months.