United States
£ GBP
Simon Cowell always wanted to be a vet. Instead, he ended up as a wealthy commodities trader. But with a love of nature and animals, he could never quite subscribe to the 'greed is good' mantra which rang out through the trading halls of the City of London.
While his colleagues quaffed champagne and blew their bonuses on designer gear, Simon set up a wildlife sanctuary in the grounds of his stockbroker belt home. At 42, having suffered two nervous breakdowns, he finally left his job. That's when his life began.
My Wild Life is the story of his remarkable journey from reluctant City gent to environmental crusader, meeting some of the cute and cuddly creatures that have touched his heart along the way.
Often hilarious, sometimes harrowing and always insightful, Simon's story is one man's life-long mission to redress the damage man has done to the environment – with boozing, a divorce and some bad behaviour along the way.
Simon Cowell was born into a family of farmers and always wanted to be a vet, but somehow ended working at a London trading firm. As a hobby, he ran a wildlife rescue centre in the grounds of his Surrey home, eventually leaving his job in the City to devote himself to his charity, Wildlife Aid, full time. He presented, wrote and produced Channel 5's Wildlife SOS for 17 years and is now a sought-after wildlife expert, public speaker and commentator. In 2005 he was awarded an MBE for services to wildlife.
"The eccentric, irrepressible Simon Cowell and his team of volunteers at Wildlife Aid [...] You don't have to be mad to work there but it helps."
– Stephen Fry
"Simon Cowell is not one of those dry-as-dust, ever-so-dreary, eco-zealots. He is a man of passion."
– Sir Ranulph Fiennes, explorer and author, The Last Expedition
