Herschelle Gibbs' autobiography is the most-talked sports book of the year. It is a no-holds-barred account of Gibbs' travails as an international cricketer, filled to the brim with runs, wine, women and song....and some more wine.

In his autobiography, already reprinted three times in 2010, Herschelle talks very frankly about the ups and downs of his personal and professional life. He covers the big cricketing moments of his life - from that dropped catch at the 1999 World Cup to the famous '438' game against Australia and the six sixes at the 2007 ICC World Cup - as well as controversies off the field - the marijuana-smoking incident in the Caribbean, his problems with alcohol and his stint in rehab, his divorce, the multitude of women and the strip-club video

Alcohol has played a big part in Gibbs' life. "My drinking undoubtedly contributed a lot to the fun-filled memories I have, but there were times - particularly between 2006 and 2008 - when it had a very negative effect on me, my career and, most importantly, the people I loved.

I'm not not using cricket's drinking culture as an excuse, but that, coupled with my outgoing an fun-loving personality, made refusing a drink practically impossible. And there were many times when I'd be drunk the night before a game, yet the next day be able to deliver an outstanding performance."

As far as women are concerned, Gibbs considers the Aussie tour of 1997-98 as "like going shopping. To this day, the tour remains the most 'successful' one I've ever been on, by a long shot. The guys couldn't believe it - especially some of the single guys who were touring Oz for the first time.

From the day we set foot there, women were falling into our lap virtually every night. Australian women, I can tell you, are not afraid to speak their minds and make it crystal-clear what they're after. Especially, as we found out, if you're an international sportsman. There's none of this, 'Am I reading the signals correctly here?' crap. None, the message is hand-delivered to you in capital letters. Most of the time we didn't have to go and look for girls either. They came hunting, often in packs, and if they liked what they saw, you were in for the ride of your life. Fascinating social behaviour. They should study it...make a documentary on the Discovery channel. I'd watch it."

Gibbs has honestly dealt with the match-fixing controversies...and their repercussions. With regard to the various controversies in his life, he says, "I've managed to land myself in the kak with alarming regularity right from the start of my cricket career. A stint in rehab for alcohol abuse and a messy divorce would be more than enough controlversy for most professional athletes, but with me, that wasn't the half of it."

In a chapter on his top ten players, whose cricketing talents he has admired through the years, Gibbs has profiled Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath, Wasim Akram, Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Peter Kirsten and Sir Vivian Richards. Shoaib Akhthar is his number eleven player.

Gary Kirsten, Allan Donald, Hansie Cronje, Vincent Barnes, Goolam Rajah, Daryll Cullinan. Among all the players, he was closest to Gary Kirsten, as admitted by him. "He had a huge impact on my life - especially in my career. I wasn't a natural opening batsman, as my inclination was to be aggressive and hit the ball from the word go. But Gary helped me to curb my instincts somewhat and be more disciplined in my approach. Gary's work ethic is phenomenal and, through his example, I was motivated to put in the extra hours."

All in all, the book is an interesting read. The coloured pictures are superb.