All the Best for the Future by Greg James
Description:
“A brilliantly warm-hearted celebration of the lost art of having fun.
When Greg James was ten years old, his nylon shell suit-clad idols the Chuckle Brothers (‘to me, to you’) signed an autograph (from them, to him) with the message ‘All the best for the future.’ It was a weirdly formal message for a kid. Ten-year-old Greg had no idea what the future held, no clue what was in store for him as he carried on through life. How could he? No one really knows what’s coming. We all have big dreams and small ones, ideas about how we want our lives to pan out: when you’ll get married, where you’ll live, how many children you want, what you want to be when you grow up. We race through the milestones, desperate to unlock life’s next level and before you know it, you’re a ‘grown up’. That’s all well and good but have you remembered to have fun along the way?
Whether it’s entertaining the nation with his hugely popular BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show, writing big funny adventures for kids with his bestselling children’s books, finding the joy in cricket and F1 in his podcasts Tailenders and The Fast and the Curious, or posting stupid videos of his adorable but quite thick dog Barney, Greg’s focus is to put a smile on people’s faces because, let’s face it, having fun is something we all forget to prioritise sometimes.
In All the Best for the Future, Greg looks at how he thought his life would go and shares the things that wind him up, make him sad, make him laugh and the little passions and interests that he relies on to get him through the day – whether it was a good one or a bad one. He tells us who he is, who he thought he’d be and who he still thinks he could be. Most of all though, his message for everyone is not to let go of that inner child as he navigates how to grow up without growing old. It’s possible to be fully functioning adults, with bills to pay and a dog to look after, and still find time to play with a train set…”
My review:
I am giving this book a rating of 5 out of 5.
I listened to the author himself read All the Best for the Future and really enjoyed most of it; Greg’s passion for radio shines throughout. I’ve often listened to Greg James on the radio, so it was nice to listen to his story and ideas told in his own voice (a format I highly recommend for experiencing this book!).
My favourite section was the chapter about making time to have fun again, to recapture the joy of being childish. Although I have next to nothing in common with him (except maybe having a dog who fulfils the role of child and best friend, as well as a desire to make the world a better place), I found lots of what Greg spoke about in this section relatable – and I’m sure plenty of readers in their thirties and forties will too. It was a lovely reminder that in our hectic, stress-fuelled world, it’s vital to reconnect with what it’s like to simply do nothing from time to time – not to feel guilty for spending time recharging and relaxing. The only thing I’d disagree with Greg on is that those rare, lazy days he recommends cherishing should be called ‘waste days’ – I believe they deserve a name that reflects the sense of delight we could experience by letting go of worldy expectations for the day to simply have fun; ‘restoration days’ or ‘chill time’, perhaps?
The earlier chapters of this audiobook genuinely encouraged me to reconsider how I take care of my inner child in order to access the sense of joy that comes from having no responsibilities or pressures of adult life, and I’ll definitely try to carve out time to rediscover the delight and joy of having fun without expectation or guilt.
I also found the chapter on Martha very moving, and a valuable message about the importance of finding happiness in the moments of life, instead of waiting for those ‘big’ events or needing to achieve something before allowing yourself to feel joy.
As with any autobiography, there’s a lot of talking about Greg’s incredibly personal memories. As a former ghostwriter and current author who loves developing realistic characters, listening to someone tell their own life story is a fascinating experience, and this audiobook was no exception – even if there are aspects of it many of us are unlikely to relate to (for instance, earning an £80k-a-year salary at just 21 years old is impressive, though something I can’t imagine many readers have experienced themselves!). Nevertheless, Greg is clearly a lovely person who is trying his best to learn and improve as a human being every day, which is something that’s definitely relatable.
I highly recommend people listen to this audiobook, or purchase the print book/eBook, to delve into Greg’s life story with a closeness unavailable in any other format!
Read in: June 2026
Format: Audiobook
I’m including the date and format in which I experienced this book for transparency, since whatever is going on in the world (and a reader’s private life) at the time of reading, along with a book’s reading format, can impact an individual’s enjoyment of certain content.
Disclaimer: I listened to this audiobook through my Spotify ‘Premium Individual’ account. All opinions expressed in this review are mine and have not been influenced by the author, publisher, or Spotify in any way. This book review does not contain affiliate links.