(Jeremy Clarkson; Penguin; £7.99)

Motormouth journalist Jeremy Clarkson is never anything less than opinionated and in his latest book, which has been riding high in the bestseller charts, he is let off the leash to wax lyrical about one of his favourite subjects: Machines.

I know You Got Soul sees Clarkson scouring the globe in search of his favourite machines, from cars to planes, to guns to the Hoover Dam.

It is a hard book to define, other than to say it is an ode to Clarkson’s favourite things, but it is hard to deny his passion for the subject matter.

It’s easy to dismiss I know You Got Soul as a boy’s toys book, with little to appeal to readers beyond those who love cogs and wheels, but it in fact far more.

During the process of his journey, Clarkson uncovers a wealth of interesting information, ranging from who would win if Superman, the Terminator and James Bond get into a fight, to the stupidest person that he has ever met.

As well as the machines themselves, the book explores the people behind them, both factual like Brunel’s SS Great Britain to Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon.

If there is a point to be made from the book it is that the creativity, imagination and commitment that went into building some of these machines means that you cannot help but respond positively to them.

The same thing can be said for I Know You Got Soul.

VERDICT: Strange little love story.