Open

Open, an autobiography by Andre Agassi was one of the best books I have read this year. Growing up I was an avid tennis fan and a mediocre player. I idolized Andre Agassi and never missed watching a match between him and Pete Sampras. As a fan I always wondered about their particular rivalry, I fancied them friends as well as foes.

In the book we finally get to see what the professional rivalries were really like. Agassi writes about his game and the physical demands it has put on his body, but even more interesting is the way he describes his childhood. His father, an immigrant from Tehran was extremely violent and alarmingly cold. He was ruthless and the pressure that Agassi felt was about as monumental a pressure as an individual could experience, much less a child.

I am relatively new to audio books and narrator Erik Davies was a good introduction; he was theatrical and charismatic.

Even if you are not a tennis fan I would recommend this book, it is a great example of the human experience. After reading this book I was left wondering if I too could tap into such personal strength and determination.

AEN