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| Editorial Reviews: | |  |  | From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography.
Agassi?s incredibly rigorous training begins when he is just a child. By the age of thirteen, he is banished to a Florida tennis camp that feels like a prison camp. Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. He dyes his hair, pierces his ears, dresses like a punk rocker. By the time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises to change tennis forever, as does his lightning-fast return.
And yet, despite his raw talent, he struggles early on. We feel his confusion as he loses to the world?s best, his greater confusion as he starts to win. After stumbling in three Grand Slam finals, Agassi shocks the world, and himself, by capturing the 1992 Wimbledon. Overnight he becomes a fan favorite and a media target.
Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. Alongside vivid portraits of rivals from several generations?Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer?Agassi gives unstinting accounts of his brief time with Barbra Streisand and his doomed marriage to Brooke Shields. He reveals a shattering loss of confidence. And he recounts his spectacular resurrection, a comeback climaxing with his epic run at the 1999 French Open and his march to become the oldest man ever ranked number one.
In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf. Inspired by her quiet strength, he fights through crippling pain from a deteriorating spine to remain a dangerous opponent in the twenty-first and final year of his career. Entering his last tournament in 2006, he?s hailed for completing a stunning metamorphosis, from nonconformist to elder statesman, from dropout to education advocate. And still he?s not done. At a U.S. Open for the ages, he makes a courageous last stand, then delivers one of the most stirring farewells ever heard in a sporting arena.
With its breakneck tempo and raw candor, Open will be read and cherished for years. A treat for ardent fans, it will also captivate readers who know nothing about tennis. Like Agassi?s game, it sets a new standard for grace, style, speed, and power. | |
| Custom Reviews: | |
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| | From everything I could tell, this was probably the most honest and least self-aggrandizing exercise in autobiography I've ever encountered. The more lurid revelations and surprises inside Open are surely well-known by now, so I'll skip mention of them and just say that what is unexpectedly contained within these pages is as much the story of one man's evolution as it is a revealing look into the career of one of the more famous players in the modern era of the sport of tennis. I liked reading this book and I'm glad I bought it.
| | Simply, this book is AWESOME! | |
| | To keep this short, this book is so well written. I am not a tennis fan but when the book came out, I thought it would be fun to read since he was from Vegas (so am I). I downloaded the sample to my kindle and had to go back to Amazon to purchase the book. WOW, caught my attention right away. This is a favorite of mine, recommend it often. I laughed, cried, experienced every emotion while reading this book. Wow, couldn't put it down. Loved every minute of it. Thanks for sharing your story, Andre. Well worth the read.
| | | All I have to say is, that I dont follow tennis at all, but reading this made me google every incident and every player mentioned!! Fantastic read !! love it.
| | 1 star for audio copy only--not the text! | |
| | This review is only pertaining to the audio copy. I checked it out of the library because I thought it would be a great "read" for my commute. I gave up before getting through the first disc. Eric Davies's voice was a terrible choice for me with this book. I felt like I was listening to a horror movie trailer the whole time. It was very unsettling and kept me from getting connected to the material. I'll get it in paperback instead.
| | | This book provides insight into the life of an extraordinary athlete and humanitarian. It will not disappoint.. Agassi fan or not!
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