Friday, May 27, 2011

Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi

Andre Agassi:
This week, we looked at Denis Waitley's first seed, in his famous book Seeds of GreatnessSelf Esteem. Over the next nine weeks, we will focus on each of the other seeds, for a total of ten: Self Esteem, Creativity, Responsibility, Wisdom, Purpose, Communication, Faith, Adaptability, Perseverance, and Perspective.

My daughter gave me a copy of Andre Agassi's autobiography, 'Open' for a Christmas gift and it has now made it to the top of the reading pile. I can't put it down. Sports Illustrated said the same thing: "The writing here is exceptional. It is can't-put-down good." "Bracingly devoid of triumphalist homily, Aggassi's is one of the most pasionately anti-sports books ever written by a superstar athlete," says The New York Times. And Entertainment Weekly says, "Not only has Agassi bared his soul like few professional athletes ever have, he's done it with a flair and force that most professional writers can't even pull off."

The book is a fascinating insight into the psyche of one of the most unique individuals you will ever encounter. And it rings true to this weeks topic of self-esteem, as Agassi ("Image is Everything") explains how he battled self-esteem demons throughout his career. Self-esteem demons that we all battle, whether or not we have the best return in all of tennis. My wife and I remember sitting in a Nike Town in Atlanta, GA one Saturday morning in 1988 listening to Andre speak to a small group of fans. This was the long-haired, teen-age, rebel Andre and before he had won his first Grand Slam. We both walked away thinking, this guy has a heart as big as Atlanta, GA. There was something special about him that you couldn't quite put your finger on. Make this book a summer read!

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