Open: An Autobiography by former tennis pro Andre Agassi, is a book about his professional tennis career which began at the age of 16 and ended at age 36. But his book is really about so much more.
It's about his "hatred" of tennis and his internal "inner game" which feels like his own personal demon - something he struggled with mightily until very late in his career.
It's about his relationships with the people in his life - from his father who forced him to play the game at a young age, to his older brother Philly who traveled with him around the country and gave him moral support in Andre's early years as a pro, to his dedicated trainer Gil Reyes who became somewhat of a father figure and lifelong friend, to his coach Brad Gilbert who helped Andre rethink his game, to his relationship and short-lived marriage to Brooke Shields, to finally meeting the woman he would settle down and raise a family with, former pro player Stephanie (Steffi) Graf.
It's also about how Andre discovers what's really important in life - giving to and helping others - and the establishment of his Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy.
The title of the book, Open, is appropriate because Andre along with writer J.R. Moehringer truly does open up and seemingly "tell all". As a reader, you get a really good sense of how Andre was thinking and feeling, his struggles and self-doubt, his not being present, and how that affected his game.
The book is very easy to read, and although it helps to have at least some knowledge of the game of tennis, none is required.
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