Open

Lately I've been having a hard time finding books I wanted to read. I asked for suggestions from many people but I just wasn't in the mood for those genres of books... and finally a friend suggested the book Open: Andre Agassi, an autobiography. And a newfound hunger for autobiographies has overtaken me.
I really liked this book and I loved learning about his life, hearing him discover the things that really matter. But I wouldn't recommend this book because the swearing is horrendous! It was so frustrating and drove me nuts.
But I did take note of some quotes that I liked...

"What you feel doesn't matter in the end; it's what you do that makes you brave."

(This next quote needs some introduction info. Andre became a regular at a restaurant in New York where he became good friends with the owner, Frankie. One night the owner was talking about how he was worried for his children's future education, how he was going to pay for college even though it was so far down the road. Now Andre dropped out of school in 8th grade or something ridiculous like that, so he had no appreciation for school. But seeing Frankies' love for his kids and their education touched him. He took out a share of Nike in Frankies name and locked it so he wouldn't be able to open it for 10 years, which by the time would amount to a good amount to help pay for the college tuitions.)
"Helping Frankie provides more satisfaction and makes me feel more connected and alive and myself than anything else that happens in 1996. I tell myself: Remember this. hold on to this. This is the only perfection there is, the perfection of helping others. This is the only thing we can do that has any lasting value or meaning. This is why we're here. To make each other feel safe."

(Andre's main opponent was Pete, who he continually lost to over and over again.)
"Losing to Pete has caused me enormous pain, but int he long run it's also made me more resilient. if I'd beaten Pete more often, or if he'd come along in a different generation, I'd have a better record, and I might go down as a better player, but I'd be less."

So good life lessons learned, he was happiest at the end with his wife and kids. Good book. Although the cover is weird, it's a close up of his face and he looks depressed. So, little self conscious carrying this book around.