Best book I read this year. Kept me reading the whole time, and could not go to sleep....

I was surprised in a really great way at how well-written and thoughtful this book was. Agassi is open and honest and you feel better for knowing his story. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone.

1. Because Andre has angst (he has always hated tennis, since the very beginning - see point 4.) and angst is interesting. Most importantly Andre doesn't skimp on the fast food binging, drug doing, getting love wronging details;

2. Because at heart this is a love story. And Andre, for wife and the school he set up for underprivileged kids, has a heck of a big heart;

3. Because like in any great book (fiction or non) you care about the characters. And really, who could care less about a meat-head musclebound trainer named Gil? Me. You fall in love with Andre Agassi's physical trainer the way you fell in love with Mickey, Rocky's legendary coach. Hint: it has to do with loyalty;

4. Because Andre's father is your worst nightmare of the athlete parent bast*rd breed and 'father was a bast*rd' stories are interesting, especially when Daddy was this callous, mean, selfish, wrong, complicated. 'Father was a bast*rd' stories are even better when son of said bast*rd becomes a world champion tennis player and not a bast*rd himself; and

5. Because the book is aptly titled. Andre gives every Brooke Shields-doubting-the-marriage (even while making the proposal) details. His gives of all the details, tells the stories you'd want to hear. Anecdotes like this one:

Agassi and his coach, Brad Gilbert, are having dinner at a favourite Italian restaurant after a match. By chance, Pete Sampras and his entourage are also at the restaurant, on the other side. As Pete leaves he comes by to say hi to Andre and Brad. After he goes, Brad tells Andre he'll bet him anything Pete didn't leave more than 5 bucks to the valet parking guy. Andre isn't as keen on finding out but Brad pushes and asks the teenager valet how much Pete gave him. The kid looks down, wants to do the right thing, doesn't want to tell. Brad pushes.

One dollar, the kid says. Pete Sampras gave the kid a dollar.

Commenting on this, Andre says, there is a world of difference between him and Pete.

A wonderful story that touched me in many ways beyond being simply a fun and entertaining read.

Andre Agassi showed me that, despite being famous himself, you don't need to be famous to have an extraordinary life. Because when he wrote about his life, his main focus was not tennis or fame. Although I enjoyed reading about his fame, I really connected with him reading about his early years growing up, with the way he dealt with adversity and how that shaped his personality and affected the decisions he made.

The book made me realize that every life is extraordinary because of the decisions that we make as we grow, mature and deal with adversity. It helped confirm that fame and money does not make you happier. Famous people deal with the same daily challenges as normal people, only on a larger and more complex scale.

This book has compelled me to write my own autobiography. And although it may not be as fun to read based on my lack of fame and limited accomplishments, I think it has the potential to be as interesting if given the chance. Because we all make decisions that shape our life, and that is something all people can relate to. For example, if I went on a trip, I will have lots of stories to tell people. But if I decided not to go on that trip, noone will ask me why I made that decision - more specifically, what aspects of my personality, or previous life experiences prevented me from going on that trip?

Andre Agassi helped me realize that the decisions he made in his life, not just what he did, was what shaped who he was.

Amazing book! Compeling, i could not put it down! He really let us into his life with this book! Best bio i have every read!

I truly loved this book. I don't usually read bio's but this one caught my attention when I saw Andre on a talk show promoting his book. I then picked it up at Chapers....read the first two chapers and was hooked! This book will open your eyes to the real man he is and also let you know that you can't and should not judge someone. He talks about his childhood, or lack of one, and the inner demons that he deals with on and off the tennis court. I recommond this book! I finished it in three days and it stayed with me for several days later!

I've always been an Andre Agassi fan. He made me get more interested in tennis. He was flashy and had a great personality. He was very charming and interesting. I've been lucky enough to see him play in person (and WIN!).

How shocking to read that Andre hated tennis! This is not just an in-depth look into Andre's life, but also into the 'secret' world of tennis. There's some juicy stuff here: the 'nice' Jimmy Conners was really a first-class pr*ck; the best tennis player who ever lived - Sampras, lived-up to my assumption of being boring, extremely uninteresting and kinda douchey; Brooke Shields was a broke, lonely and washed-up has-been when she met Andre; Andre wore a hairpiece (he recounts funny memories of that!); he hung out with David Foster and Kevin Costner - and somehow, Kevin's kids made a real, lasting impression on him; and the list goes on.

What I liked most about this book was Andre's honesty. He wasn't afraid to say things that made him look bad. He shared lots of details that many celebrities would NEVER do. It was VERY well-written. He did have help with the writing and organizing of his thoughts, but these are his memories - and are very comprehensive.

What I missed was 'the other side' of the story. While I understand that most autobiographies are just the authors' thoughts, I would have liked to have known WHY his fellow tennis players seemed to dislike him so much. Was he considered a 'snob' because he simply didn't associate with them? Was he ostracized because of his weird clothing and wild hairdo? Sure, he had a smart mouth when he was young - but why couldn't Connors even seem to have some emotion for this guy when he retired? Did Agassi steal Connors' thunder? It left me with too many unanswered questions.

Agassi is very candid about his girlfriends, but doesn't go into too many embarrassing details. I can't say that his descriptions of Brooke Shields are flattering. She comes across as controlling, overbearing, self-centred, and very extroverted. Steffi, on the other hand, comes across as the EXACT opposite - complacent, agreeable, humble and extremely shy.

This book really read like a novel about a boys journey to manhood. About a boy with an overbearing father who had to learn how to know what he wanted and know how to express it.

I was deeply, deeply moved most of all by his extraordinary relationship with his trainer, Gil. Gil was like his surrogate father. The father who pushed, but did it in such a supportive and lovable way. Rarely do we, as human beings, get to experience such a close friendship/kinship to someone that we meet along the way in our lilves. The loyalty between those two men was quite inspiring. I have my spouse and my family, but I gotta say, I'd like to have a Gil, too (and his magic Gil Water!).

Agassi is also a very emotional, passionate and giving man. Sure, a lot of celebrities give to those that are unfortunate...but hearing him recount the times he 'gave' and how it made him feel was quite inspirational.

I can't help but wonder what Shields, Sampras, Connors, Chang, McEnroe and his Dad think of his book, since I think these people stand out as having been portrayed negatively in some way. I suspect that only Shields would actually READ the book (I think the other males wouldn't give his book the time of day - which probably justifies the negative comments in the book), but I am sure they'll all hear what was said about them.

This was truly a delicious read...and I will never, ever feel the same way about a shower again!

Absolutely loved loved loved this book. It is amazingly well written, captivating, and addictive: I could not put it down!

I have long been a fan of tennis and Agassi himself, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for the man. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys tennis, or just wants to read an utterly fascinating story.

I thought Andre was a great guy before I read his book, and I think even higher of him now!! It was beautifully written and I highly recommend it.

Ok... Andre, I know your read these posting - so you owe me BIG TIME for this!!!! Are you ready?... This is the GREATEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN! - did you hear me Andre? THE GREATEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN. Never mind War and Peace (Although I wish your book was that long) or Shakespeare - Your book should be entered in the BOOK of Hall of Fame (If there is such a thing) because no other book can even come close to topping your book. I was in TEARS after reading some of your stories -The one about the giant stuffed bear you won at the carnival and the way you placed it on Nick's chair. I had to put the book down because I fell off the couch and rolled on the ground laughing so hard. I only have 40 characters left, The Best Book Ever!

Wonderful book. All tennis fans, and particularly those who followed Agassi´s carreer, will enjoy his autobiography. Sincere, well written and inspiring. I used to envy his tennis skills, I now envy his generosity.

I grew up playing tennis and watching both Andre and Steffi winning titles on TV. We only see their public side and this story really showed the more human side of professional sport. I can see now how 2 courageous and caring people got together.
It also reaffirms that parents need lessons on how to raise their children. A fast and entertaining read!

Agassi has an incredibly interesting story to tell. This is an inside look at the thoughts that run through the mind of a sports professional on and off the court. Agassi's openness with his reader is shocking and admirable. Whether you like tennis or not, you will glean a great deal about human nature from this book. One of the best I've ever read.

In my book it always is and Andre stays true to the title of his book, OPEN, perhaps naively in hindsight considering the fuss made about his meth use. But this story is far more than that. Told in an easy to read, entertaining style he describes his life on the tennis courts, his feelings about tennis, he's open about his rivals and his relationships - in a word, honest. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found it difficult to put down. If you're a fan of Andre's it's a must read, if you're a fan of tennis you'll enjoy it for it's in depth coverage of the game, on and off the courts. Highly recommended.