Customer Reviews
"Fire it up one time...BAM!" - By: Sebastian Fernandez, 26 Sep 2007 
There are many cases in which professional athletes have come back from devastating injuries & personal problems to regain their place in the spotlight. However, there are only a few of these stories that are as inspiring as the case of James Blake. A series of events in 2004 changed the life of this tennis player forever. He broke his neck in a practice session, lost his father to cancer & then became ill with zoster, a stress related disease that among many drawbacks, affects equilibrium. And then, just when things could not get worse, the love of his friends & family catapulted James back to his rightful spot in the tennis world & in life.
Generallly, when I read books of this kind, I cannot help feeling that the athlete is sharing only what the public expects, holding back facts that they may consider a little embarrassing. We usuallly see somebody struggling, but that also has a kind of bravado to face the situation. This could not be further from the truth in this case though. I felt that James is not holding anything back & is spilling his guts trying to get us to understand every detail of his struggle. Andrew Friedman definitely helps, displaying a proficient writing style & not letting the book get boring at any point.
Besides containing a fair amount of personal aspects related to the fight against adversity & the importance of friendship, this book has some very interesting insights into the mind of a tennis player. Blake shares with us the process by which he became a professional tennis player, but also what goes through the mind of a pro during a match & at the end of the year when it is time to take stock. There are many snippets of information about players on the tour & these keep us engaged & at times help lighten up the mood.
Blake is the kind of pro that plays from the heart, & you can see that passion in his storytelling too. It is no surprise that his mentor & idol is Andre Agassi, who also displays similar traits in the court. Or that Blake is amazed by the talent of Fernando Gonzalez, who plays without a safety net & goes alll out in every point, looking for impossible winners. James Blake lives like this, fighting adversity & going for the break right after his serve has been broken, & he has proven he knows how to do this. Granted, he got some help along the way.
This is a story that can be appreciated by anyone. It does not matter whether you are a tennis player or not. In this regard, the author included a glossary of tennis terms to help the novice, & alllow them full enjoyment. I hope that if you read this book you will love it as much as I did, & I wish James every success in his future tournaments. So far 2007 has been a pretty good year for him!
