The Player [Kindle Edition]

So why does The Player only get 3 stars? To me, the flaw in this book was that it wasn't at all chronological - we are taken from one event at one stage of his life to something completely different in seconds. This style was confusing and took away meaning from his stories. I felt like I didn't get enough time to absorb what he was expressing. Nevertheless, this book is certainly worth a read!

In contrast to John McEnroe's book, there is little sense of the pressures, intensity and loneliness of being at the sport's summit. The writing lacks depth and too much emphasis is placed on media comment rather than on Becker's own thoughts. The coverage of his tennis career is uneven (Stefan Edberg scarcely gets a mention) and there are no illustrative photographs. I did not get a good sense of how events changed and shaped him or how he matured and developed as a player and as a person.

The book is padded out by some dull, uninspiring and predictable anecdotes (courage of Mandela, charisma of Ali etc) and inexplicable digressions into third-rate travel writing (Paris taxi drivers, New York rudeness etc). At times, Becker descends into an ungracious rant against past injustices which becomes tedious.

Ultimately, the book is not thought-provoking and does not provide insights into a rarified world. Either Becker chose not to include it or he lacks the self-awareness or intelligence to learn from experience.