On Being John McEnroe

I don't follow sports really, but I like tennis, and I borrowed this thinking i'd just kind of skim it over lunch. Jesus. I became totally engrossed in this slim but potent mix of cultural analysis, pop psy, sports writing,and biography. I came to think of mcenroe not as a famous jerk, but as a famous jerk who is utterly fascinating, and yes-- a little admirable. You have to admit, that kind of sustained indignation, total disbelief when things don't go as planned, suggests powerful, delusional optimism. And it's not just about mcenroe-- there is great stuff in here about Borg and others too. Fantastic writing, and I laughed out loud.