48 books like Strokes of Genius

By L. Jon Wertheim,

Here are 48 books that Strokes of Genius fans have personally recommended if you like Strokes of Genius. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Open: An Autobiography

Rusty Komori Author Of Superior: Creating a Superior Culture of Excellence

From my list on building excellence in leadership.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was the Head Coach of the Punahou School Boys Varsity Tennis Team for 22 years, and we were fortunate to win 22 consecutive State Championships. Since retiring as head coach in 2015, I felt compelled to become an author and share my system of coaching excellence which led to this unprecedented winning streak. I know there are distinct differences between great and superior which can be applied to everyone in business, sports, and life. I want to inspire everyone to maximize their potential and have peak performance as a parent, son or daughter, coach or player, leader or team member.

Rusty's book list on building excellence in leadership

Rusty Komori Why did Rusty love this book?

I loved this book because of how raw and vulnerable Agassi was in sharing his insecurities and adversities during his time as a tennis pro. As a tennis pro myself, I completely related to Agassi sharing his experiences as a competitor and the internal challenges he faced mentally and emotionally.

There’s no doubt that sports have countless common threads that help us to succeed in life. When competing in tennis, you’re out there by yourself, alone with only your thoughts. Therefore, controlling your mindset and constantly striving for superior excellence is vital in giving yourself the chance for peak performance.

I also liked how he found fulfillment through personal growth and maturity in overcoming adversities which ultimately led him to have a deep love and appreciation of tennis, and finding the love of his life in marrying Steffi Graf.

By Andre Agassi,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked Open as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

He is one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court - but from early childhood Andre Agassi hated the game.

Coaxed to swing a racket while still in the crib, forced to hit hundreds of balls a day while still in grade school, Agassi resented the constant pressure even as he drove himself to become a prodigy, an inner conflict that would define him. Now, in his beautiful, haunting autobiography, Agassi tells the story of a life framed by such conflicts.

Agassi makes us feel his…


Book cover of The Tennis Partner

Mahala Yates Stripling Author Of Bioethics and Medical Issues in Literature

From my list on medical/scientific stories that show what it means to be human.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an independent scholar who read Mortal Lessons, Richard Selzer’s book of essays about our common human condition - mortality. I began writing the biography of this Yale surgeon who influenced the literature-and-medicine movement, ushering in patient-centered care. I read everything by and about him, gaining a background in the medical humanities. In the middle of this project, I was asked to write Bioethics and Medical Issues in Literature. The first edition came out in 2005; subsequently I updated and published a second paperback edition in 2013, accessible by the general public and used as a complete curriculum. Clearly, reading literature helps us explore what makes us human.

Mahala's book list on medical/scientific stories that show what it means to be human

Mahala Yates Stripling Why did Mahala love this book?

Dr. Verghese, an African-born Indian internal medicine doctor, is famous for The Covenant of Water, selected by Oprah’s Book Club, but I am pulled back to his harrowing second book, The Tennis Partner. I enjoyed his gripping patient case histories while practicing in a Texas border town, but his focus is on his tennis games with his intern, David Smith, a former Australian tennis pro.

With each spirited rally, Verghese rebounds from life in the hospital and marital fatigue. While there is little talk of his unraveling marriage, I am intrigued by how their friendship deepens when they confide intimate details of their respective romances. I see Verghese’s strength of character as he moves on with his life, but things end badly for Smith, an alcohol and cocaine addict.

By Abraham Verghese,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Tennis Partner as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In January 1994, Abraham Verghese, an indian doctor in a Texan teaching hospital, was called to the morgue to identify the body of his close friend, student and tennis partner David Smith. David had killed himself because he could not deal with his addiction to intravenously injected cocaine. This book is Verghese's tribute to his dead friend; it is also an attempt to understand and explain drug addiction. Being both doctor and friend, Verghese offers us a unique insight into addiction, describing with clinical detachment the horrific physical symptoms of abuse, revealing how the stress of the medical profession leads…


Book cover of String Theory: David Foster Wallace on Tennis: A Library of America Special Publication

Sung J. Woo Author Of Love Love

From my list on tennis that may or may not feature pornography.

Why am I passionate about this?

I became a tennis fan in the mid-2000’s, when Roger Federer reigned supreme. But here’s the thing – I wasn’t a huge fan of his. In fact, I found him boring, because he’d win just about every match. But then came this young Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who wore sleeveless shirts and capri pants and resembled a pirate – and I’ve been hooked ever since. I play the game to the best of my ability, which isn’t much; I’ve been told by my opponents that I’m quite annoying, in that I often manage to turn surefire winners into yet another rally. Porn-wise, no expertise whatsoever, outside of researching it for my second novel!

Sung's book list on tennis that may or may not feature pornography

Sung J. Woo Why did Sung love this book?

If there’s a writer who could have written about tennis and pornography and made it work way better than yours truly, it is David Foster Wallace. But David did not waste his time on this planet (suicide in his 46th year) on idle silliness – no, he wrote essays like “Federer as a Religious Experience” for The New York Times, which is the fifth and final essay in his collection of his tennis nonfiction. Ranked nationally as a junior, David possessed intimate knowledge of the sport, and the first essay, “Derivative Sport in Tornado Alley,” indeed features a tornado that rips through team practice, but believe it or not, that natural disaster is not as frightening as the drudgery of tennis drills that he must master.

By David Foster Wallace,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked String Theory as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An instant classic of American sportswriting—the tennis essays of David Foster Wallace, “the best mind of his generation” (A. O. Scott) and “the best tennis-writer of all time” (New York Times)
 
Gathered for the first time in a deluxe collector's edition, here are David Foster Wallace's legendary writings on tennis, five tour-de-force pieces written with a competitor's insight and a fan's obsessive enthusiasm. Wallace brings his dazzling literary magic to the game he loved as he celebrates the other-worldly genius of Roger Federer; offers a wickedly witty disection of Tracy Austin's memoir; considers the artistry of Michael Joyce, a supremely…


Book cover of Double Fault

Sung J. Woo Author Of Love Love

From my list on tennis that may or may not feature pornography.

Why am I passionate about this?

I became a tennis fan in the mid-2000’s, when Roger Federer reigned supreme. But here’s the thing – I wasn’t a huge fan of his. In fact, I found him boring, because he’d win just about every match. But then came this young Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who wore sleeveless shirts and capri pants and resembled a pirate – and I’ve been hooked ever since. I play the game to the best of my ability, which isn’t much; I’ve been told by my opponents that I’m quite annoying, in that I often manage to turn surefire winners into yet another rally. Porn-wise, no expertise whatsoever, outside of researching it for my second novel!

Sung's book list on tennis that may or may not feature pornography

Sung J. Woo Why did Sung love this book?

Lyricism porn? Wordsmith porn? I don’t know what you call this, but here’s how Lionel starts Double Fault: “'The serve was into the sun, which at its apex the tennis ball perfectly eclipsed. A corona blazed on the ball's circumference, etching a ring on Willy's retina that would blind-spot the rest of the point.” Sigh. If I could write 10% as well as her, I’d die a happy man. This is the only novel in this list of five, and that alone should be reason enough to read it. Tennis novels are few and far in between; savor them when you see them, especially ones that are as beautifully acerbic as this one.

By Lionel Shriver, Barrington Saddler LLC,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Double Fault as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Shriver shows in a masterstroke why character is fate and how sport reveals it.” —New York Times Book Review

From the author of the New York Times bestseller The Post-Birthday World, and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin comes a brilliant and unflinching novel about the devastating cost of prizing achievement over love

Tennis has been Willy Novinsky's one love ever since she first picked up a racquet at the age of four. A middle-ranked pro at twenty-three, she's met her match in Eric Oberdorf, a low-ranked, untested Princeton grad who also intends to make his mark…


Book cover of Federer and Me: A Story of Obsession

Elizabeth Wilson Author Of Love Game: A History of Tennis, from Victorian Pastime to Global Phenomenon

From my list on the most beautiful and fascinating game of tennis.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an art, performance, and music junkie. I love spectacle. My writing career began with articles in the political underground press of the 1970s and I've always seen art and entertainment as ‘political’ in their messages and in the emotions they incite. Tennis for me is part of a cultural spectrum embracing fashion, city and recreational life, film and artistic counter cultures, all creating a world of excitement and passion, so my writing on tennis is part of a wider project: to try to answer the questions of why these performances are so much more than ‘just’ entertainment, why they give passion and meaning to life, and why they are inspirational.

Elizabeth's book list on the most beautiful and fascinating game of tennis

Elizabeth Wilson Why did Elizabeth love this book?

Finally, this is one for the fans, who are so important in sport. The blurb tells us, "For much of the past decade, William Skidelsky has not been able to stop thinking about Roger Federer, the greatest and most graceful player of all time. It’s a devotion that has been all-consuming." An obsession it certainly is and Skidellsky looks at it from all angles: his own emotional problems, the way the game of tennis has developed (not always for the better), and what Federer signifies as a sports and cultural icon. Why fans cared so passionately about Federer and more than about any other player tells us much about our culture of spectacle and consumption and our longing in a secular and cynical world for heroes to capture our imagination and to inspire.

By William Skidelsky,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Federer and Me as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

For much of the past decade, William Skidelsky has not been able to stop thinking about Roger Federer, the greatest and most graceful tennis player of all time. It's a devotion that has been all-consuming.

In Federer and Me, Skidelsky asks what it is about the Swiss star that transfixes him, and countless others. He dissects the wonders of his forehand, reflects on his rivalry with Nadal, revels in his victories and relives his most crushing defeats.

But this is more than just a book about Federer. In charting his obsession, Skidelsky explores the evolution of modern tennis, the role…


Book cover of Unstoppable

F.J. Campbell Author Of No Number Nine

From my list on fiction with sporty characters.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was born in England but have also lived in Germany and Switzerland. I’m not – and never have been – an elite sportsperson, but I'm fascinated by the sporting world and in particular, how young people who are into sports cope with the pressures of growing up and dealing with the successes and failures of sports. I love playing sports and watching it, in particular the Olympics and Paralympics, because of the drama, the tension, the soaring highs of winning, and the miserable lows of losing. The books that I've chosen hooked me in and kept me turning their pages because they’re gripping stories with irresistible (sporty) characters in inspiring settings.

F.J.'s book list on fiction with sporty characters

F.J. Campbell Why did F.J. love this book?

I would recommend Unstoppable to children (boys and girls) aged about 10 – 14 years old. Roxy and Kaine are twins – she plays tennis, he plays football, and they have a troubled home life. I remember that being a teenager is difficult enough, with all the confusion, uncertainty, and pressure it brings, but in this book you also throw in elite sport, knife crime, ambitious parents, and sibling rivalry. It’s the kind of book you might give to your son or daughter and you wouldn’t see them again until they’ve finished it. Should be called Unputdownable.

By Dan Freedman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Unstoppable as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Fourteen-year-old twins, Roxy and Kaine, have only one thing in common.
They HATE each other.

Kaine is loud, brash and brilliant at football.
Roxy is heading for tennis superstardom.

When tragedy strikes, their worlds are ripped apart.

Can they come together before it's too late?


Book cover of Winning the Loser's Game: Timeless Strategies for Successful Investing

Stephen R. Foerster Author Of In Pursuit of the Perfect Portfolio: The Stories, Voices, and Key Insights of the Pioneers Who Shaped the Way We Invest

From my list on developing your investment philosophy.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been interested in investing for over four decades since I started as a finance PhD student at Wharton. Since then my research has focused on understanding the stock market. Early on, I tried applying my research to my investing. For example, I was convinced that a recently listed stock called Google was way overvalued—was I ever wrong! That got me to reflect on my investment philosophy—what did I truly believe about how markets really behaved? That brought me back to understanding and appreciating the contributors to Modern Portfolio Theory, which led to a fun decade-long book project. Currently I enjoy writing about investing through my blog.

Stephen's book list on developing your investment philosophy

Stephen R. Foerster Why did Stephen love this book?

I had the pleasure of interviewing Charley for our book.

He’s a great storyteller. He was probably the first practitioner to advocate for passive index investing. He’s a tennis enthusiast, and his book was inspired by a book he read aimed at amateur tennis players. Ellis learned that to win at tennis, the best strategy is to simply try to not lose, and to not try to act like professional players.

He realized that the same strategy worked for investors as well. That means that investors shouldn’t try to beat the market.

By Charles Ellis,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked Winning the Loser's Game as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The definitive guide to long-term investing success-fully updated to address the realities of today's markets

Technology, information overload, and increasing market dominance by expert investors and computers make it harder than ever to produce investing results that overcome operating costs and fees. Winning the Loser's Game reveals everything you need to know to reduce costs, fees, and taxes, and focus on long-term policies that are right for you.

Candid, short, and super easy to read, Winning the Loser's Game walks you through the process of developing and implementing a powerful investing strategy that generates solid profits year after year. In…


Book cover of The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance

Florence Madden Author Of The Intention Impact Conundrum: Practical ways to achieve the impact you want

From my list on making the impact you want in work and in life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an author, trainer, coach, and podcaster – a description that would have shocked my much younger self. My own journey of self-development has taken me to the privileged position, through my business, of helping others on their journey to discover their own potential. The joy of seeing this emerge is fresh with every individual and group I work with, and of course my own journey of discovery continues too. Someone once said to the Dalai Lama, "When do you get to enlightenment?"…. "When I die!" came the reply. He recognised the value of being open to ideas and change… which is just some of the fabulous gifts we get from books and each other!

Florence's book list on making the impact you want in work and in life

Florence Madden Why did Florence love this book?

Originally written as a tennis coaching text – the wisdom of this approach transcends the world of tennis and carries an important message about how changing our thinking can release the latent potential in us whatever we are doing.

The focus is on the importance of self-talk – what our outer self is telling the inner self and in doing so chimes beautifully with what we know about our unconscious mind. We know that more than 90% of our behaviour is driven by our unconscious and it hears everything we say to ourselves – so consider the impact of critical self-talk and the potential damage to our confidence and performance.

The book is summarised in the formula: Potential minus Interference = Performance

We achieve at our best when we manage the ‘Interference’ we impose on ourselves!

By W. Timothy Gallwey,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Inner Game of Tennis as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Improve your game and discover your true potential by increasing your concentration, willpower and confidence.

Described by Billie Jean King as her 'tennis bible', Timothy Gallwey's multi-million bestseller, including an introduction from acclaimed sports psychologist Geoff Beattie, has been a phenomenon for players of all abilities since it was first published in 1972.

Instead of concentrating on how to improve your technique, it starts from the understanding that 'every game is composed of two parts, an outer game and an inner game'. The former is played against opponents on the court, but the latter is a battle within ourselves as…


Book cover of Court on Canvas: Tennis in Art

Elizabeth Wilson Author Of Love Game: A History of Tennis, from Victorian Pastime to Global Phenomenon

From my list on the most beautiful and fascinating game of tennis.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an art, performance, and music junkie. I love spectacle. My writing career began with articles in the political underground press of the 1970s and I've always seen art and entertainment as ‘political’ in their messages and in the emotions they incite. Tennis for me is part of a cultural spectrum embracing fashion, city and recreational life, film and artistic counter cultures, all creating a world of excitement and passion, so my writing on tennis is part of a wider project: to try to answer the questions of why these performances are so much more than ‘just’ entertainment, why they give passion and meaning to life, and why they are inspirational.

Elizabeth's book list on the most beautiful and fascinating game of tennis

Elizabeth Wilson Why did Elizabeth love this book?

This beautiful book is the catalogue of an art exhibition devoted to paintings and photographs that capture the world of tennis, demonstrating the close link between art and the sport. Indeed, many enthusiasts see tennis as an art in its own right and this book should convince any waverers. The gorgeous coloured and black and white illustrations range from late Victorian genre scenes of tennis as a social event including champagne, strawberries, and flirtation, on through the androgynous twenties and thirties and its development into the modern power game. Accompanying essays trace the game’s wider cultural influence. Here you will find above all the languor and elegance of social tennis and especially the centrality of women to it, from ladies playing in bustles and high heels to the Williams sisters in skin-tight miniskirts.

By Ann Sumner (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Court on Canvas as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Court on Canvas: Tennis in Art" celebrates the origins of the game in Birmingham and explores the ways in which tennis has inspired artists from the mid-nineteenth century onwards. The book guides us from the origins of the game as a genteel pastime for the upper classes, through its codification as a sport, to the international high-earning power game of today. It illustrates the changes in fashion associated with the sport and the important role tennis played in the emancipation of women in the early part of the twentieth century. The book contains a survey of images of tennis in…


Book cover of Carrie Soto Is Back

Brooke Bentley Author Of Sideline Confidential

From my list on sports for women.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a little girl I dreamed of becoming a sports reporter. I loved to write and spent most of my free time playing or watching sports. I earned an academic-athletic scholarship to Davidson College to play volleyball and went on to receive my master’s in journalism from the University of Southern California. After landing a job as media personality with the Houston Texans, I thought my career would skyrocket to national television. But I quickly learned that the world of sports journalism is anything but predictable. As I balanced motherhood and a career in sports reporting, I realized the most fascinating stories were the ones being created inside my own head.

Brooke's book list on sports for women

Brooke Bentley Why did Brooke love this book?

Sports fiction is having a mega moment thanks to Carrie Soto Is Back, which has reigned atop The New York Times bestseller list.

As a former college volleyball player, I was particularly drawn to this novel because it follows a woman athlete’s comeback- the excruciating physical grind she endures as well as the emotional growth she realizes. Taylor Jenkins Reid captures the details and strategies behind professional tennis and makes them dramatic and compelling, which isn’t an easy feat. I know from experience.

But what makes this novel special is the heroine or perhaps the antiheroine. Tennis legend Carrie Soto can be hard to like because she is cold, brazen, unapologetic, arrogant, yet insecure and scared. As I read the novel, I felt myself shift from wanting to strangle her to rooting for her to win one more Grand Slam and open herself to love.

Carrie shows us that the…

By Taylor Jenkins Reid,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Carrie Soto Is Back as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From the bestselling author of MALIBU RISING, DAISY JONES & THE SIX and THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO

'There's something about Carrie I will take forward with me in my life, and be a little better for. This book comes out in a few short weeks and you should preorder it. It made me cry twice, and when I finished reading, I had to sit for a minute with the hole it left in my chest . . . just order it' EMILY HENRY

'This Nineties tennis romp is a crowd-pleaser.…


Book cover of Open: An Autobiography
Book cover of The Tennis Partner
Book cover of String Theory: David Foster Wallace on Tennis: A Library of America Special Publication

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Interested in tennis, New York City, and Europe?

Tennis 32 books
New York City 1,144 books
Europe 956 books