A must read for tennis and sports fans, Wertheim's "Strokes of Genius" takes you inside the greatest match in tennis history. Wertheim is at his best when he goes behind the scenes to add depth and texture to Nadal and Federer's clash. Just one example among many, Wertheim describes a tennis researcher's finding that Federer consistently wears a different facial expression in matches with Nadal, a grimace rather than a Mona Lisa smile, than he does against any other player. Wertheim would have been wise to delete, or at least significantly append, his many lengthy play-by-play recaps of big points in the match; they add little to our understanding of the match and can not begin to capture the awe inspiring nature of these athletes competing with one another. With Nadal vs. Federer we finally got to see what would happen if the unstoppable projectile collided with the immovable object. The result: indescribable beauty. So read Wertheim to understand why this was not only the best tennis match ever, but perhaps also the finest single sporting contest in memory. Then go watch the match on DVD and marvel at what we humans at our best are capable of.
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