Among the beautiful stories that make up this essential book for racket fans, Foster Wallace wrote an ode to Roger Federer, fresh from his 2006 victory over Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon, without profiling the player, but exposing the joys of seeing him in action. “The metaphysical explanation,” he says, “is that Roger Federer is one of those rare preternatural athletes who seem to be exempt, at least in part, from certain physical laws.” Written from the heart and with contagious enthusiasm, these essays show us the beauty, complexity, perfection, brilliance and demand of the author’s favorite sport.
