Book Review: Running
Snooker Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan about his life, his passions & self control
During my stay in Italy i had the chance to get my hands on "Running", the autobiography of Ronnie O'Sullivan, 5 times World Snooker champion. I read the book in three days, which is always a good sign. Ronie talks about family, success, snooker and how running kept him on track, but maybe also ruined his marriage.
Ronnie O' Sullivan was born in 1975 in Chigwell, Essex, United Kingdom. H estarted his professional snooker career at the age of 16 and is known for his fast playing style at the snooker table. He is the youngest player to ever win a professional snooker ranking tournament and earned more than seven million pound Sterling in his professional career by the date of writing.
O'Sullivan takes a chronoligical approach to his life in his autobiography up until the point where he wins the world championships for the 5th time in 2013. He describes the relationship to his father and how it effected his professional development. His father's imrpisonment for murder, how his mother and he moved on, and the implications on his performance are described in intricate detail. A second pillar of the forms the description of his relationships to his wife Jo and his children. There is also a chapter on tips for runners included. The third pillar of relationships is to be seen between him and the world snooker association which is described as a Love/Hate relationship.
The book gives an inside view of addiction, high performance athletes and the psychological pressure involved in top performing environments. It is interesting to see an inside view. He also talks about how to run faster and his running injury.
I enjoyed the read and especially the no nonsense, down to earth style in which it is written. The author is brutally open and honest about himself, his addictions and how he dealt with it. You will get to know him mainly as a person and father, secondly as a snooker plyer and thirdly as a runner. This book can not be recommended to readers who want to improve their running performance, but to everyone who is trying to balance high achievements in a hugely competitive environment and being a father.
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