The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
Book Review: The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the best sports books I have ever read. I enjoyed MoneyBall but could not put down this book. Fascinating.Book Review: Best Sports Book I Have Ever Read.
Summary: 5 Stars
Michael Lewis does it again: this time running two wonderful stories in parallel - that of a virtually-orphaned African-American child taken in by a wealthy white family that resoundingly points to nurture rather than nature as a determinant of success; and that of the revolutions in modern football that led to a reliance on the passing game. The reasoning and argumentation behind both of these stories is economic, and as always, Lewis writes with a flair and an ear for dramatization that makes what are sophisticated arguments into a compelling read - believe the story is actually being made into a movie. Terrific page turner.Book Review: A Great Book on Lots of Levels
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an outstanding book. Tells a story about a great young man and a great family that overcome a lot together. Fascinating as a sports story, a social commentary, inspirational to anyone who wonders if he can make a difference. And the best part is it's all true. A real page turner, more exciting than any novel.Book Review: Can nurture overcome nature?
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is different from Lewis last few books in that sports takes a back seat to the human element.
Lewis's theme in this book is that when a person is given an honest shot to succeed, then more often than not, that person will succeed. Michael Oher is functionally illiterate and almost incapable of learning when he enters high school. Through the availability of resources provided by Sean and Leann Tuohy, Michael Oher is able to graduate in time and play football at Ole Miss. I felt that Lewis glossed over a lot of the difficulties that Michael must have faced while he was studying. Lewis instead gives us anecdotes that show how Michael Oher is a fish out of water. He does prove his hypothesis that an underprivileged kid can succeed simply by being given love and opportunity.
The book also shows the extreme divide between rich and poor in this country. While Oher was in the projects, no one cared whether he went to school. He spent his days playing basketball and hanging out. When Oher started attending high school in the rich part of Memphis, he was instantly thrust into an environment of privilege. Even when Oher is not living with the Tuohys, he is getting much more of an education than he would otherwise. The most stark example of this divide is that Oher's tutor is a teacher who used to teach in the Memphis Public Schools. Although it is never said, one can imagine she makes close to or more than what she made as a public school teacher tutoring Michael Oher. Lewis does a good job in showing the inequality that still exists between the resources of the rich and the poor.
Finally, the pageantry and politics in big time college football recruiting, Given the recent scandals involving Bobby Petrino and Nick Saban, the reader can see the slimy way these coaches lure young kids to play for their programs. Beginning in his junior year, Oher gets hundreds of letters a week. Coaches are at all of his practices. Oher's high school coach tries to get his by making an assistant coaching job for himself a de facto prerequisite for Oher attending the University of Tennessee. College recruiting comes off as dishonest and unethical.
As usual, Lewis has done a good job of mixing society and sport into an enjoyable narrative.
Book Review: 2 books for the price of one
Summary: 5 Stars
This is about Michael Oher, an impressive mass of humanity and football talent from the Memphis ghetto and the evolution of the left tackle position into the 2nd highest and important position on the field after QB. Each could have been there own book, but Oher's is a sad one, at first, a black kid "adopted" by a rich white family and put into an exclusive private school on the right side of the tracks. The Tuohy's want it to be believed they saw a kid who needed a break but he would never have darkened their doorway if he wasn't a 6"6" hulk with the body fat of a fullback and speed to play hoops as well. Never mind that he didn't talk at all, there were no previous school records and he was reading at a 3rd grade level. But he does persist and improve and by hook or crook graduates and accepts a scholarship to Ole Miss, where his adoptive parents went. But it's hard to read about his upbringing and not cheer for the kid and care less why he got a chance, just as long as did. (and to that end the Touhy's say they will do the same for more kids, albeit ones with athletic abilities).
The emergence of the LT position (Oher's spot) in importance is equally riveting, going from a "big ugly" spot where size was the only thing that mattered to getting people who could stop the new breed of pass rusher, equal size hulks with speed, like Lawrence Taylor. Since the game has changed from a running dominated to a passing dominated, the special skills necessary to play effective Left Tackle became more well know and realized, and with that the whole front line gained status and importance. Any game you watch today, the "key" in every broadcaster is how the line plays. Great, fast read.