The Blind Side Evolution of a Game Author:Michael Lewis One day Michael Oher will be among the most highly paid athletes in the National Football League. When we first meet him, he is one of thirteen children by a mother addicted to crack; he does not know his real name, his father, his birthday, or how to read or write. He takes up football, and school, after a rich, white, evangelical family plucks... more » him from the streets. Then two great forces alter Oher: the family's love and the evolution of professional football itself into a game in which the quarterback must be protected at any cost. Our protagonist becomes the priceless package of size, speed, and agility necessary to guard the quarterback's greatest vulnerability: his blind side.« less
After watching the movie on DVD we obtained and read this book. It is truly a journey for Michael and wonderfully researched by the author. Pages and pages about coaches like Parcell, Walsh and the fire history of Lawrence Taylor provides a clear insight into the NFL as well as college coaches, high school amidst the problems of a cross cultural true story.
Even after reading it a first time, I went back and read parts again, and again.
If you are a football fan at any level, this you WILL enjoy. Magnificant true story.
The Blind Side is an incredibly interesting and informative book about a poor African-American's escape from poverty to being adopted by a rich, White, conservative, Southern family and heavily recruited by the top college football programs in the country. This is set against the backdrop of a changing NFL.
An excellent analysis on the evolution of the passing game in football and the need for a special type of person to play left tackle and guard the quarterback's "blind side." Also a fantastic human interest story. The movie (for which Sandra Bullock wins the Best Actress Oscar) covers the human interest stuff very well. The book has a great deal more on the evolution of the passing game. Much like the author's previous work "Moneyball" (about baseball), this book is highly readable even if you are not a sports fan.
I'll admit after seeing the movie, I became intrigued by Michael Oher. The thing to remember with this book is the title says it all. "The Blind Side: The Evolution of a Game." This is not just the story of Michael Oher but an explanation of the changing game of football which made Micheal Oher such a commodity. It was those chapters that I liked the least. I almost can't imagine going into this book with no football knowledge at all. Luckily, I grew up watching many of the names written about. I feel like that story of Michael Oher deserved a solid 4 stars where the "evolution of a game" part deserved a mere 3 stars.