“Lewis has such a gift for storytelling…he writes as lucidly for sports fans as for those who read him for other reasons.”–Janet Maslin, “New York Times” 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, … birthday, or how to read or write. He takes up football, and school, after a rich, white, evangelical family plucks 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. This paperback edition contains a brand-new 2007 afterword.
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Michael as a character is defined almost solely by his helplessness and gratitude. Great Film, highly recommended.
Let me start this review by pointing out the obvious: This book is NOT the feel-good movie starring Sandra Bullock as the force-of-nature LeighAnn Tuohy (I’m downplaying the fact that it celebrates a white “savior” for a troubled Black boy…). That was a surprise.
I really enjoy Michael Lewis’ ability to delineate an issue and explain it so even someone w/ no experience in the subject matter can understand it (like me w/ “shorting” stocks. I didn’t “get it” at all until my husband had me watch the movie, “The Big Short,” based on Lewis’ book of the same name.) Lewis’ “The Premonition” left me angry w/ everyone involved in the handling of the current pandemic. Therefore, I have to admit that when I figured out that MICHAEL LEWIS wrote “The Blind Side,” I thought, “Well, huh. Maybe he just wanted to write a feel-good story about a Black kid who made it out of the ‘hood.” Nope. The MOVIE is a feel-good story; the BOOK is about the business of being an offensive left tackle in the NFL, and how the change in football offensive strategy from running to passing led to the offensive left tackle becoming one of the highest-paid players on a football team – b/c he protects the very-expensive quarterback’s “blind side” (IF the quarterback is right-handed.). Michael Oher’s life story is used as illustration on the shift in focus onto the left tackle. This worked OK for me, as I dearly love college football (and my Chiefs!) and could follow what he was saying about the change in football strategy.
It’s a good book, but I can’t go a full 5 stars, b/c I just can’t help that get the sense that Lewis’ personal relationship w/ Sean Tuohy left him perplexed about the Tuohys’ motives for “saving” Michael Oher from the streets of west Memphis. Lewis’ ambivalence translates onto the pages of the book and therefore on to us as readers. Therefore, I rounded down to 4 stars.
The story of Michael Oher is one that should inspire a lot of people of how a kid managed to get himself from a disadvantaged youth into the NFL.
Very good story, based on fact, how a little inspiration and help from a friend can be very instrumental in what you are trying to achieve and get you self respect and confidence back.
good read. Answered many questions I had. Very interesting.
So much better and more complex than the movie.