# 18: The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game
Michael Lewis
Excellent. Truly a delightful read. Made me go out and buy other Michael Lewis books that I had not yet read.
I originally thought the book would focus on the evolution of the left tackle position in football. This position has gained strategic importance over the past twenty years, Lewis traces its emergence to the need to stop the new type of linebacker epitomized by Lawrence Taylor as well as the development of the "west-Coast" offense made popular by Bill Walsh. Lewis shows how strategic thinking question the football status quo and changed the relative importance of the players in the game. This section of the book is interesting and well-written and somewhat in the vein of moneyball.
However, most of the story is about Michael Oher. This is where this book shines. Michael is an athletic "freak of nature" with a an amazing story. Born into a terrible inner-city Memphis world: crack-addicted mother, living in and out of foster care, 13 siblings, never knew his father before his death, and rarely attends school. Michael is adopted (at first emotionally and then literally) by a white upper-class family when he is in the 9th grade. Truly a heart-warming and beautiful story - his interaction with his siblings, with his teachers and friends, college recruiters, all of it . Michael is currently the starting left tackle at the University of Missouri and by all accounts is expected to succeed in the NFL.
Read this book! It is very good.
Excellent. Truly a delightful read. Made me go out and buy other Michael Lewis books that I had not yet read.
I originally thought the book would focus on the evolution of the left tackle position in football. This position has gained strategic importance over the past twenty years, Lewis traces its emergence to the need to stop the new type of linebacker epitomized by Lawrence Taylor as well as the development of the "west-Coast" offense made popular by Bill Walsh. Lewis shows how strategic thinking question the football status quo and changed the relative importance of the players in the game. This section of the book is interesting and well-written and somewhat in the vein of moneyball.
However, most of the story is about Michael Oher. This is where this book shines. Michael is an athletic "freak of nature" with a an amazing story. Born into a terrible inner-city Memphis world: crack-addicted mother, living in and out of foster care, 13 siblings, never knew his father before his death, and rarely attends school. Michael is adopted (at first emotionally and then literally) by a white upper-class family when he is in the 9th grade. Truly a heart-warming and beautiful story - his interaction with his siblings, with his teachers and friends, college recruiters, all of it . Michael is currently the starting left tackle at the University of Missouri and by all accounts is expected to succeed in the NFL.
Read this book! It is very good.
posted by guchix at 6:46 AM
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