The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game

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  While very good, Michael Lewis's book The Blind Side skirts greatness, which is a pity. It could have approached J. Anthony Lukas's Common Ground as a great American book for the ages. The collision of a national business, education, rich middle/upper class, and extreme poverty with race relations, religion and crime could have yielded far more (not that I could have written even 10% of what Lewis has accomplished).

  Mr. Lewis faced the difficulty of writing a biography of a very quiet, but... (show more)

  While very good, Michael Lewis's book The Blind Side skirts greatness, which is a pity. It could have approached J. Anthony Lukas's Common Ground as a great American book for the ages. The collision of a national business, education, rich middle/upper class, and extreme poverty with race relations, religion and crime could have yielded far more (not that I could have written even 10% of what Lewis has accomplished).

  Mr. Lewis faced the difficulty of writing a biography of a very quiet, but highly unusual person. He was able to write a book, not the obvious long magazine article, by excessively detailing the business and history of the modern passing game in pro football and finally ends the book with more details of the protagonist’s life. Perhaps Mr. Lewis was intending a mystery by slowly peeling away the layers of a character. Subsequently, the screenwriter of The Blind Side stripped the story to the interaction of Michael Oher and the supportive family which “adopts” him - a far cleaner approach.

  The family in the story provides and resolves real American problems. The Tuohy’s and Briarcrest school learned to help people one-on-one, not as numbers, while focusing on a particular niche of helping extremely impoverished, yet athletically talented, African-Americans thrive by moving them one at a time into a richer, or at least, more stable culture. Many would call this racist. It really doesn’t matter. Christians realize better than most that saving people is hard work done on a personal basis, not through government programs or political correctness. This is the stuff of a great American novel.

  Mr. Lewis is a successful author writing on interesting social topics: a more detailed Gladwell. He would make far less money, but if he found the time over the next decade and rewrote this book, a great achievement is possible. (show less)

   

   

  by Dennis Ashendorf on Dec 22, 2009 at 09:04PM

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  If it hadn't been for the movie, I would have never read this book. Sports books aren't on my radar, usually. However, this book was amazing. Lewis is an amazing storyteller who weaves together the story of Michael Oher and other football players from the recent past into a tale that at times kept me on the edge of my seat. If there was a weakness in this book it was the fact the Lewis took the story right up to the edge challenging racial barriers without actually crossing the line. Alt... (show more)

  If it hadn't been for the movie, I would have never read this book. Sports books aren't on my radar, usually. However, this book was amazing. Lewis is an amazing storyteller who weaves together the story of Michael Oher and other football players from the recent past into a tale that at times kept me on the edge of my seat. If there was a weakness in this book it was the fact the Lewis took the story right up to the edge challenging racial barriers without actually crossing the line. Although he certainly sees the disparity between east and west Memphis, black and white America, Lewis doesn't quite seem ready to really explore those issues. But with that said, he does certainly push at the boundaries and highlights the fact that for every Michael Oher who finds their way out of the inner city and into sports superstardom, there are scores of others who have the talent and go unnoticed as a result of their disadvantaged social status. Overall, a great read! (show less)

   

   

  by Amanda Gayle Reed on Dec 08, 2009 at 03:03AM

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