The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis
Synopsis: The story of a Michael Oher's rise to football stardom. The young man at the center of this extraordinary and moving story will one day be among the most highly paid athletes in the NFL. Plucked from the mean streets of Memphis by a wealthy family, he took up football and school, and turned out to possess the priceless combination of size, speed, and agility needed to guard the quarterback's greatest vulnerability: his blind side.
If you think this is just a "sports book" about a kid from the streets of Memphis making to the NFL against a lot of odds you're wrong. The writer gets pretty deep into football, specifically why the left guard is so important and the evolution of the position. He also gets into racial divides a lot, in and about the south in Memphis and at Ole Miss. There are multiple stories going on at once really, but the focal point is how this massive inter-city kid ended up in a white home on the rich side of Memphis. He could make all of this a whole lot more complicated, but I think he does a great job of making it accessible for anyone to enjoy. That's not to say it's dumbed down either. Far from it.
But I will say, if you don't care about football it's still probably going to get a bit too deep at times for you. You'll want to skip a few chapters.
It's a well written human interest story how a change in environment can produce incredible results. What if everybody had the same opportunities? How many underprivileged kids could make a difference in this world with someone who cared about them and had enough money to be allowed to live and learn on the same level?
A very inspirational and enjoyable read.
9/10
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