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The Blind Side (Movie Tie-in Edition) (Movie Tie-in Editions) |  | Author: Michael Lewis
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
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Rating:  292 reviews
Media: Paperback
Edition: Movie Tie-in Edition
Pages: 352
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1
ISBN: 039333838X
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.332092
EAN: 9780393338386
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Product Description
The book behind the Academy award-winning film starring Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw. Opening in theaters November 20, 2009, The Blind Side is a feature movie based on Michael’s Lewis’s New York Times bestseller, produced by Alcon Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The Blind Side tells the inspirational story of Michael Oher, a homeless black teen taken under the wing of the Touhys, a wealthy white Memphis family. Oher’s size and speed on the football field bring him accolades. But learning the game’s strategy and making it as a student take the help of his new family, coaches, and tutor.
Sandra Bullock stars as Leigh Anne Touhy, the sharp-witted and compassionate matriarch. Tim McGraw stars as her sports-enthusiast husband. Oscar winner Kathy Bates plays Miss Sue, Oher’s indefatigable tutor. Quinton Aaron has his first major role as Oher. John Lee Hancock, who directed The Rookie and The Alamo, writes and directs the film.
Michael Oher was just drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. This edition includes a new afterword bringing Oher’s life up to date through college and the NFL.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 292
 Multiple Stories, All Good September 26, 2006
R. Spell (Memphis, TN USA)
229 out of 253 found this review helpful
An incredible human interest story detailed further below but first.........the author of Liar's Poker and Moneyball is at it again with an offbeat interesting subject, or multiple subjects which are intertwined. This is an analysis of the evolution of the left side tackle designed to protect the quarterback's blind side, particularly from the evolution of speed rushers in the Lawrence Taylor mode. Lewis starts with an in depth analysis of Joe Theisman's famous leg break with some interesting facts even Joe didn't remember including who may really have been responsible. Separate stories are then presented of the new prototype Left Tackles like Jonathan Ogden whose investment banker father showed him that his value at Left Tackle would out way any interest in playing college basketball for his 6'9" son. This part of the book is intertwined with a historical perspective of how the passing game developed mainly through the Bill Walsh West Coast offense which downplays the significance of the quarterback. This section of the book is intertwined around the personal story to be described and while extremely interesting to football fans will have virtually NO appeal the typical female fan or other casual fans.
But what will be of greater human interest is the overlay of the story of Michael Oher, the "man/child" currently playing football at Ole Miss. Oher shows up at a predominantly white Christian school in the 9th grade with virtually no school history and horrible family background. An incredibly shy 350 pound kid struggles but ingratiates himself to faculty and staff and manages to stick around. Finally one Thanksgiving Day a volunteer assistant coach and his wife see him at a bus stop in his usual shorts and recognize that in addition to no money for food, he is traveling to the gym to watch practice just to be in a heated room. Through incredible acts of kindness and caring this young man is taken in by this wealthy Christian family who attempt to socialize and educate him for the future.
But little did they realize that at 6' 6" with an incredible frame and quick feet, football coaches would see their answer to possibly the most important position on the football field and they would relentlessly come calling. This presents many problems as Oher has virtually no chance of attending college with his past educational background. Thus begins the odyssey of the recruiting wars for this individual who by the end of high school has been called the best pro prospect even though he has played in only 15 football games.
This portion of the book dominates approximately 70% of the book. It is incredibly touching and I certainly applaud the sympathetic, caring approach by Leigh Ann and Sean Tuohy. This book is not just for football fans as the issues here are much greater. How does a child get to the 9th grade with virtually no retention of knowledge or ability to function in a social setting? What can a change in culture and caring do for this young man? And other questions will also appear such as is their potential ulterior motives for selecting this student out of so many and wasn't the final steps to eligibility really inappropriate? As to my opinion I choose to believe that the Tuohy's were interested in helping another human being, and in the process, it enriched the lives of their family, this young man and the possibilities that a loving, caring environment can create.
I strongly recommend this book for football fans, sociologists, and people with interest in politics, religion, or Southern Culture as there are many issues intertwined. Once again, the weakness to this book may be that he narrowed its focus by making it a "sports book". It's not. Its main message concerns underprivileged kids and how a change in environment can produce incredible results.
As a matter of disclosure, I live in Memphis, have leased Tuohy's his plane in the past and have many mutual friends. He and his wife have exceptional reputations and I applaud their involvement in helping this man.
Inspirational Story September 25, 2006
Jevon Jaconi (Luxemburg, WI USA)
68 out of 76 found this review helpful
Like in Moneyball and Liar's Poker, Michael Lewis examines a culture, e.g., baseball, stock market, and now football, while interspersing a biography illuminating the underlying culture.
In this case, Mr. Lewis shows how the left tackle position has rose from obscurity in the 1960s into one of the highest-paid positions in the current game. The initial focus is in how specialized a person must be to play this position as the highest level (more rare than many other positions). After this description, Mr. Lewis introduces us to Michael Oher, a person who has all of the physical tools and then some but has never played organized sports and has basically been abandoned since early childhood.
The people (parents, coaches, etc.) all want to help Mr. Oher fulfill his potential. However, it doesn't come off as being completely altrusitic as all benefit whom are in his presence, e.g., coach parlays his involvement into a college coaching position. In addition, the recruiting battles for Mr. Oher's services amplify these traits.
His adoptive parents and coaches seem angelic compared to the NCAA in this story. One of the most sobering statitistics quoted in this book is that only one of five players capable of playing in the NFL ever make through the legal and educational morass that is the NCAA.
It's hard not to root for Mr. Oher and I would think we'll see his name at the top of the draft board in 2007-2008. Excellent book and highly recommended.
Beyond the Game of Football October 16, 2006
Russell T. Sporer (Iowa USA)
29 out of 32 found this review helpful
As both an avid sports fan and reader of sports literature I found this to be by far the most outstanding sports related book I've ever read. (I've read lots of them)
Michael Lewis does a superb job of combining football statistics with human life drama as he chronicles the serendepidous coming together of the Touhy family and Michael Oher and all that follows.
If you love big time college football you'll enjoy reading about recruiting tactics of big time coaches, i.e. Fullmer, Saban, & others.
If you love NFL football you'll enjoy the statistical based reasoned explanation of how the game has evolved & changed over the past couple of decades. Throw in descriptions of personalities about prominent NFL people, i.e. Walsh, Ogden, Wallace, and others and you have a statistical based explanation with a genuine human approach.
Lewis is "Grishamesque" in his treatment of Michael Oher - I'm pulling for Michael to become an all pro left tackle.
Details of Michael's struggles, perserverance and successes brought tears to my eyes. Details of the Touhy family's care and nurturing of Michael reinforced my belief in the good of mankind. The world needs more people like them!!
Michael's final encounter with Antonio Turner caused me to jump to my feet, thrust my fist into the air and say, YES!!!!
This book is an incredible read about life, fate,big time sports and the economic value of highly skilled athletes. It is also about something more - the great economic and cultural divide in this country as evidenced by Urban America in general and Hurt Village and Dixie Homes in particular. Political leaders and public policy makers should read this book - it strikes at the heart of one of our country's greatest challenges in the 21st century - how do we close the gap between the "haves and have nots?"
Michael Lewis' great book is more than just the tale of Michael Oher November 30, 2009
Andy Orrock (Dallas, TX)
17 out of 19 found this review helpful
There are some off-base reviews here of people who loved the movie and figured that Michael Lewis' book would be the perfect follow-up. For those people, please note: the movie is BASED ON the book. Movie != Book. The movie represents just one thread of Lewis' excellent work. The sub-title of Lewis' work is "Evolution of a Game." Lewis' main thesis is hinted at in the brief voice-over that Sandra Bullock (in the persona of Leigh Anne Tuohy) provides at the outset of the film: that if the quarterback is the highest-paid position in the game, then the evolution of the game is that the second highest-paid position is the one that provides insurance to that position: the left tackle....the gentleman that protects the quarterback's blind side. Michael Oher is then presented as someone with the potential - five years in the future at of the time of Lewis' research - to assume that role in the NFL. Thus, at the time of Lewis' tale, we come to understand why he's such a heavily recruited commodity. From there, Lewis peels back the onion and we come to know of Oher's upbringing and the role of the Tuohy family.
I have to admit: I went in cynical about what to expect in the movie, fearing the worst. But director John Lee Hancock does a wonderful job here extracting the essence of Oher's tale. Because let's face it: the rest of Lewis' book - while fascinating to those of us interested in the sport - doesn't translate well to the screen. But of Oher's tale: it seems the stuff of a Hollywood movie. And it has the added benefit of being the truth. But, again, all credit here to director Hancock: I had hoped throughout the film that he'd have the good sense to finish the tale in the most powerful manner possible: by showing footage of the real Michael Oher selected in the 1st round of the NFL draft. And, that's exactly what Hancock does - followed up by a series of emotional photos provided by the Tuohy family. [Stay for the credits to see them.]
One note about where the book and movie are very divergent: the role of Sean Tuohy. In the movie, Sandra Bullock's Leigh Anne Tuohy is the driving force and Tim McGraw's Sean - while agreeable - seems along for the ride. Readers of the book know this is far from the case. Lewis cites Tuohy's special connection to high-school athletes and mentoring personality. Plus, what readers of the book don't see: how Michael Lewis happened upon this story in the first place - he and Sean Tuohy are childhood friends and high school classmates.
An unusual, interesting, moving, slice of American life December 5, 2006
M. Foose
16 out of 18 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed this book, read it one sitting, and then read all of the reviews just to justify continuing to think about it. Some of the reviewers didn't rate the book as highly as I did, but I can understand their complaints. The (minor, in my opinion) errors of fact are annoying, but probably only to a pretty serious football fan. And yes, if you consider the title only narrowly, you might be disappointed to find a book that is not just about football strategy and how the game has evolved. But, and I may be stretching a bit here, if you consider the title more metaphorically, there are other "blind sides" and "evolutions" at work here than just right-handed quarterbacks and the role of left-tackles.
I love football and probably have a slightly higher-than-average knowledge of the game (for a chick who was never allowed to play on a real team!) but this book taught me a few things about both the game and the business of football, on the college and professional levels.
Another "blind side" is the view of some serious holes in our society: that such desparate poverty exists alongside such immense wealth; that a child can be lost for YEARS without housing, education, health care, or any measure of security; that most of us really ought to be both more generous and more clear-minded about our responsibilities to each other and our ability to be of use. For me, this book's view of the generous acceptance, and the limits of the generosity and acceptance of a Southern Evangelical Christian community was alone worth the price of admission.
And perhaps "evolution" also includes the gaming of the ridiculous NCAA eligibility/compensation system, the dance of altruism and self-interest among some of the characters, and the growth of the young man at the heart of the story. But maybe I'm over-reaching.
I'm thinking of the old expression "neither flesh nor fowl nor good red herring." This book is like that; it's about a lot of different ideas. I think Michael Lewis does a terrific job of telling the story, without a tidy conclusion and without telling us the motivations of the people involved, instead letting us decide.
Personally, I applaud the Touhy family, here's a quote from the book by the adoptive mother: "I want a building...we're going to open a foundation that's only going to help out kids with athletic ability who don't have the academics to go to college. Screw the NCAA. I don't care what people say. I don't care if they say we're only interested in them because they're good at sports. Sports is all we know about."
If you want just one thing from a book, a football strategy guide, a tale of unlikely success, or a primer on Ole Miss, you might be disappointed. But if you want to take a deeper, closer look at a piece of our society (and you don't think that sports are a waste of time) I think you will be richly rewarded by this book. I was.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 292
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