The Blind Side

Evolution of a Game

By: Michael Lewis

Narrated by: Stephen Hoye

Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

In football, as in life, the value we place on people changes with the rules of the games they play.

When we first meet the young man at the center of this extraordinary and moving story, he is one of 13 children by a mother addicted to crack; he does not know his real name, his father, his birthday, or any of the things a child might learn in school. And he has no serious experience playing organized football.

What changes? He takes up football, and school, after a rich, Evangelical, Republican family plucks him from the mean streets.

Their love is the first great force that alters the world’s perception of the boy, whom they adopt. The second force is the evolution of professional football itself.

In The Blind Side, Lewis shows us a largely unanalyzed but inexorable trend in football working its way down from the pros to the high school game, where it collides with the life of a single young man to produce a narrative of great and surprising power.

©2006 Michael Lewis (P)2006 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

“[Lewis] is advancing a new genre of journalism.” (George F. Will, New York Times Book Review)

“...works on three levels. First as a shrewd analysis of the NFL; second, as an exposé of the insanity of big-time college football recruiting; and, third, as a moving portrait of the positive effect that love, family, and education can have in reversing the path of a life that was destined to be lived unhappily and, most likely, end badly.” (Wes Lukowsky, Booklist)

"As he did so memorably for baseball in Moneyball, Lewis takes a statistical X-ray of the hidden substructure of football, outlining the invisible doings of unsung players that determine the outcome more than the showy exploits of point scorers.... Lewis probes the fascinating question of whether football is a matter of brute force or subtle intellect." (Publishers Weekly)

Great read

Although I thought the book moneyball was the more interesting of the two Lewis sports books., the blind side is unique in telling a story of football stategy and family. if your a football historian like me, it's a must read. There are a lot of interesting stories and references to Lawrence Taylor, Bill Walsh, and how the a left tackle position changed football forever.

Another home run?

I've read or listened to all of Michael Lewis's books. This is possibly his best. It is a detailed account of the changes in football and the increasing importants of the offensive left tackle, all centered around the development of a poor kid with athletic talent.

And I'm not a sports fan!

All things can be achieved

If you could sum up The Blind Side in three words, what would they be?

Amazing encouraging extraordinary

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Blind Side?

To see how a family could take in a young man in need without any type of doubts or questions.

What does Stephen Hoye bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He givens so much life to each part chapter. One minute your listening to a story them he is a sports commentator and blends it together so well.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

So hard to say it was all so moving

AMAZING

Best book I have read in a while and read it very fast. It was a great overall book highly recommend if you like football or like heart warming stories

Kept me interested

Once you get past all of the football hoopla, the story is very interesting. I skipped chapters 5 and 12 because they were all about football players and such. I’d listen to it again if it was read by Sandra Bullock in her southern accent.

The Blind Side

Great audiobook. Felt like I was down in the trenches with the linemen and standing next to Joe Theisman when his leg was shattered. Great detail.

Touching and Informative

This was a fantastic book. As the title suggests, I was stunned to hear the details of Michael Oher's background. I was expecting more of a x's and o's type of story about the evolution of the left tackle position. The information in that area was used instead to reinforce Oher's value to the NFL and those around him.

This was a very well written book that is both socially and historically informative. The limited information on the evolution of the "Blind Side" is not abundant, but it is thouroughly informative. The emphasis on Michael Oher's background, and his relationship with the Tuohy family is eye-opening.

Don't wait for the movie, listen to triumph of the human spirit unabridged.

P.S. The dictation by Hoye was great, I loved his cajun accent.

Heart Warming

A good story about football, a great story that shows what can happen when a child is given a chance to succeed by those who care. I laughed until I had tears and at the same time my heart ached for Michael Ohr a young man who just needed a chance at life. Michael Lewis incorporates the world of pro-football with one of the best human interst stories you will ever listen to. Stephen Hoye is outstanding as the narrator. Have listened to this one twice.

Life Lesson

I purchased this book because of the author, not the subject matter. Michael Lewis is a gifted writer. The story is very interesting, but can feel a bit long at times. But the most enjoyable part for me is the appreciation for those who, behind the scenes, can make a fundemental difference in others lives. For the Blind Side, that person is the Left Tackle. For someone else, it may be a teacher, a mother or neighbor.

Really good book, wonderfully narrated

I'd seen the movie, so I already knew the general arc of the story. But the book, of course, tells a lot more. It was very interesting and well written, with a good bit of humor mixed in. The narration, by Stephen Hoye, was simply superb. He managed to slip subtly and fluidly into distinct character voices, while remaining always pleasant to listen to, and his inflection throughout is that of a first-rate storyteller bringing a text to life.