The Beautiful Brain

An Audible Original

By: Hana Walker-Brown

Narrated by: Hana Walker-Brown

Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the Silver Sports Podcast award at the 2020 British Podcast Awards

This is a story about football - or soccer as it’s known in the US. The highs, the lows, historic match days, and foul play. It’s a celebration of a beloved player, a history maker, and his tragic ending at the final whistle. It’s a story about science and discovery, about the people on the frontline of life-changing research. But above all, it’s a story about family, and about consequence.

All of this is wrapped up in three little letters: C.T.E. A four-part investigative documentary from multi award-winning producer Hana Walker-Brown, The Beautiful Brain looks at the devastating effects of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)—a degenerative brain disease found in people who’ve suffered severe or repeated blows to the head.

Beginning with the story of FA Cup winner Jeff Astle, the podcast expands outwards looking at the widows, daughters and families who are left fighting for answers following the death of their loved ones. As the series progresses Hana’s investigation leads her from Britain’s football pitches to support groups for victims of domestic violence and beyond, sparking a vital discussion about accountability and the urgent need for further scientific studies into CTE. 

©2019 Audible, Ltd (P)2019 Audible, Ltd

CTE and Sports - not just for soccer fans

CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is much talked about with American Football, Grid Iron, because of the hard hitting tackles, heavy helmets and the regularity of concussions. But it is not something as regularly associated with soccer (at least in my mind), as sport that is generally considered 'softer' and less 'violent'. The Beautiful Brain is an audio documentary that looks into CTE and the history and links it has with 'the beautiful game', Soccer, futbol, football.

While this is focused on soccer, impacts to the head through heading the ball, and particularly West Brom player, Jeff Astle, this is an audio production not just for soccer fans. It is something that all sports fans should be interested in, especially those who are playing sports where head injuries are a risk. It explains the science of CTE as we currently understand it (it is still early days).

CTE is a disease caused through head trauma (including things such as head butting a football). The more head trauma, the more likely you are to develop CTE. It is associated with dementia, problems with thinking and memory, personality changes, and behavioral changes including aggression and depression.

In the audio we hear interviews with people who know Astle (family and friends), scientists, doctors, and CTE experts. They talk about how knowledge of CTE has come about and grown, how the research and how the research is being reacted to. it talks about the symptoms and how they start to show over time and how they can be tested. They talk to doctors and scientist doing research with amateur players - not professionals - and showing the impact is not just for the elite players. It presents what the risks are - is a single headbutt enough, or is it repeated and regular that is required? Is there a genetic component?

It also talks about how the Football Association, NFL and other sports have reacted to the research – generally not doing much and trying to ignore the problem. It talks about how the FA failed to go the promised investigation into Astle’s death and it’s links to CTE. FA eventually changed their approach, but it took a long time and a lot of pressure.

There is a tangent in the middle – where it goes and talks about CTE and females. It moves away from sports – possibly because the sports that cause CTE are less often played by females – and discussed other causes. Primarily domestic violence, although there are other causes discussed. It discusses here how the study of CTE and women is even further behind the male research, due to the lower levels of occurrence. It’s an interesting discussion, and it does further the discussion around CTE, what it is and what we do about it, but it is definitely a tangent away from the sports conversation that the rest of the documentary focuses on. Although it does eventually circled back to women in sports and CTE.

This is an audio-documentary - filled with interviews, excerpts, and so forth guided by Hana Walker-Brown. Walker-Brown has put together the interviews and produced the audio. It is well put together, considering the mix of audio. It ranges from new interviews (some which have picked up background noise) to sound excerpts from football matches going back to the 1960's. But none of it is mixed poorly or at wrong levels.

There is also atmospheric music added behind the recording, and between 'scene' changes in places. While it is there to set the mood it is subtle and never feels overwhelming.

Vitally important

Listening to the personal stories of people affected by this terrible condition brought me to a whole new level of understanding about CTE. I was surprised to learn about the physical and social CTE variances experienced by women. I was also inspired by all the front-line researchers, clinicians, reporters, and grass-roots capaigners working on this issue.

Thank God these things are free

You may think you're getting content about CTE, but by about 10 minutes in, after having spent the last 5 hearing about how many points some soccer player scored when he was younger and how he was so poor he stuffed newspapers into his shoes, you'll realize that this may not be what you're looking for. At least there's plenty of mood-setting audio of car doors opening and closing.

Don’t expect any facts or sciene

Narration is all about the human aspect and personal stories related to cte. If you are looking for information about the science behind cte you should look elsewhere.

Doesn't translate well to an audio book.

I am sure this was made for TV originally because it just doesn't work as an audiobook. I found myself tuning out in some spots, in others just listening to the sniffling and crying and gross snot sounds was making my eyes water at work (like when you see someone yawn and you have to yawn.)

I got almost to the end before I gave up, and this is a lot longer than I expected it to be. I feel like it could be summed up with a couple of sentences. "Being struck on the head by any means, whether once or repeatedly, can cause dementia to form later in life. Sports players and victims of domestic violence suffer from this the most."

There. That's the entire audiobook in a nutshell. I actually couldn't remember if I paid for this as I was going to get a refund if I did, but turns out it was a monthly freebie. At least there's that.

Varied Dialects Difficult to Understand

I normally enjoy the journalism selections on Audible. I was interested in the subject matter. The Beautiful Brain turned out to be the most difficult Original I’ve ever listened to. I listen to a great deal of British drama and am used to a variety of accents including Scotch and Irish as well as the Queen’s English and other regional dialects. I had difficulty comprehending what the family and the doctor were saying due to their strong accents. Actors should’ve been used to relate the experiences so listeners could better understand. Repeat listening didn’t help much. The narrator was fine and I’m certain she felt that the individuals themselves should be heard. That would’ve worked much better for a filmed segment not an audio only and particularly for American listeners.
More time should’ve been spent on the journalists uncovering the survey coverup of the football and soccer agencies as well. Very disappointing.

Yuck!

The indecipherable British accents, the false impression from the title ‘The Beautiful Brain’ of a potential new picture/perspective on the brain and how it functions and the pseudo scientific sense from the visual on the package are insufferably shabby and false marketing. And too much social blather...unacceptable.

Quit listening early on.

I added this book to my library out of interest in neurological syndromes like CTE. Unfortunately, after briefly mentioning CTE in the introduction, the story veers off to cover at length and in detail the soccer career of a player who I can only assume eventually develops CTE. I stopped listening after the man’s team participation, successes, family life, etc. became the primary focus. I don’t much care for soccer and know nothing about British teams, so I got tired of waiting for the medical/scientific information. This presentation would be of more interest to soccer fans who understand and enjoy references to the sport and particular players, and who are less intrigued by the mechanisms and prognosis of CTE in participants of contact sports.

FINALLY: let's talk about women and brain injuries

As a TBI patient, and a woman, the lack of information on how brain trauma affects women in different ways is very apparent. Both my neurologists have lamented this on my behalf, and even encouraged me to start a blog...but, you know, brain injury 🤷. the concept of a project like a blog freezes me up. so, thank you, thank you, thank you for this book!!!!

information every parent should have

This book was very timely for me. I have a daughter with her 4th concussion from a horse back riding fall. This was by far her worst one. she has previously been diagnosed with post concussive disorder but at no time did anyone mention permanent damage or that she should not ride again. After reading this I feel sure it is not worth the risk.