Truth Doesn't Have a Side

My Alarming Discovery About the Danger of Contact Sports

By: Mark Tabb, Will Smith - foreword, Dr. Bennet Omalu

Narrated by: Ron Butler

Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

One day in 2002 the 50-year old body of former Pittsburgh Steeler and hall of famer Mike Webster was laid on a cold table in front of pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu. Webster's body looked to Omalu like the body of a much older man, and the circumstances of his behavior prior to his death were clouded in mystery. But when Omalu cut into Webster's brain, it appeared to be normal. Something didn't add up.

It was at this moment, Omalu studying slides of Webster's brain tissue under a microscope, that the world of contact sports would never be the same: the discovery of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. CTE can result in an array of devastating consequences including deterioration in attention, memory loss, social instability, depression, and even suicide. And Omalu's discovery of CTE in the brain of an American football player has become the catalyst of a blazing controversy across all contact sports.

At the center of that controversy stands the unlikely Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian-born American citizen, a mild-mannered, gentle man of faith. It is fascinating that it would take someone on the outside of American culture to make this amazing discovery, and refuse to let it be kept hidden. Dr. Omalu began his life in strife, growing up in war-torn Nigeria. But his medical studies in forensic pathology proved to be a lifeline. It fed his natural curiosity and awakened within a deeper desire to always search for the truth. Who would have thought that such an unexpected character would play such a role in bringing to life this world-changing data?

In Truth Doesn't Have a Side, discover the truth about CTE: Its causes and symptoms, how we might keep our children safe and guide professional athletes when CTE sets in. The problem of CTE is coming to light with each new story about an athlete's concussion problem, and we are likely facing dramatic changes to professional sports. You'll be inspired by Dr. Bennet Omalu a man driven by his love and concern for the welfare of all people, and his professional vow to speak the truth.

©2017 Omalu, LLC (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Unfortunately Compelling

The story of CTE is well presented in this book. As a physician I appreciate the depth he took to prove the connection to repeated head trauma. As a mother of twin 12 yo boys who love football, I am sad that they won’t be able to enjoy this sport any longer. Luckily they haven’t played much. I will encourage other sports to get the benefits of playing with a team.
Thank you for a wonderful book!

Truly Enlightening

Dr Omalu is both a brilliant scientist and a spiritual man who is dedicated to his work. He comes from humble beginnings and worked extremely hard to get to where he is in life now.

The truth of anything does not have a side. Dr Omalu had the education, circumstances and persistence to discover CTE as seen in football players and others involved in high contact sports. He took work home & paid for testing out of his own pocket. Who, but a very dedicated and passionate person would do that?

I must admit, I never liked football. I could see it was violent. Nor would I watch wrestling, boxing, martial arts or for that matter go to the circus where people walk a tightrope and abuse animals for entertainment.

I am also a spiritual person. I believe the words of the Bible were written to guide us through life and that the Bible is the Word of God. Therefore, I take the incident at 2 Samuel 23:15-17 to heart. David craved water from a certain well in Bethlehem. When his men heard of his thirst for that particular water; they broke through enemy lines to get it for him. When they brought it to him, he refused to drink it and poured it out on the ground to God because they had risked their lives to get it. The lesson I take from this is that we should not be entertained by those risking their life for my enjoyment. But that is my conscience; another reader may think otherwise.

I think this is a book that anyone with children should listen to. Those contemplating playing high impact sports should listen carefully to the advise of this book.

Enlightening!

While the book was as much about Dr. Omalu as it was about thhe discovery and cause of CTE, it was very enlightening. It was a testament on his survival and immigration plight as well as his rise to success in the US.

My two sons chose not to play football but rather baseball and swimming. I'm glad they did.

I truly believe we will see the end of football as we know it today within the next 25 years, if not sooner. The damage from repeated hits to the head and subsequently diagnosed CTE cannot be ignored.

Excellent Book On The Dangers Of High Impact Sport

Dr. Bennet Omalu from Nigeria describes how he came about to discover the disease of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, CTE. This is a chronic and so far irreversible and highly damaging condition that occurs in the brain from repeated blows to the head. He first discovered it in the brains of several professional football players, but he emphasizes that he can hurt with other blows to the head, and not just in adults but children also. His story was chronicled in the movie "Concussion," with Dr Omalu played by Will Smith. Mainly it talks about how he discovered the disease, and the struggles he had with bringing it to light against the opposition of the NFL.

He talks a little about his personal history as well, his struggles in Nigeria, his relationship with his wife and colleagues, and his faith in God. For us Americans he also provides a nice objective viewpoint on the racism that was present here during his college years and I assume somewhat now.

Narration is excellent. narrator has also an African accent, he uses voice inflection when necessary. I only gave the story 4 stars because it seems like he does repeat himself a little bit. I highly recommend this book, especially for parents of underage children who might be interested in contact sports. Every parent needs to be aware of what he's talking about here.

A Reader’s Prayer

Just an amazingly informative book! I enjoyed the frankness & spirituality shared within. Dr. Omalu has a strong faith and his writing encouraged me and reminded me of the gift that relying on God brings. It was an offering, a prayer, to and for all of those who may be struggling with any sort of trial, not just CTE. It was written so that the laymen could understand can complexed ideas about the brain and how contact sports damage it. I’m grateful to Dr. Omalu for sharing his story and for standing up to the NFL in an attempt to save lives. The narrator was EXCELLENT! The story was well written. Loved this book in every possible way.

Love God or Leave It

The essence of the story was interesting, but the delivery was cumbersome. I can sympathize with the guy and the hurdles he overcame, but my feeling was that he spent too much time thanking God for everything he accomplished in his life. I am definitely not questioning his beliefs or his right to have them, but, come on....I found this "preachering" annoying, and felt it interfered with the relating of the amazing discoveries that were his.

A Christian

Important for Parents to Hear

While at times the narrative feels repetitive, this is a wonderful story of trial and triumph that also includes sound advice for parents regarding sports and children.

Scary

I am 14 and I play football inn a six man league. I am getting concerned for my brains safety. Dr. Bennet's story is motivational and shows the American dream. The performance has some random stops but is good otherwise.

Real life

This book was hard to listen to at times, as I have a son that suffered axial shearing injury while playing football and suffers daily with its effects. But this is a great book to open your eyes to the effects of trauma on the brain. It is good to get to know Dr. Omahlu as well. Made me feel like I could call and talk to him about my son if I needed to.

Must Read

Some books have more to offer than is recognized by the tile. This is one of those books that offers so much more than just about the events that transpired in Bennett’s life.