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Reviews
League of Denial: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for Truth by Steve Fainaru, Mark Fainaru-Wada
mcbibliotecaria's review against another edition
5.0
This made me cry. I am reading this extremely engaging and easy to absorb book about brain damage as a result of repeated blows to the head in typical NFL and really all football games. I remember being super pissed that Cutler left the game, thinking it wasn't a big deal since he's sitting on the side lines watching the field and looks fine. That he a little bitch and should get back in. And this book opens with the story of Mike Webster, and just thinking about his struggles against brain damage. He children having to pick him from train stations after he disappeared. His determination to hide his illness. And now it seems every few months word comes to us of another football player taking his own life, preserving his brain for science because he knows that was the problem. CTE looks and acts like Alzheimer, but it it directly causes by the intensity of the hits in football. I remember cheering on a extreme hit like "yeah get him". Because they got right back up, but they got right back up meant they still had some motor skills, there are so many recent examples of players who don't remember getting back up, and are essentially zombies on the field. And I wonder why they screwed up a play right after. I will continue to watch football, and I know I shouldn't. But I will no longer call the guy who proceed with caution weak. And I'm hoping the rest of America would catch on too.
mborer23's review against another edition
5.0
For years, the NFL has known that many retired players were suffering terrible mental and physical deterioration; however, the culture of football glorifies hard hits and "toughness," so the suffering those brutal hits caused has been covered up. A few brave medical professionals began studying brains of dead players and found a disturbing syndrome attributable to those players' football careers; unfortunately, the league has ignored some, sought to discredit others, and co-opted a few.
Overall, this was a fascinating read, although I felt very sad about the plight of the former players whose lives have been forever altered through playing a game they loved. I remember watching ESPN reports about the events detailed in this book as they unfolded, and it forever changed my view of football, ruining my enjoyment of the game.
This book should be required reading for all football fans, and especially for parents who send their sons to football practice with dreams of gridiron stardom.
Overall, this was a fascinating read, although I felt very sad about the plight of the former players whose lives have been forever altered through playing a game they loved. I remember watching ESPN reports about the events detailed in this book as they unfolded, and it forever changed my view of football, ruining my enjoyment of the game.
This book should be required reading for all football fans, and especially for parents who send their sons to football practice with dreams of gridiron stardom.
rolyatkcinmai's review against another edition
5.0
This is a scary read if you're a sports fan. The full extent of what we know, what we knew thirty years ago, and what the NFL has tried to suppress are laid out brilliantly in this investigative piece. This book brings the stark realisation that the thing we love is causing irreparable damage to a seemingly huge percentage of its participants and no one knows how to fix it.
Research into CTE is going to change sports in the twenty-first century and this book expertly chronicles the first forty years of those efforts. It's depressing, but highly informative.
Research into CTE is going to change sports in the twenty-first century and this book expertly chronicles the first forty years of those efforts. It's depressing, but highly informative.
jtrace23's review against another edition
4.0
A little redundant at times but overall a very interesting read. If you want any verification that the NFL are full of a bunch of assholes, this is the book for you.
endless30's review against another edition
4.0
I love football but if I ever had a son, he stands a 0.0% chance of ever playing organized football after reading this. I wonder what the long term viability of the sport will be after seeing the hidden devastation it causes to the player's brains.
librarimans's review against another edition
5.0
A fascinating (and troubling) look at the history of the concussion crisis in the NFL. Sadly, it is eerily reminiscent of Big Tobacco's denial of smoking leading to lung disease and cancer. This is an interesting read that you don't need to be a of the NFL to understand or appreciate.
allisonmae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
5.0
a great how to for bad scientific communication and research ethics.