I really wouldn't think that I would be disappointed by a Michael Lewis book, especially when I had read the wonderful piece on the subject matter that spawned the book (which can be found at this great new (to me) site, Byliner), and especially when I enjoyed Liar's Poker and Moneyball so much.
So why didn't I like The Blind Side?
Nothing that had to with Lewis, per se. What made me dislike the book was Michael Oher, about whom the book is about, and others after him got the treatment they did because they had some sort of athletic ability. Sure, it's nice to be able to pull kids from bad settings, broken homes, no finances. But when you're only doing it because the kid can play on the football field or basketball court, and strings are being pulled left and right to enable the kid to eke by academically so that he can put his skills to use for the school/team, who is it really helping?
Even for the longshot kid like Oher, who finds his way to millions of dollars as a professional athlete, what good is it? Where will they be when they can't play anymore and the money is spent? Right back where they began it all.
For those of you don't know the story, I recommend reading the article above. But in a nutshell, Michael Oher was a big athletic kid who grew up in a poor part of Memphis, Tennessee. He had numerous brothers and sisters, same mother, multitude of fathers (I seem to recall counting seven). Didn't go to school. Didn't learn to read. He was friends with a kid whose father was trying to get him into a rich private school. He brought along Oher in an attempt to do the same for him. Because of Oher's size, exemptions were made so he could attend. His size and athleticism made him an ideal left tackle, a position in football that is important because it protects the quarterback's blind side (assuming a right-handed throwing quarterback).
One of the families at the school adopts Michael and then later they start a foundation to help allow underprivileged athletes follow in Oher's footsteps.
Special treatment for athletes is nothing new and so it probably shouldn't bother me. But it did if for no other reason than you have these people with money and a willingness to help and instead of doing something that could help multitudes, they are singling out kids who can run fast or who are big. Athletes get hurt, their talents don't develop. The percentage that make it big is very low. Why not promote learning? Why not develop skills that can be used to help others in a manner other than entertainment? It just frustrated me.
And it's frustrating because I live in a state whose politicians seem to find ways to cut funding to schools and libraries and restrict our ability to learn. Why educate our children (and our adults) when we can outsource all our jobs to educated people in other countries who work cheaper? It seems to me that society's priorities are all out of whack and it stems, in part, because of a misuse of resources.
Am I carrying my frustrations about the world around me over to my frustrations with the subject matter of this book? I don't think so. I think it's connected. Regardless, I can't recommend this book. But Michael Lewis in general, I can. Check out one of his other books or read his stuff on Byliner.
--Jon
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