Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

First there was Michael Lewis's best-selling book, "The Blind Side." Then there was the popular movie of the same title, starring Sandra Bullock. Next there was Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy's book, "In a Heartbeat." (If you haven't read either of these two books or seen the movie, I wholeheartedly recommend them all--each has its own message.) Now, finally, Michael Oher has co-authored his own book about his remarkable story. Perhaps one of the first questions you might ask is whether there is a sufficiently different approach and message in Oher's book to make purchasing it worthwhile. In a word, my answer is yes. Oher's book is definitely not some short piece of fluff. It covers 21 chapters over about 250 pages, and while the book is fast-paced and easy to read, it addresses very important topics. According to Oher, he wrote this book primarily for two reasons: First, he wanted to separate fact from the fiction ("artistic choices") that Hollywood introduced into the movie. Second, and far more important, Oher wants to have a meaningful talk with the approximate 500,000 children in America whose lives have been turned over by the state to someone other than their parents. He knows that the odds in life are stacked against these children, and he wants to tell them how he beat the odds--hence the title of his book. While this book is easy to read, it still packs a powerful punch. Perhaps the most touching chapter to me was the third one, entitled "The Day They Took Me Away," which describes what happened when Child Protective Services came to take him from his mother. This about that situation for a moment. One theme that comes through loud and clear is that Michael Oher was very determined to make something of himself, and he wants to encourage that same determination in children at risk. As he stated, "Failure was simply not an option for me." This determination, by the way, certainly preceded his encounter with the very generous Tuohy family. Indeed, the famous movie scene where the Tuohy's silver BMW pulls up to him doesn't appear until page 136 of Oher's book. In short, this book represents a very worthwhile addition to the earlier books and movie concerning Michael Oher's life. It has a lot of interesting material, and it packs an important, inspiring and profound message. There are even a half-dozen or so pages of photos, examples of some of the heart-warming (and heart-breaking) letters that Oher receives from kids every week, and at the end of the book there's a listing of children's organizations that readers may want to become involved with. If the plight of thousands of children in the child welfare system interests you, this book is worthy of your careful consideration.