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English
Penguin
10 February 2016
The David vs Goliath story of the pathologist who discovered that America's favourite sport was killing its players. The brilliant young forensic pathologist had no idea that the body on the slab in front of him would change his life, and ultimately change the world. The body belonged to 53 year-old Mike Webster, a legendary American Footballer. 

After retiring from the game Webster's mental health had rapidly declined - he ended up living out of his van, treating his back pain with a Taser and using Superglue to fix his rotting teeth. How did this happen? How did Mike Webster end up like this? Dr. Bennet Omalu wanted to know. Born in Nigeria against the brutal backdrop of Civil War, Omalu's move to America and training as a pathologist let him act as an advocate for the dead. He considered it his calling. The autopsy found that Webster's psychosis was no accident.  Omalu unearthed groundbreaking evidence of a trauma-related disease - the inevitable consequence of years of head clashes in games. He knew that it would kill scores of other sportsmen unless something was done, and naively believed that the NFL would welcome the discovery. 

Instead, America's most powerful corporation tried to destroy him and discredit his findings. Taut and gorgeously told, this is the intensely personal story of one man's fight against a multi billion dollar colossus. A man who stood up for what was right, whatever the cost.

By:  
Imprint:   Penguin
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 198mm,  Width: 129mm,  Spine: 18mm
Weight:   214g
ISBN:   9780241975916
ISBN 10:   0241975913
Pages:   288
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  ELT Advanced ,  Undergraduate
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Jeanne Marie Laskas has written for GQ, Esquire and the New York Times. She is director of The Writing Program at the University of Pittsburgh, and she lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her family. She is the author of six books including Hidden America and The Exact Same Moon.

Reviews for Concussion

Bennet Omalu forced football to reckon with head trauma. The NFL doesn't want you to hear his story, but Jeanne Marie Laskas makes it unforgettable. This book is gripping, eye-opening, and full of heart. -- Emily Bazelon, author of 'Sticks and Stones' A gripping medical mystery and a dazzling portrait of the young scientist no one wanted to listen to. Bennet Omalu's struggle to force the NFL to reckon with head injuries should give us all hope - and pause. A fabulous, essential read. -- Rebecca Skloot, author of 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' This is classic David and Goliath, and Jeanne Marie Laskas - one of my favourite writers on earth - makes it as exciting as a great courtroom drama. A riveting, powerful human tale... and a masterclass on how to tell a story -- Charles Duhigg * New York Times *


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