I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to The Blind Side, and Beyond [Hardcover]

Michael Oher (Author), Don Yaeger (Contributor)

Book Description

Release date: February 8, 2011

The football star made famous in the hit film The Blind Side reflects on how far he has come from the circumstances of his youth.

Michael Oher is the young man at the center of the true story depicted in The Blind Side movie (and book) that swept up awards and accolades. Though the odds were heavily stacked against him, Michael had a burning desire deep within his soul to break out of the Memphis inner-city ghetto and into a world of opportunity. While many people are now familiar with Oher's amazing journey, this is the first time he shares his account of his story in his own words, revealing his thoughts and feelings with details that only he knows, and offering his point of view on how anyone can achieve a better life.

Looking back on how he went from being a homeless child in Memphis to playing in the NFL, Michael talks about the goals he had for himself in order to break out of the cycle of poverty, addiction, and hopelessness that trapped his family for so long. He recounts poignant stories growing up in the projects and running from child services and foster care over and over again in search of some familiarity. Eventually he grasped onto football as his ticket out of the madness and worked hard to make his dream into a reality.

But Oher also knew he would not be successful alone. With his adoptive family, the Touhys, and other influential people in mind, he describes the absolute necessity of seeking out positive role models and good friends who share the same values to achieve one's dreams.

Sharing untold stories of heartache, determination, courage, and love, I Beat the Odds is an incredibly rousing tale of one young man's quest to achieve the American dream.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I'd understand if some people out there felt like another re-telling of the Oher story was flogging a dead horse, but personally, I feel like there's a need for Oher's own opus."
-Yahoo Sports

"In a development I actually think is really great, Michael Oher will be publishing his own memoir now that his parents' story, The Blind Side, has been so thoroughly covered. It's long been my position that some of the uncomfortable things about the way that story gets covered are the simple result of the fact that he hasn't chosen to talk very much -- as this article points out, he contributed little in the way of interviews to either the book or the movie -- and I'll be happy to hear what the guy's got to say."
-Linda Holmes, NPR blogger.

About the Author

Michael Oher is an American football offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Ravens in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. He played college football at the University of Mississippi for the Ole Miss Rebels. He is best known as the subject of Michael Lewis’s 2006 book, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, and the even more popular 2009 film The Blind Side, in which Michael is portrayed by Quinton Aaron.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Gotham; First Edition edition (February 8, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592406122
• ISBN-13: 978-1592406128
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.1 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (122 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,963 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

179 of 183 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Michael Oher's Remarkable Story, In His Own Words February 8, 2011

By AdamSmythe

Format:Hardcover

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.

78 of 82 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Adds to the story February 8, 2011

By Avid Reader

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've read the Blind Side and the Tuohy's book and I agree with the first reviewer that Oher's book does add quite a bit of information not in the other books. Aside from details on his childhood, you get a sense of the kind of person the author is from his reactions to the people around him and his circumstances. My impression of the author is that he is a man with unusual maturity, compassion and kindness towards others all the more remarkable given the lack of nurturing he received early in life. He also comes across as funny and intelligent. The book definitely gives the reader a better idea of what Michael Oher is really like and I was surprised to see how insightful he seemed to be, not because I thought he was stupid, but because he is so young and yet expresses a maturity beyond his years. An inspirational book for teenagers or anyone else.

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I Beat The Odds February 11, 2011

By Amanda

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just started reading this book yesterday and Michael Oher did a wonderful job telling his story! It tells a story of what a child feels like when bounced around between foster homes while trying to keep their family together and all of the emotions that come with it. I think it took a lot of courage for him to go back to the different places he had lived and finally come to terms with the different events in his childhood. I have worked with kids in the foster care system and have seen first hand how they will try to "forget" different events in their lives. I can't imagine being in that situation and then having to relive it all over again. I like this book a lot more then the other two. I think it's more personal and could give hope to a child in the same situation that Michael was in. I am so happy he made it out of the bad neighborhood he grew up in and has done something great with his life!

Job well done Michael!