Fourth Down and Inches: Concussions and Football’s Make-or-Break Moment by Carla Killough McClafferty
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Mar.31, 2014, under Non-fiction, Sam's Reviews, Sports
Who would like this book: Anyone who is interested in the risks of concussions and brain trauma in football needs to read this book. Actually, anyone who plays or knows someone who plays football or other contact sports needs to read this book.
The goods on this book: When football got started in the 1890s, it was so violent that ten players were killed in a single year. Even with this carnage, its popularity soared, though slowly changes were made that made the sport somewhat safer. In straightforward prose, this book presents football’s rough beginning and then goes on to explain the continuing risks of concussions and brain trauma. With striking stories about specific players – professional, collegiate, and younger – McClafferty puts a face on what happens when players get hit too often and too hard. She also presents the facts of what happens to the player’s brain as the impact causes it to slam against the skull and helmet. The ongoing research and information about how to prevent serious brain trauma is invaluable. It’s a short book and a quick read, making it a wise investment for anyone involved in contact sports.
The details: 96 pages; 2013 Review by Samrarian
