Dorothy Bedford is an avid follower and contributor to The Concussion Blog. She has offered up a book review – out of the blue and appreciated – for me to post here. I have not read the book and if I get the chance may offer up my two-cents but until then I think that perhaps some of you may want to know about the book. With out further ado here it is (Thanks Dorothy);
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The history, the stories, and the latest science of football concussions
“Fourth Down and Inches: Concussions and Football’s Make or Break Moment” by Carla Killough McClafferty (2013)
Every week during the season, a few famous players’ concussions attract attention. They are attended by expert medical teams. Every week during the season, many youth and high school players suffer head injuries in silence because they don’t believe that a “ding” is a real injury, or they don’t want to “let the team down,” or the coach shrugs it off, or the parents don’t realize the medical or academic consequences. This book could change all that.
Carla McClafferty has written an excellent survey in a format accessible to a broad age spectrum of football players, their families, fans and youth football volunteers. With an extensive selection of heavily captioned illustrations and photos, and featuring short, punchy chapters the author presents a balanced view of the epic story of American football’s 1905 head injury crisis and the hidden, functional brain injuries underestimated and misunderstood until modern scientific methods began to reveal the truth in the 21st century. The colorful historical tale fills about one-third of the book, while the unfolding of a new perspective on brain injury and clear explanations of the latest research mix throughout the balance of the 87 page text, (plus wonderful supplemental material in the form of notes, bibliography, and further reading suggestions).
As a concussion safety advocate and fan, I have Continue reading
Due out tomorrow, Tuesday, September 18th, is Dr. Robert Cantu’s most recent writing on brain trauma; more specifically the concussion and how it relates to the ‘kids’. Dr. Cantu is THE expert when it comes to concussions, heck his CV is so expansive it would take up like 7 pages on here. The man knows his stuff; collaborating with Mark Hyman I believe he has written a book that is worth the read for everyone interested in this topic. By writing this book they not only address the concussion issue but the “iceberg below the surface” the youth athletes and their care. Obviously the millions that partake in sport and recreation are not privy to the top of the line medical staffs that the professional and high college athletes have at their disposal.
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