The concussion crisis Anatomy of a silent epidemic

Review by Booklist Review

Despite the misleading subtitle (it's the awareness of head injuries, not so much the incidence of them, that is growing so much), this book is a good primer for parents whose kids play contact sports, such as football. Veteran journalists Carroll and Rosner expertly mix statistics (1.7 million Americans each year are seen in the emergency room for traumatic brain injuries), history (including a heartbreaking section on Muhammad Ali), and tales of identified real people (a Rutgers football player who suffered from a helmet-to-helmet hit that caused an impact seizure). In perhaps the most depressing section, the authors observe that hundreds of thousands of people watched a sickening YouTube video of two eight-year-old boys who ram their helmets into each other, causing one to cry and writhe in pain as a coach casually ambles over. Finally, they express their frustration with quarterback Troy Aikman, who retired at 34 after multiple concussions, for minimizing the risks and insisting that they're inherent in the sport. A powerful call for action on the part of parents, coaches, and older athletes.--Springen, Kare. Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

On the heels of the recent deaths of NHL player Derek Boogaard and NFL safety Dave Duerson involving possible brain trauma, this book detailing the current plague of sports-related concussions, written by MSNBC.com health writer Carroll and sports scribe Rosner, is a very hot topic. The authors cite estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that there are 1.6 million to 3.8 million sports-related concussions every year. With more than 44 million girls and boys playing organized sports, the writers spell out the dire consequences of impact games without proper safety measures. They provide grisly statistics and cautionary examples of schoolchildren and sports figures such as big league football stars Troy Aikman, hockey star Pat LaFontaine, and boxer Jerry Quarry, who have compromised health after a life of competition and concussions. The authors recount how scientists have come to understand the danger concussions pre-sent-ranging from memory loss to impaired judgment and dementia-and note that although treatments and research in brain injuries are showing promise, prevention is the best way to protect both child and adult athletes. This noteworthy book issues a challenge to the "macho play-through-the pain" sports culture and urges a rethinking of safety versus spectacle. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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Review by Library Journal Review

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is often in the news. Returning war veterans have sustained these injuries in battle, and another group of victims incurs them right here at home: young athletes injured while playing football or basketball or engaging in other contact sports such as boxing. Many suffer no immediate consequences and assume their injuries amount to no more than a bump on the head. Some who seek medical attention neither show signs nor exhibit symptoms of injury. Despite this, there is often damage, especially if there have been repeated injuries. Health writer Carroll and sports writer Rosner examine the epidemic by looking at the lives of victims as well as the doctors and scientists researching these injuries. They include information on the anatomy and physiology of the brain, the damage caused by traumatic injury, and case histories of young children as well as professional athletes (e.g., Muhammad Ali, Jerry Quarry, and Steve Young). Injured soldiers and accident victims also tell their stories. VERDICT This valuable book brings an important public health issue to light. Highly recommended for public and consumer health libraries.-Barbara M. Bibel, Oakland P.L. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Review by Kirkus Book Review

A comprehensive, anecdote-laden analysis ofconcussive head traumas.MSNBC.com and New York Times health writer Carroll and former Newsday and Neurology Now reporter Rosner examine the concussion epidemic as a "major public health crisis," noting that many of these cases go ignored only to reemerge in adulthood as early-onset Alzheimer's disease or dementia, as in the case of boxing legend Sugar Ray Robinson. The authors reinforce their assertions with numerous case histories involving young athletes like teenaged football hopeful Dave Showalter, whose raw potential was stunted by the cumulative effects of repeated head injuries. More recognizable victims include NFL gridiron heroes Troy Aikman, Al Toon and Steve Young, and hockey stars Eddie Shore and Pat LaFontaineall of whom were forced into early retirement as a result of concussive brain damage. Carroll and Rosner spotlight the expansive reach of the syndrome by including female athletes equally susceptible to the malady, car-accident victims, a 13-year-old football player who suffered catastrophic injuries from a solitary event, military soldiers in Iraq and the coaches and professional athletic leagues who, under pressure from players, parents and the industry at large, brush off these potentially life-threatening wounds. Though the personal profiles vastly outnumber chapters on remedies, they are consistently intriguing and alarming, accentuated by brain-injury particulars, scientific and medical statistical data and clinical studies by leading concussion experts like Dr. Robert Cantu, who, after two decades of research, published defined guidelines on the duration athletes should be sidelined after a concussive event to prevent permanent damage from "second-impact syndrome." The authors argue that while positive change is underway with heightened awareness from NFL teams and elsewhere, the majority of concussions still go undiagnosed and that education remains the best defense against this "invisible injury with subtle symptoms that often seems to pass quickly."A cautionary wake-up call about addressing a seemingly innocuous hit to the head with critical care.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

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