Jeanne Marie Laskas first met the young forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu in 2009, while reporting a story for GQ that would go on to inspire the movie Concussion. Omalu told her about a day in September 2002, when, in a dingy morgue in downtown Pittsburgh, he picked up a scalpel and made a discovery that would rattle America in ways he’d never intended. Omalu was new to America, chasing the dream, a deeply spiritual man escaping the wounds of civil war in Nigeria. The body on the slab in front of him belonged to a fifty-year-old named Mike Webster, aka “Iron Mike,” a Hall of Fame center for the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the greatest ever to play the game. After retiring in 1990, Webster had suffered a dizzyingly steep decline. Toward the end of his life, he was living out of his van, tasering himself to relieve his chronic pain, and fixing his rotting teeth with Super Glue. How did this happen?,Omalu asked himself. How did a young man like Mike Webster end up like this? The search for answers would change Omalu’s life forever and put him in the crosshairs of one of the most powerful corporations in America: the National Football League. What Omalu discovered in Webster’s brain—proof that Iron Mike’s mental deterioration was no accident but a disease caused by blows to the head that could affect everyone playing the game—was the one truth the NFL wanted to ignore. Taut, gripping, and gorgeously told, Concussion is the stirring story of one unlikely man’s decision to stand up to a multibillion-dollar colossus, and to tell the world the truth.

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Awhile back I picked up the book League of Denial, a nonfiction book by ESPN sportswriters (and brothers) Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru. When I later went to watch the film Concussion starring Will Smith, it felt like almost a play by play of that book so I was guessing it was used as a reference. Admittedly, I wasn't watching the opening credits that closely where I would have likely seen that the movie was actually inspired by this book by Jeanne Marie Laskas. Well, technically this piece started as a 2009 article Laskas wrote for GQ magazine entitled "Game Brain", which she then expanded into this book. But once I did discover the Laskas credit, I figured why not go ahead and check out her book too. So here we are post-read. My thoughts? Hmm, a mixed bag, I think.

If you enjoyed the film but haven't picked up League of Denial, this will definitely give you an interesting background look at the key players in the history of the discovery of CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy). And it's a short read to boot, so there's that. But having now covered both books, my personal recommendation -- if your primary interest is on the topic of CTE itself -- would be to put your focus on the League of Denial book. Laskas even gives LOD a shout-out in her acknowledgements.

Laskas' book Concussion, while it can't help but hit upon some of the same material covered in League of Denial, felt more like a general biography of Dr. Bennett Omalu. Omalu's work with his mentor, Cyril Wecht, the discovery of CTE, all that ... Laskas doesn't really start to delve into that until about 90 pages in. So I found the title of Laskas' book to be a little misleading. You'll still learn the basic bulletpoint facts of CTE from her book, but you'll come away much more knowledgeable going with the Fainaru Bros. book. It feels a little odd saying that, as Laskas acknowledges spending quite a bit of time with Omalu himself, even having him write portions of this book himself, but that's my take-away.

That being said, I did enjoy the reading for the chance to get a little better background & insight into the man himself. Dr. Omalu is certified in four different areas of pathology: anatomic, clinical, forensic and neuropathology. He also holds SEVEN separate degrees including two doctorates, a masters in business administration and a masters in public health! It was interesting to learn the fitting history & meaning behind Omalu's name. Omalu is the shortened version of his original Igbo name Onyemalukwube, translating to "If you know, come forth and speak." His first name, Bennett, has a meaning of "blessed". Even his middle name, Ifeakandu (the name of the doctor who delivered him in Nnokwa, Africa in 1968 during the Igbo genocide), translates to "life is the greatest gift of all". Clearly, his parents envisioned glorious things for him, and it turns out they weren't wrong! 

Omalu started schooling at the age of three rather than the traditional starting age of five, mainly because he didn't want to be separated from his close-in-age older brother, Chizoba. But it didn't take long for teachers to see Omalu was quite gifted in intelligence. At age 12 he was awarded a scholarship to attend a school for gifted children, but since Chizoba didn't qualify, a separation of the boys was inevitable. Omalu did so well that he was able to START MEDICAL SCHOOL AT 16!! Omalu got into Enugu University in Nigeria, the same medical school where his older sister, Uche, got her medical degree. Seriously one impressive family in the brains department! (Sidenote: it's also where author Chinua Achebe was a professor).

Though things were going well for him academically, Omalu still felt the pressures of continuing conflict between Muslims and Christians in the area. After an episode involving a mental breakdown, it was thought maybe moving to the United States might help Omalu get a grasp on his mental health. His family pooled money together to get him on a flight to the East Coast of the US, but not before a somewhat laughable experience his brother set up: Omalu's brother arranged for a local prostitute to come by and de-flower him before he left Africa, but Omalu says the prostitute's "soulless eyes" spooked him so bad he chickened out. A neighborhood girl ends up getting the job done LOL

Once in the States, Omalu's struggles with depression continue. He also finds himself surprised by being faced with racism in the US, a land he had always pictured as a sort of paradise priding itself on equal opportunities for everyone. But he does find that professionally, putting his emphasis on labwork rather than patient interaction does give him some level of comfort in the matter. Omalu develops a fascination with the field of forensics because of death being "the great equalizer" (meaning that it sort of levels the playing field in that "all this, you can't take it with you" kind of way). He goes on to obtain a position as a coroner under the mentorship of Dr. Cyril Wecht (wonderfully played by Albert Brooks in the film).

Wecht's own career gained notoriety after he discovered JFK's brain went missing post-assassination autopsy. Wecht was asked to join a forensic panel to re-investigate the shooting of President Kennedy, and he was one of the first to come out and suggest the possibility of more than one gunman. Wecht went on to cover more high-profile cases: claiming that the death of Elvis Presley was likely a drug overdose, not a heart attack; Marilyn Monroe was possibly murdered; OJ Simpson did it but had help; JonBenet (in his opinion) was killed by her father during an act of molestation; he even weighed in on the cases of the Branch Davidians, Laci Peterson, Anna Nicole Smith, and the multiple murders instigated by Charles Manson. 

Omalu credits Wecht for giving him the freedom to research hunches regarding the possible existence of CTE in the cases of the football player autopsies. Wecht pushed Omalu to drop the meekness and become fearless, even ruthless if need be, about fighting cover ups by powerful corporations. At the age of 76 (the age where the film introduces him), Dr. Wecht was put on trial for mail and wire fraud, being accused of illegal use of government resources for his personal benefit. Wecht claimed it was just a ploy by people in power to get the attention off the discovery of CTE and the damage it could do to the all-powerful NFL (* Might sound crazy reading that, I know, but once you take in the books & film, his stance DOES make more sense... as Brooks' character says in the film, "Sunday used to belong to God, now it belongs to the NFL", in reference to the insane mountain of millions upon millions of dollars the NFL generates in revenue each year). Omalu, who loved Wecht like a father, was persistently pushed to testify against him. 

Because of Wecht's support of Omalu's desire to seek the truth, Omalu was able to pinpoint the specifics of CTE. Though Omalu left the brain of Mike Webster, his first professional football case, in storage for a month before studying it, once he dove in the findings were extraordinary. Dr. Omalu came to find that tau, a kind of lubricant, fluidy material in the brain, actually exists in ALL brains in small amounts. It's when TOO much builds up that you get problems. Persistent head traumas seem to up the production of tau, causing bundles of neurofibrillary tangles which then start to strangle out and kill off healthy brain cells. As more brains of football players found their way under Omalu's microscope, he furthered his investigation by interviewing survivors of the deceased players, building up case histories documenting evidence of speech and behavioral changes (for the worse) in the years prior to death, cognitive delays, financial struggles, scenes of domestic violence, marriage bust-ups, all the pitfalls of life you can imagine. He even went back and laid out the history of dementia pugilistica or "punch drunk syndrome", historically found in professional boxers... the symptoms? Nearly identical to those that Omalu's football playing cases complained of prior to their deaths. 

So all in all, a solid study into the life of Dr. Omalu himself, but when it comes to more specifically addressing the topic of CTE, this book comes off feeling like more of an overview. The writing style is entertaining to be sure, having much the feel of a sports documentary narration, but more "highlights reel" than anything.

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EXTRAS:

>> The genocide of the Igbo people in the 1960s was later given the name Nigerian Civil War / Biafran War (1966-1970) after the tragic killings started receiving worldwide media coverage. Tens of thousands of Christian Igbo citizens of Nigeria, Africa were slaughtered by the Muslim Nigerian Army. Omalu's family was forced to flee their homeland just to survive. 

>> The book includes a several pages long glossy insert of photos covering Omalu's life. One photo shows the real Julian Bailes, played by Alec Baldwin in the film Concussion. 

>> Speaking of the film, the relationship between Omalu and his wife was MUCH more romanticized in the film (no surprise). No saying the marriage isn't good between them, just saying when you read the book, you find how the relationship unfolded wasn't quite how the movie laid it out. Also came to find out that the relationship between Wecht and Omalu was given a bit of a glossy finish as well... they actually didn't speak for seven years following the trial. 

The beginning threw me off because I have seen the documentary on Netflix about this subject and expected the book to delve right into the matter but instead it starts with the childhood of Dr. Bennet Omalu, basically resulting in a biography for the first third or so of the book. Alright, I can roll with that. But then the author made the interesting stylistic choice of cutting in Omalu's own narration of his POV of certain events covered in the book in an italicized sentence here, paragraph there; I was absolutely convinced that this was meant to imply that Omalu was schizophrenic in the same way that it is implied throughout the book that he is emotionally immature. Regarding the latter, I think the book does a great job of showing how intelligence is not necessarily linked to emotional development, because while Dr. Omalu is clearly intelligent and good at his job, he is also portrayed as being gullible, resulting in his skills being taken advantage of first by his mentor and then, later, by the personalities involved with covering up his discovery or taking credit for it.

My favorite aspect was the comparison of the NFL with big tobacco companies and their cover up practices. Reminds me of those anti-smoking ads that used to run on TV. But anytime there are multi-billion dollar industries involved, shouldn't corruption be the default assumption? :P

Apparently the point of the book was to bring Dr. Omalu's role in the events into light, and in that I do believe it succeeded. After all, there is now a movie version starring Will Smith. I also liked the comparisons between Nigerian and American culture which made me more eager to read something from Nigeria for my world books challenge.

A special thank you to NetGallery for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to read Laskas' book because I have children in competitive contact sports. My boys wear helmets. As parents, we spend a lot of money and research on said helmets to ensure we are protecting our kids. This is not the case.

"Then again, unlike boxers, football players wear helmets, good protection for the skull. So it would be reasonable to think that the brain would be spared damaging impact. But plenty of people know better. Anybody who knew anything about the anatomy of the head knew better. It was a simple matter of physics. The brain floats, is suspended in a kind of thick jelly inside the skull. If you hit the head hard enough, that brain is going to move, no matter what kind of protection you put around the skull. A helmet protects the skull. A helmet can't keep the brain from sloshing around in that skull. If you hit your head hard enough, the brain goes bashing against the walls of the skull. Bennet had seen plenty of cases of brains destroyed despite helmets. People in motorcycle crashes wore helmets. On the surface is nothing, but you open the skull and the brain is mush."

I don't know much about American football, and neither did Dr. Omalu, but football wasn't the catalyst for wanting to study the brain of Iron Mike Webster who died from a heart attack at the age of 50. Webster, one of the greats of the game, went from living the dream as a professional athlete, to forgetting how to live. He tried to glue his teeth back into his mouth, and had to taser himself into unconsciousness to get some sleep. Omalu suspected that Webster's crazy behaviour was as a result of an underlying brain disease and set out to prove just this.

This story is absolutely riveting and amazing. I enjoyed reading about Omalu's background and growing up in Nigeria, as well as the relationship between Omalu and Wecht (a forensic pathologist who has been involved with any and all high-profile cases, including being on the panel that supported the two bullet theory). Laskas is a wonderful and detailed writer and I would highly recommend this book.

By:  Jeanne Marie Laskas

ISBN:  9780812987577

Publisher: Random House

Publication Date: 11/24/2015 

Format: Paperback 

My Rating:  5 Stars +
 

Featured Weekend Read

A special thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TOP BOOKS OF 2015! 5 Stars+

Award-winning literary journalist, Jeanne Marie Laskas returns following Hidden America, with her unique talent and style, uncovering real people, their obstacles, triumphs, and raw human emotions--written with wit, sensitivity, and compassion. A well-researched, gripping story, relevant to today’s top controversial headlines.

Landing on my Top 30 Books for 2015, CONCUSSION, is brilliantly written---an inside view and compelling journey of thirty-four year-old Dr. Bennet Omalu. An extraordinary man, an up close and personal story. His version, told by Laskas of the events, the unraveling--leading up to, and the subsequent fallout after his astonishing discovery of CTE, 2002; and ultimately the fight against one of American's largest giants. The injustice. The cover-up. Greed. The NFL’s denial. How the scenario played out, both personally and professionally through his eyes.

CTE, An intriguing medical mystery. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a form of encephalopathy, a progressive degenerative disease found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma, including symptomatic concussions as well as sub-concussive hits to the head that do not cause symptoms.

The disease was previously called dementia pugilistica (DP), i.e. "punch-drunk", as it was initially found in those with a history of boxing. The brain has always been mysterious. An organ which deteriorates over time with damage. The damage is not apparent immediately. Cannot outwardly be seen. The progression and the dangerous stages; earth-shattering! The men who tried to reach out for help, until it was too late.

Laskas re-creates heart-felt scenes and humble beginnings of Bennett from the villages in Nigeria to his hopes and dreams of a life in America, where everything back home was about busting loose from the pettiness, the corruption, and the wicked tendencies of man.

Ironically, as the book opens America, 2008--approaching forty years of age, Omalu is stuck in a boiling hot courtroom in Pittsburgh, where he feels like everything is once again about bursting loose from more of the same. Now in America.

Flashing back to 2002, and earlier times, to after the discovery of CTE, having been run out of the town of Pittsburgh—a place where he used to live. A place where he made his mark. His discovery. His safe haven. The home he and his wife were building for their family- a house now complete, sitting empty—as is his work, and reputation—now the chief medical examiner of San Joaquin County in California. Once again reliving this nightmare. The defendant, his former boss, Dr. Cyril Wecht, the man who gave him a chance. His American seventy-six year old father figure. He is forced to testify against him.

A religious Christian, and a devout Catholic, Omalu was born in Nnokwa, Nigeria in September 1968, the sixth of seven siblings. He was born during the Nigerian Civil War, which caused his family to flee from their home in the predominately Igbo village of Enugwu-Ukwu in southeastern Nigeria. Returning two years after his birth.

A close knit family and highly respected in the village, Omalu’s mother was a seamstress and his father an orphan, who believed education equaled freedom-- excelled as a civil mining engineer for the Nigerian government and community leader in Enugwu-Ukwu. The family name, Omalu, is a shortened form of the surname, Onyemalukwubew, which translates to “if you know, come forth and speak.” Bennet meaning “blessed”. Life is the greatest gift of all. 

Dr. Bennet Omalu will indeed change the world with his discovery. However, as all great men, throughout our history. He is misunderstood. Hopefully this book will serve as an outreach to others, to educate.

Highly intelligent, Bennet started school at three years of age, high school and college years before others his age. Due to being sheltered, shielded, and protected he was naïve in many social areas. He did not want to see dirty. He had a pristine sense of idealism in his virginal mind. He did not like political strife. He dreamed of being an airline pilot, traveling the world with excitement. Far from his mind, being a doctor. His father had other ideas for his son’s future. Everyone is their family was successful. He would make his family proud. All of the Omalu children would go on to succeed in their professions. He would go to the US, the land of perfection and excellence.

America: A land where mankind is at its best. The land of milk and honey. However, he will soon learn, a shattered dream. One being racism. Injustice. How could a Christian nation founded on Christian principles perpetuate such evil over centuries? Why so many blacks in American did not become educated? There was something wrong with America. He would soon learn more evil with an example of one of the worst David vs. Goliath battles- going up against the NFL. He does not understand.

From medical school in Nigeria, six years, then a clinical internship, mandated paramilitary service, three years doctoring in a rural village---to America; the research scholarship, the second medical degree at Columbia University. He chose forensic pathology as a specialty. A specialist in death - why, and how death occurs. Board certified in four separate areas of pathology—anatomic, clinical, forensic, and neuropathology. Now in the courtroom, he is finishing up two more degrees for a total of seven. A master’s in public health in epidemiology and a master’s in business administration.

Being an expert in death would seem to be a counter intuitive move for a physician, a person committed to saving lives. How he ended up doing autopsies for a living-- None of this had been in his plan for his life. God had a bigger purpose.

To Bennet, a young forensic pathologist on the threshold of his career, Wecht embodied a particularly glamorous American dream, and that’s who Bennet wanted to study and work with…the reason for coming to Pittsburgh. Seven years he worked for Wecht, teaching him how to project self-confidence like an American. How to be ruthless when it came to local politics. From buying the tailored suits, the Mercedes, and all the things he needed to survive and compete; having to overcome being black. He learned from Wecht, the Pittsburgh’s medical examiner, he taught him about life, how to dress, build confidence, attitude – Wecht was famous, inserting himself in virtually every famous case of his day—he respected him.

Bennett was diligent, taking work home. Laying out brains, studying them on his dining room table. Wecht allowed him freedom, to explore, to create; yet sometimes putting his name on his work, he never once complained. He was paying his dues. He was promoting himself. Learning lessons about the harsh reality of American individualism. Largely because of Wecht’s confidence in him, Bennett became a brain expert in the first place. The field of forensic neuropathology—the study of the brain to determine cause of death. He began examining brains closer.

The day his life changed. A brain came to him to examine. Mike Webster, the NFL player who died. He had no idea what a Steeler was, until he encountered Mike’s body in the morgue in 2002. That was the beginning of a relationship. He was not caught up in this all consuming American sport. The one with repeated head trauma. He was asked to examine his brain. The day, the moment -- which would forever change the course of his life as well as thousands, with the discovery of CTE.

He grew to love Mike. His spirit. His soul. He talked to him. He wants to help him with answers. He changed his life in more ways than he could possible imagine. Bennet made a discovery in Mike’s brain that would help people forgive Webster for turning into a madman the way he did—and would go on to rattle America in ways he never intended.

With his education, his refugee background, Bennet saw much of his own story in Wecht’s. With his own depression, he relies on his faith. He becomes a close friend with Father Carmen, his love of God, his prayer group, where he shared his concern of racial unrest. He has an opportunity to prove his diligence when the Kimbell trial begins in 2002 when a man is set free after years in prison, falsely accused. He pays attention to details. He meets Prema, his future wife. She is afraid for him. He wants answers for Mike, his family, and all the NFL players.

“Living people mess you up. Living people are messy. Dead people are clean. There is no politics with dead people. With dead people what you see is what you get and you can keep looking and looking, and get more, and once you look inside the brain you find the story is beautiful in the way all things are infinite are beautiful. Holy. Every dead person is a controlled story, a distinct narrative revealing itself on the edge of a scalpel and through the lens of a microscope. It’s honest. It’s linear.”

He soon learns more about the real evil cruel world. Football. Exploitation. Dumped. Complications. The deficiencies in society. Possibly he did not belong in this society. Everyone is insulting his work. Ignored warnings. He is not included. A life he wanted. He became unsettled, depressed, and angry. He strives for perfection.

What about the football players? Who is protecting them? The NFL is not excited about his findings? Retraction? His work? Now society, the NFL, the media - brushing him aside. He is like Iron Mike. Hall of Famer. Dead at age fifty. No longer needed. He soon learned Mike’s determination, sheer will, insane training regimen, the extremes, and the abuse to his body, the best center in the NFL. Then they were done with him. He had to retire. From rage, his memory. His mind. Paranoia, dementia, delusion, addictions. Money gone. Homeless. Using a Taser to sleep. How did a fifty year old man become crazy? Repeated blows to the head. Mike was only the beginning. More to follow. Young, and old. More wives and families left behind. Suicides. Men driven to end their lives. How can he save these men before this happens again?  Does all football players have this brain disease?

WOW! A riveting, powerful human tale—and what a storyteller! If you want a story told, Laskas is the ideal choice. I had to smile at the reference to Michael Jackson. Having just finished MJ: The Genius of Michael Jackson, - can see the relation to both men, perfectionist and passionate about their work. Misunderstood.

I found myself bookmarking so many pages; engrossing and absorbing, CONCUSSION reads like a work of fiction, versus non-fiction. I could not put it down. In years past, have been primarily a reader of fiction; however, this past year, have been introduced to so many really talented non-fiction authors, with interesting topics, I plan to devote more time to this area in 2016.

An amazing journey when Jeanne Marie Laskas first met the young forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu in 2009, while reporting a story for GQ, would go on to inspire the movie Concussion, starring Will Smith, coming Christmas Day, 2015.View Movie Trailer

One of the most riveting, most significant medical discoveries of the twenty-first century, a discovery that challenges the existence of America’s favorite sport and puts Omalu in the crosshairs of football’s most powerful corporation: the NFL. Will Smith is the perfect cast for Omalu and looking forward to the upcoming movie. My hopes for continued awareness and changes.

Compared to the David vs. Goliath giants; the tobacco industry/cancer, environmental contamination, and pharmaceutical industry. Fraud. Cover-Ups. Greed. Tactics to lessen the findings and importance. From attorneys, a multi-billion dollar entertainment industry, lawsuits, specialists, opportunists, families, those who shut him out, attempts to discredit his work, not giving him credit for his discovery, the ultimate denial.

Immediately following read the author’s Game Brain an article written in 2009 for GQ— Bennet Omalu’s forgotten piece of the story, and inspiration behind the book CONCUSSION.

Listened to the audiobook of League of Denial, by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru, a comprehensive account of the history of the NFL mishandling of the crisis of traumatic brain injury among players (highly recommend). Continued reading into the wee hours of the morning, Frontline stories, videos, blogs, articles, captivated by the alarming research and facts: Playing football leads to brain disease. Not only the NFL. Every parent should pay attention. Our children are being damaged, physically and mentally.

Highly recommend reading both books. League of Denialspeaks more toward the football industry, the details, the NFL, and the players. Whereas, Consussion covers similar subjects; however, dives deeper into the man Bennet Omalu, his background, journey, his personal thoughts, comments, and (loved the quotes) scattered throughout the novel in italics— giving you an inside look into the man, his passion, and his mission. He is really quite humorous.

Laskas delivers a gripping story, beautifully told, of one man’s decision to stand up to a multi-billion-dollar colossus with courage. The truth. I have nothing but high regards and respect for Dr. Bennet Omalu, and his tenacity has not gone unnoticed. A special thank you to this incredible man, his talent, and his ongoing work to help others. A special tribute to the author, who stepped out to tell his real story to the world, so eloquently.

The book is always better than the movie, and in this case, hope it lives up to the book. It will change your thinking. A wakeup call for parents, coaches, and administrators. A game-changer.

Bennet Omalu Foundation I am hoping more parents will join this fight for a safer football gamel-- take this matter seriously. Make the NFL accountable, guidelines, with future research. Save the lives of our children, youth, teens, and future adults.

I urge you to visit The Bennet Omalu Foundation. Your donation to the Bennet Omalu Foundation goes directly toward research, care, and treatment of those suffering from traumatic brain injury and CTE. Your support helps raise awareness, fund ambitious medical research, and find cures for CTE and traumatic brain injuries.

Other As of Sept, 2015: 87 Deceased NFL Players Test Positive for Brain Disease. A total of 87 out of 91 former NFL players have tested positive for the brain disease at the center of the debate over concussions in football, according to new figures from the nation’s largest brain bank focused on the study of traumatic head injury.

Researchers with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University have now identified the degenerative disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, in 96 percent of NFL players that they’ve examined and in 79 percent of all football players.