The Concussion Crisis, Linda Carroll
The Concussion Crisis, Linda Carroll
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The Concussion Crisis
Anatomy of a Silent Epidemic

Author: Linda Carroll, David Rosner

Narrator: Pam Ward

Unabridged: 12 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 09/20/2011


Synopsis

For far too long, the menace of concussions has been hidden in plain sight. On playing fields across America, lives are being derailed by seemingly innocuous jolts to the head. From the peewees to the pros, concussions are reaching epidemic proportions. This book brings that hidden epidemic and its consequences out of the shadows.

As frightening as the numbers are—estimates of sports-related concussions range from 1.6 million to 3.8 million annually in the United States—they can't begin to explain the profound impact of a hidden health problem that can strike any of us. It is becoming increasingly clear that concussions, like severe head traumas, can rob us of our memory, our mental abilities, our very sense of self. Because the damage caused by a concussion is rarely visible to the naked eye or even on a brain scan, no one knows how many millions might be living lives devastated by an invisible injury too often shrugged off as "just a bump on the head."

This book puts a human face on a huge public health crisis. Through narratives that chronicle the poignant experiences of real people struggling with this invisible and often unrecognized brain injury, Linda Carroll and David Rosner bring home its potentially devastating consequences. Among those you will meet are a high school football player whose college dreams were derailed by a series of undiagnosed concussions, a hard-driving soccer star whose own struggles with concussions pushed her to crusade for safety reform as a coach and soccer mom, and an economist who lost her career because of lingering concussion symptoms from a fender bender.

The Concussion Crisis weaves these human dramas with compelling stories of scientists and doctors who are unraveling the mysteries of how an invisible injury can wreak such havoc. It takes listeners into the top labs, where scientists are teasing out what goes wrong in the brain after a jolt to the head, and into the nation's leading concussion clinic, where patients get cutting-edge management and treatment. Carroll and Rosner analyze the cultural factors that allowed this burgeoning epidemic to fester unseen and untreated. They chronicle the growing public awareness sparked by the premature retirements of superstars like NFL quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Steve Young. And they argue for an immediate change in a macho culture that minimizes the dangers inherent in repeated jolts to the head.

The Concussion Crisis sounds an urgent wake-up call to parents, coaches, trainers, doctors, and the athletes themselves. The book will stand as the definitive exploration of this heretofore-silent health crisis. It should be required listening for every parent with a child playing sports—in fact, by everyone who has ever suffered a hard bump on the head.

About Linda Carroll

Linda Carroll has been a nationally respected health writer for seventeen years. While covering a broad range of health topics for MSNBC.com and the New York Times, she has developed specialized expertise in brain science. As an MSNBC.com contract writer for the past ten years, she has done everything from investigative reporting to column writing, and was the MSNBC.com women's health columnist for five years. She has also written investigative pieces for Health and SmartMoney, and in-depth health and medical articles for Newsday and the Los Angeles Times.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jason on April 21, 2014

This book is a great read for any parent, teacher or athlete it brings a face to concussions. The Authors chronicle the experiences of multiple athletes, ware veterans, and accident victims. It is clear to see that a concussion or any head trauma should be taken very seriously in any situation and a......more

Goodreads review by Connor on January 15, 2020

This book would be really interesting for anybody that wants to learn more about the science and effects of concussions. Before reading this I knew that getting repeated concussions were bad, but I never knew the sever effects that getting only one concussion could have on people. The book is filled......more

Goodreads review by Michael on January 16, 2020

This SSR book was a great read that offers the long history of complete misunderstanding about this injury. I personally have gotten multiple brain injuries but never knew information about it, like what is in this book. It was a great read as well as very informative and I learned a lot from it.......more

Goodreads review by Michelle on November 13, 2024

Important history of acknowledging the impact of concussions. Audiobook was well done.......more

Goodreads review by Victor on September 05, 2016

The Concussion Crisis by Linda Carroll and David Rosner is a book that attempt to bring the epidemic of brain trauma and damage to the attention of parents and athletes. The book uses real anecdotes about people who have suffered brain damage. A significant agent they talk about was Leigh Steinberg,......more