Title/Author:
“Tooth and Nail: The Making
of a Female Fight Doctor” by Linda Dahl
Tags:
Boxing, memoir,
medicine
Publish
date:
July 24,
2018
Length:
304 pages
Rating:
3 ½ of 5 stars (good)
Review:
Linda
Dahl, an ear, nose and throat physician practicing on New York’s Upper East
Side, was not happy with how her life was going. She couldn’t connect with her
patients, she had gone through a divorce and felt intimidated around me. So,
looking for some other outlet, she applied with the New York State boxing
commission to be a fight doctor. Her stories of being one of the few females in
a male-dominated sport are told in this memoir.
While her
marriage didn’t last, it did have one significant event that changed her
life. She watched a match between Shane
Mosely and Oscar de La Hoya at the urging of her then-husband, who was a huge
boxing fan. Dahl then saw how boxing
became a way to connect with others after being inspired by Mosely’s courage
and survival instincts in the match.
Having felt out of place throughout her medical career, she decided to
take a chance by applying to become a fight doctor.
The mood
of book changes frequently, as Dahl expresses not only her highs for her times
in the ring and her encounters with famous boxers, but also her lows and
frequent times of self-doubt. Her
stories about her encounters with Mike Tyson and Vladimir Klitschko were the
best, and her job performance in the ring was always considered top notch by
fighters, trainers and commissioners alike.
Moments in the ring and in the presence were the best parts of the book.
However,
that isn’t the case as Dahl’s self-doubts about her ability, her communication
skills, especially around men, and even her sexuality cast a pall on the book
that at times made it feel like too much of a self-pity party. While these
parts of her personality were needed to tell her complete story, it felt like
this was too much of her life. One way she overcame this was by channeling her
“inner Dom” after talking with a female patient at the New York practice. I
won’t deny, I was thinking that this might lead the book down a very different
path, but it did not do so. Instead,
what that lead to was Dahl wearing more revealing clothing to fights at which she
worked. That was interesting and did
have the desired results for her – she became more assertive, especially around
men.
Overall,
this is a very interesting memoir that boxing fans will enjoy. It is more than just a book on the sport,
though, as readers who are inspired by women who overcome odds to be successful
in male-dominated professions will also want to read this book.
Book Format
Read:
E-book (Nook)
Buying Links:
