Review by: Myra Salzer
In my reading discipline, I alternate between non-fiction (work) and fiction (fun). I just finished my “obligatory” non-fiction book — and it was so enjoyable I almost felt like I was cheating. The book was The Boys of Riverside: A Deaf Football Team and a Quest for Glory.
Never before have I learned so much from a single book. It covered an astonishing range of topics: the science of deafness; the lived experience of those with profound or partial hearing loss; the existence and rules of 8-man high-school football; the history of Riverside, California; and, most powerfully, the importance of community and inclusiveness. Every page was both informative and entertaining.
You might be wondering what this has to do with wealth accumulation or preservation. Quite a bit, actually. The word “wealth” originates from the Middle Ages, combining well and health. By that definition, this book is entirely about wealth — the wealth of community, of inclusion, and of accomplishment.
The story centers on a small high school in Riverside, California, with an all-deaf student body of just 156 students. Their 8-man football team, against all odds, won the California state championship in 2022. (The book ends there, but I’ve learned they also won in 2023 and 2024.) They achieved this despite — or perhaps because of — their diversity in ethnicity, social background, economic circumstance, and of course, the fact that every player and coach was deaf. It was quite a feat.
I learned a great deal about what it means to live as a deaf person in a hearing world. For instance, deaf babies born with deaf parents tend to develop language skills earlier than those born to hearing parents — because they begin signing at the same developmental stage that hearing babies begin to speak. I also discovered fascinating details about 8-man football and the unique advantages of deaf athletes: superior peripheral vision, and a focus undistracted by the noise and chaos of typical games.
Most importantly, I learned about the true wealth of community. These young men played with all their hearts, not just to win, but to belong — to contribute, to support one another, and to be part of something larger than themselves. That, to me, is wealth in its purest form, and I hope, in its purest form that is what we give to our inheritor clients, the experience of true wealth in all its forms.
