Start by Believing

For decades osteopathic physician Larry Nassar built a sterling reputation as the go-to doctor for America's Olympians while treating hundreds of others at his office on Michigan State University's campus. Parents and coaches entrusted their children to Nassar's care-only for him to use that trust to manipulate and sexually abuse hundreds of girls and young women under the guise of medical treatment.

In START BY BELIEVING, John Barr and Dan Murphy confront Nassar's acts, as well as the epic institutional failures and individuals who enabled him--failures whose consequences continue to play out in the legal system. It is an account of a corrupted culture with rules and rituals all its own: the dysfunctional and high-pressured world of club level and elite gymnastics, where young girls are trained in atmospheres of fear and intimidation; a world where Larry Nassar was protected by enablers more interested in an institution's image than the well-being of young people.

Above all, this book is the story of the women, individuals of uncommon grit and perseverance-including an unlikely pairing of a once-shy Christian mother and an outspoken former Olympic medallist-who bravely spoke out and brought a criminal and his enablers to justice.

“"[A] hard-hitting expose.... Foregrounding several women who finally brought charges, Barr and Murphy vividly convey the sense of confusion and helplessness that beset victims.... The result is a searing indictment."-- Publishers Weekly”

"Start by Believing is a powerful look at how victims of Larry Nassar's abuse were failed at every step along the way by the institutions-and people-that allowed it to continue unchecked for 25 years. If you want to understand how these unimaginable crimes continued for so long, and what we need to do to ensure that no more young athletes have to face similar dangers, you need to start by reading Start by Believing."--Scott Berkowitz, President and Founder of RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National
"[Start By Believing] features reporting so deep, broad, and incisive that it is unlikely to be surpassed...the book is a must-read."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"[A] hard-hitting expose.... Foregrounding several women who finally brought charges, Barr and Murphy vividly convey the sense of confusion and helplessness that beset victims.... The result is a searing indictment."--Publishers Weekly
"A meticulously reported and fearless work, Start by Believing is an epic indictment of the people who for decades enabled the culture of abuse and exploitation that made Larry Nassar's crimes possible, even inevitable. John Barr and Dan Murphy expose the institutional callousness-from coaches to top executives at the USAG-and the price that generations of girls and young women have had to pay."--Joan Ryan, bestselling author of Little Girls in Pretty Boxes
"A taut dramatic narrative, critical new reporting, and a full understanding of how Larry Nassar's unfathomable evil was enabled and given long life. Start by Believing will shock you with its truths, and lift you with the courage of these women."--Bob Ley, Emmy Award-winning former host of ESPN's Outside the Lines
"An important story that needs to be told."
--PopSugar
"An incredible story."
--Cheddar TV
"Not a day goes by when I don't reflect on the survivors of Larry Nassar's horrific crimes. This empathetic, sensitively written book takes a deeper dive into the lives of the people who were hurt and shines a spotlight on their courage. I thank John and Dan for their efforts, which will no doubt support the overall goal of making our beautiful sport safe for athletes once again."--Dominique Moceanu, 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist
"Shocking...enraging."--Salon Talks
"Thank you John Barr and Dan Murphy for shedding light on the historical account of the crimes of Larry Nassar. This book connects the dots of when and how this atrocity happened, and chronicles the stories of the brave women who eventually acknowledged their truth, found their voice, and fueled a revolution of Time's Up."--Valorie Kondos Field, Former UCLA gymnastics coach and seven-time NCAA Champion
"This is a horrifying story, and an important one, powerfully and carefully told by journalists John Barr and Dan Murphy. Their meticulously reported narrative presents a riveting account of the courage of these heroic women who will forever define the beginnings of the #MeToo movement."--Christine Brennan, bestselling author and USA Today national sports columnist

John Barr joined ESPN in June 2003. As part of ESPN's Enterprise Unit, he covers investigative and human-interest stories, and has won dozens of awards for his work at ESPN and in local television, including a Peabody Award for an Outside the Lines series that examined the NFL's concussion crisis. A native of Canada, Barr is a graduate of Indiana University and the University of Toronto. He lives outside of Philadelphia.

Dan Murphy has been a staff writer at ESPN since 2014. He covers college athletics and has worked on several investigative stories with ESPN's Outside the Lines team. His work has appeared across ESPN's digital, television, and print platforms as well as in several other publications. Based now in Michigan, Murphy graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's Degree in 2011 and from the University of Notre Dame in 2009.

For decades osteopathic physician Larry Nassar built a sterling reputation as the go-to doctor for America's Olympians while treating hundreds of others at his office on Michigan State University's campus. Parents and coaches entrusted their children to Nassar's care-only for him to use that trust to manipulate and sexually abuse hundreds of girls and young women under the guise of medical treatment.In START BY BELIEVING , John Barr and Dan Murphy confront Nassar's acts, as well as the epic institutional failures and individuals who enabled him--failures whose consequences continue to play out in the legal system. It is an account of a corrupted culture with rules and rituals all its own: the dysfunctional and high-pressured world of club level and elite gymnastics, where young girls are trained in atmospheres of fear and intimidation; a world where Larry Nassar was protected by enablers more interested in an institution's image than the well-being of young people. Above all, this book is the story of the women, individuals of uncommon grit and perseverance-including an unlikely pairing of a once-shy Christian mother and an outspoken former Olympic medallist-who bravely spoke out and brought a criminal and his enablers to justice.

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