Crashing Through
I just finished reading Crashing Through: A True Story of Risk, Adventure, and the Man Who Dared to See which was recommended to me by a good friend (actually, I went with the audiobook version). The book is about Mike May, blinded at age 3 by a chemical burn and later surgically restored to partial sight as an adult. I found it inspiring, fascinating and compelling.
Robert Kurson does an excellent job in telling May's story. He spent about two years gathering information from May, his family and friends. May comments in an interview that the author now probably knows May better than anyone else in the world. Kurson paints vivid images with words, spanning the spectrum from tactile descriptions of events as May experienced them, to detailed technical explanations of the biology of the eye, to sensual interchanges between May and his wife Jennifer. Kurson's style is both engaging and accessible.
Although I've never experienced total blindness, I have lived with
severely impaired eyesight for all of my life. My RS page has a little
more info about my condition and how it has affected me. Like me, May
is also a technology guy and a musician. I can identify with May in
many ways, but I think the biggest take-away from the book is that Mike
May sets an example for all of us -- not just those with eyesight
impairments or other disabilities. It's about living life to the
fullest, no matter what your situation. Life was already great for May
before he regained his sight. For him, seeing is more like icing on the
cake.