Introduce Yourselves!

[Bill_T]

Here's a place where we can say hello and share a little bit about what we're reading, and why we're interested in Crashing Through. Tell us about yourself!

[Justine]

My name is Justine . I am new to an asynchronous bookclub board like this. I am 30 years old, have Cerebral Palsy, and use a motorized wheelchair. Memoir/Biography is one of my favorite genres. I guess that is all I will write for now, since it feels silly "talking" to myself!

[lovetoread]

Hi Justine,

You are not talking to yourself...we are listening, and awaiting your comments. Look forward to hearing about some of your favorite books, and also what you think about Robert's book. I loved his previous book, Shadow Divers.

[vivico1]

Hey all,
Vivian from Oklahoma here. I was looking for something nonfictional and when I read a bit about this book I knew I wanted to go with it. When I was in college in the late 70s,early 80s in psychology, in one of the classes we talked about this very thing. The professor did know a little about the subject and said those born blind or were for a very long time did not adjust well to new sight, just as you say Robert. I remember him saying that they had a hard time with seeing 3 dimensionally and one person said it was like the world suddenly being plastered flat on his eyeballs and he couldn't take it and wanted to be blind again. I have never heard of Mike May but then its probably the timing. As i read, it seems he lost his sight in the very town I was born in about the same time and same hospital. How interesting. Anyway,after that talk in college, I never heard anymore on the subject till i saw this book, so i was already intrigued with the idea. How amazing. Looking forward to this discussion!

[Bill_T]

Welcome, Justine! Hopefully, our "asynchronous" approach will become second nature in time. Glad that you've joined us -- from my point of view, this is a particularly fascinating biography, since it not only recounts the life of an extraordinary person, but also touches on science, medicine, and big questions about how we understand the world around us.

(And no need to feel silly...you're definitely not just talking to yourself here!)

---

Justine wrote:
My name is Justine . I am new to an asynchronous bookclub board like this. I am 30 years old, have Cerebral Palsy, and use a motorized wheelchair. Memoir/Biography is one of my favorite genres. I guess that is all I will write for now, since it feels silly "talking" to myself!

---

[Bill_T]

Welcome, lovestoread! It's interesting that you mention Shadow Divers -- it's one of my (ex-Navy) father's favorite recent books. In a way this is a big change of subject, but in another way it is similarly about extraordinary people, who take on challenges that would make many of us back away.

Looking forward to the conversation with everyone!

---

lovetoread wrote:
Hi Justine,

You are not talking to yourself...we are listening, and awaiting your comments. Look forward to hearing about some of your favorite books, and also what you think about Robert's book. I loved his previous book, Shadow Divers.

---

[Bill_T]

Great to have you with us for this one, Vivian -- this should be a fun conversation. So many issues to delve into!

---

vivico1 wrote:
Hey all,
Vivian from Oklahoma here. I was looking for something nonfictional and when I read a bit about this book I knew I wanted to go with it. When I was in college in the late 70s,early 80s in psychology, in one of the classes we talked about this very thing. The professor did know a little about the subject and said those born blind or were for a very long time did not adjust well to new sight, just as you say Robert. I remember him saying that they had a hard time with seeing 3 dimensionally and one person said it was like the world suddenly being plastered flat on his eyeballs and he couldn't take it and wanted to be blind again. I have never heard of Mike May but then its probably the timing. As i read, it seems he lost his sight in the very town I was born in about the same time and same hospital. How interesting. Anyway,after that talk in college, I never heard anymore on the subject till i saw this book, so i was already intrigued with the idea. How amazing. Looking forward to this discussion!

---

[psb]

---

Bill_T wrote:
Here's a place where we can say hello and share a little bit about what we're reading, and why we're interested in Crashing Through. Tell us about yourself!

---

Hello everybody, I'm looking forward to reading this discussion. I transcribe textbooks into braille for blind school children. At the moment I'm working on a Reading workbook
that prepares the student for one of the mandated state tests.

Patricia

[Librarian]

Hi Everyone--------I mainly read fiction-----mysteries, thrillers, south Florida settings, the so-called chick lit, historical fiction but I occasionally delve into nonfiction. The description of Crashing Through interested me. I just finished the entire book. I had never realized that regaining sight after a long time or gaining sight for the first time was different from restoring sight to a person whose life has been mostly sighted. What a fascinating book! I look forward to the discussion.
Librarian

[Bill_T]

Wonderful to have you with us, Patricia. I'm looking forward to hearing your perspective on the book.

---

psb wrote:

---

Bill_T wrote:
Here's a place where we can say hello and share a little bit about what we're reading, and why we're interested in Crashing Through. Tell us about yourself!

---

Hello everybody, I'm looking forward to reading this discussion. I transcribe textbooks into braille for blind school children. At the moment I'm working on a Reading workbook
that prepares the student for one of the mandated state tests.

Patricia

---

[Bill_T]

Welcome, Librarian! I had a similar experience -- reading the book revealed the deep complexity of sight, and how the issues for Mike May were so different from someone who might have had vision restored after losing it as an adult.

---

Librarian wrote:
Hi Everyone--------I mainly read fiction-----mysteries, thrillers, south Florida settings, the so-called chick lit, historical fiction but I occasionally delve into nonfiction. The description of Crashing Through interested me. I just finished the entire book. I had never realized that regaining sight after a long time or gaining sight for the first time was different from restoring sight to a person whose life has been mostly sighted. What a fascinating book! I look forward to the discussion.
Librarian

---

[Wrighty]

Hello to all! I'm Debbie from the east and my kids are keeping me busy this summer already. I also usually read fiction but I'm open to anything. Vivian mentioned she was reading this book (hi Viv!) and I noticed that my library had it in. I looked it over and checked it out immediately. I'm almost finished with it and it's a great book. I really enjoy the way it's written as well and how the story just flows. Mike May sounds like an incredible man. I'm really looking forward to discussing this with all of you.

[Justine]

---

Bill_T wrote:
Welcome, Librarian! I had a similar experience -- reading the book revealed the deep complexity of sight, and how the issues for Mike May were so different from someone who might have had vision restored after losing it as an adult.

---

Librarian wrote:
Hi Everyone--------I mainly read fiction-----mysteries, thrillers, south Florida settings, the so-called chick lit, historical fiction but I occasionally delve into nonfiction. The description of Crashing Through interested me. I just finished the entire book. I had never realized that regaining sight after a long time or gaining sight for the first time was different from restoring sight to a person whose life has been mostly sighted. What a fascinating book! I look forward to the discussion.
Librarian

---

---

Hi,

This post sparked something else I wanted to say . One of the things that would make me hesitate to choose to walk ( I use a wheelchair full time and have for all of my life) is that everything I know - that is to say my physical and social concept and persona of myself -- has at least something to do with my using a wheelchair. If I were to begin to walk , it would take quite a bit of time to change/adjust my perspective from what I have known all my life. So it would be like a blind person who didn't realize that the red thing he was looking at was an apple until he closed his eyes and held it in his fingers - because that is how he learned /experienced /knew the world.

JB

[vivico1]

---

Justine wrote:

---

Hi,

This post sparked something else I wanted to say . One of the things that would make me hesitate to choose to walk ( I use a wheelchair full time and have for all of my life) is that everything I know - that is to say my physical and social concept and persona of myself -- has at least something to do with my using a wheelchair. If I were to begin to walk , it would take quite a bit of time to change/adjust my perspective from what I have known all my life. So it would be like a blind person who didn't realize that the red thing he was looking at was an apple until he closed his eyes and held it in his fingers - because that is how he learned /experienced /knew the world.

JB

---

Interesting Justine. I wonder how different the perspective would be tho, from sitting to standing. There are a lot of things it would definately free up someone in a wheelchair to do. I have never read a study on anyone who couldn't walk and then had operations to where they could, having too much trouble with it but rather freedom. Most had a lot of rehab to go through, some for a very long time and some painful and that caused some depression but that went away when the therapy and/or pain was over. The only time I read about anyone really wishing they hadn't done it, was one that couldn't feel their legs before and now had pain all the time. Now how they got feeling into dead leg nerves, I don't understand, so must have been something else involved to go from not feeling to feeling. I guess as with everything in life, whether it would be worth it or not depends on each individual.

[RobertKurson]

Hello, Everyone,

Robert Kurson here. I'm so honored to be able to participate in this discussion of my new book, Crashing Through. Already, there have been so many interesting posts, and so many fascinating ideas. It was just these kinds of thoughts that hooked me on the story of Mike May - every aspect of his adventure seemed to bring up such challenging ideas and philosophical issues. Can't wait to discuss some of them with you all!

[ilucas]

I have been a part of the B & N clubs since last summer when a friend introduced me to the program. When the format changed in the fall, I found it difficult or frustrating to use. I am legally blind, able to see hand motion at six inches. The screen reader soft ware that I use requires a very large number of key strokes to navegate this new lay out. However, when I received the email announcement today listing the July discussion titles, this one jumped out at me. I have often wondered how I would feel if the chance for normal vision was offered to me. It has never struck me as an automatic good, a reaction that has sounded odd or unnatural to those who know me. As a kid, I used to think that I was the normal one and that the rest of you were some how disabled. I figured that was the reason the world had to off you so many aides such as printed signs, color coding, the use of body language, etc, that I did not need, being that I was the able bodied one. So, I am eager to pick up this book and read it. And I hope that the great deal of time required to move around this site does not cause me to give up. Irene

[Bill_T]

Welcome, Irene! I appreciate that you're still able to join us although the screen reader doesn't mesh as well as you'd like with the discussion board software. (We've passed your issues on to the software development team and will do so again -- I'm sorry I don't have anything more informative than that to say).

I'm sure your input during this discussion will be particularly fascinating. So glad you're with us.

---

ilucas wrote:
I have been a part of the B & N clubs since last summer when a friend introduced me to the program. When the format changed in the fall, I found it difficult or frustrating to use. I am legally blind, able to see hand motion at six inches. The screen reader soft ware that I use requires a very large number of key strokes to navegate this new lay out. However, when I received the email announcement today listing the July discussion titles, this one jumped out at me. I have often wondered how I would feel if the chance for normal vision was offered to me. It has never struck me as an automatic good, a reaction that has sounded odd or unnatural to those who know me. As a kid, I used to think that I was the normal one and that the rest of you were some how disabled. I figured that was the reason the world had to off you so many aides such as printed signs, color coding, the use of body language, etc, that I did not need, being that I was the able bodied one. So, I am eager to pick up this book and read it. And I hope that the great deal of time required to move around this site does not cause me to give up. Irene

---

[blhammond]

Hi! I am new to B&N bookclub, but love to read fiction, memoirs,...really I will give anything a go with a strong enough recommendation. I read Crashing Through a month or so ago. I was drawn to it because it reminded me of one of my faves...Oliver Sach's An Anthropologist on Mars. I think the most facinating aspect for me is the interplay of the senses...how only touch for May gave meaning to vision, and in Sach's book, how for one patient, the color aspect of food informed taste. Anyway, I enjoyed the book, especially the neurology.

[Wrighty]

---

ilucas wrote:
I have been a part of the B & N clubs since last summer when a friend introduced me to the program. When the format changed in the fall, I found it difficult or frustrating to use. I am legally blind, able to see hand motion at six inches. The screen reader soft ware that I use requires a very large number of key strokes to navegate this new lay out. However, when I received the email announcement today listing the July discussion titles, this one jumped out at me. I have often wondered how I would feel if the chance for normal vision was offered to me. It has never struck me as an automatic good, a reaction that has sounded odd or unnatural to those who know me. As a kid, I used to think that I was the normal one and that the rest of you were some how disabled. I figured that was the reason the world had to off you so many aides such as printed signs, color coding, the use of body language, etc, that I did not need, being that I was the able bodied one. So, I am eager to pick up this book and read it. And I hope that the great deal of time required to move around this site does not cause me to give up. Irene

---

Welcome Irene!

I hope it won't be too much trouble for you to stay with the discussion because I think it's going to be so interesting. Maybe you can provide even more information for us from your perspective. The book is very good and so well written. Mike May is a fascinating character and he really knows how to live life. I would never be able to keep up with him!

[Lindor16]

Hi, this sounds to be a great group. I actually work for B&N and a an avid reader. I work to support my book habit. Robert had stopped in our store about a month ago and had talked with one of our managers and was nice enough to sign some copies of the book. I grabbed one soon as I heard the subject matter. I have a cousin who was born deaf, so the thought of what a change that would be with the new technology is very interesting to me. I have read through about half the book and am loving it. It is well written. It is done the way I enjoy books. There is a lot of facts in with a story to give it a human touch.