Crashing Through, a Book Review

Crashing Through: A true Story of Risk, Adventure and the Man who Dared to See
By Robert Kurson


Just released, this is the story of Mike May, a blind, California-based entrepreneur. Mike was blinded at the age of 3 by a chemical accident. He learned in his forties that his sight could be restored with a new procedure. This is his story, and it is a fascinating and articulate look at the issues of sight restoration, the fears, the risks, the triumph, and the ultimate reconciliation with reality. Mike shares candidly thoughts and fears that all blind people, including me, must feel at one time or another. He becomes one of perhaps 20 people in the last several hundred years who were blind as children and had vision restored as adults. The majority of these people, surprisingly perhaps, did not find their new vision to be a panacea. Rather, they often became profoundly depressed. Mike’s story is of coping, and learning to put his vision, not perfect as it turns out, in a useful place in his life. I can see this book wrapped and ribboned under the Christmas tree this year.