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Title details for Crashing Through by Robert Kurson - Available

Crashing Through

The Extraordinary True Story of the Man Who Dared to See

by Robert Kurson
Doug Ordunio
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
Blinded at age three, Mike May defied expectations by breaking world records in downhill speed skiing, joining the CIA, and becoming a successful inventor, entrepreneur, and family man. He had never yearned for vision.
Then, in 1999, a chance encounter brought startling news: a revolutionary stem cell transplant surgery could restore May’s vision. The procedure was filled with risks, some of them deadly, others beyond May’s wildest dreams. There were countless reasons for May to refuse vision. He could think of only a single reason to go forward. Whatever his decision, he knew it would change his life.
Beautifully written and thrillingly told, CRASHING THROUGH is a journey of suspense, daring, romance, and insight into the mysteries of vision and the brain. Robert Kurson gives us a fascinating account of one man’s choice to explore what it means to see–and to truly live.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 15, 2007

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781415938737
      • File size: 294263 KB
      • Duration: 10:13:02

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • Text Difficulty: 9-12

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      When Mike May lost his eyesight in childhood, he thought he would never see again, but with the help of scientific breakthroughs his sight has been returned. This audiobook traces May's life as a blind person and his emergence into the world of sight, along with the limitations and challenges that came with it. Doug Ordunio's gentle voice presents May's life in a casualâ almost intimateâ tone that makes listeners feel like they could be on a first-name basis with May. Ordunio's vocal characterizations provide a moderate range of differentiation, and his handling of emotions is impressive. His delivery sensitively reflects the ups and downs of May's life. L.E. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 30, 2007
      Christopher Evan Welch brings a tone of boyish wonder to the reading of Kurson's biography of Mike May, a highly successful entrepreneur, athlete, husband and father who undergoes experimental surgery to regain the vision that he lost in a chemical explosion at age three. When May chooses to pursue the risky procedure, he rejects the notion of blindness as an infirmity that requires healing. Instead, May views the restoration of sight as a new adventure to explore with the same gusto that he has demonstrated in all facets of life. Without pathos or pity, Welch vividly portrays May's challenge of processing the mental complexities of his newfound vision, including navigating the aisles of Costco and recognizing the gender of patrons at a neighborhood coffee bar. Some listeners may not fully embrace the stance of hearty stoicism, but others will be captivated by the decidedly nonmelodramatic perspective. As an added bonus, the audiobook includes an insightful follow-up interview between Kurson and May. Simultaneous release with the Random hardcover (Reviews, Apr. 16).

    • AudioFile Magazine
      In the interview between author and subject that follows this amazing biography, visually challenged Mike May talks about audiobooks. The best ones, he says, are those that are great books in and of themselves, coupled with narrators who are so seamless they become invisible in their delivery, leaving the listener with the unfettered greatness of the work. That is exactly what Christopher Evan Welch does as he recounts May's journey from going blind at age 3 to having partial vision restored in his 40s. The story itself is inspiring, and Kurson asks all the right questions about what it means to see and to lead a full life. Welch is the icing on the cake, taking the listener on the wild ride of May's life, capturing the roller-coaster emotions, struggles, and triumphs of May and those close to him. H.L.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 16, 2007
      Blinded in a childhood accident, Mike May never hesitated to try anything—driving a motorcycle, hiking alone in the woods, downhill skiing—until the day, when May was 46, an ophthalmologist told him a new stem-cell and cornea transplant could restore his vision. As Esquire
      contributing editor Kurson (Shadow Divers
      ) relates, the decision to have the surgery wasn't easy. May, always a "pioneer in his heart," had never really felt he was missing anything in life. The surgery also had a few risks: the restoration of sight might only be temporary; the immunosuppressive drug was highly toxic; May might never adjust to the changes having sight would cause. Previously, patients had become depressed, their lives ruined because, while it might seem strange to sighted people, these patients found that the idea of vision was better than the reality. May went forward, only to find that, even though his eye was now perfect, his brain had forgotten how to process visual input. Fascinated by colors and patterns, he had difficulty discerning facial features, letters, even men from women. How May adjusts to his medical miracle, living with the disappointments as well as the joys, makes for a remarkable story of courage and endurance. (May 22)

      Correction:
      The price for Rickles' Book: A Memoir
      by Don Rickles and David Ritz (Reviews, Apr. 2) is $24.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Text Difficulty:9-12

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