Review by Booklist Review
Born blind, Hingson learned pretty quickly how to adapt to his situation. It's the rest of the world that gave him pause. In this moving and enlightening book, Hingson explains how he and his guide dog, Roselle, survived the horrors of the September 11 attacks. Trapped on the 78th floor of Tower One in the World Trade Center, the duo managed to find their way to safety, counting stairs on his way down (all 1,463 of them). At the time Hingson and Roselle were still getting to know each other ( It takes a year to forge a good relationship with a guide dog ), but he trusted the dog with his life. Along with describing in detail the events that transpired on that terrible day, he also explains what it is like to be blind, often with self-deprecating humor there are advantages, he notes, such as saving on electricity. Blindness, he insists, is not a handicap; the real handica. comes from the prejudices people have about blindness. A unique perspective on a national tragedy.--Sawyers, Jun. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
If you are looking for an inspirational story about a dog, keep looking. If you are looking for a book about surviving the horrors of 9/11, this is not that either. This book is the inspirational memoir of Hingson and how his blindness was a launch pad to a career full of prestigious jobs, for example, national public affairs director, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc., and regional sales manager at Quantum. Now president of the Michael Hingson Group, he is able to use his experiences to help others create a more inclusive world. This program contains additional speeches, a Q&A between the producer and the author, and a PDF file. Recommended for readers of inspirational materials.-Theresa Connors, Arkansas Tech Univ. Lib., Russellville (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The story of a four-legged superhero named Roselle, who led her owner out of the ruins of the World Trade Center.Hingson's remarkable relationship with guide dogs began long before the events of 9/11. Growing up blind, the author came to rely on their dedication, loyalty and courage at a very young age. Guide dogs helped him navigate through grade school, college and his first jobs. It was a beautiful but storm-shy Labrador retriever with a golden coat who would help save his life. The chilling account of how the two worked in tandem to safely descend 78 floors and 1,463 steps, while simultaneously helping others remain calm, is truly awe-inspiring. A decade has not muted the horrors of 9/11, and Hingson and co-writer Flory do a magnificent job of relating what it was like in the aftermath of the attack. That account alone would have been a worthy and important endeavor. But the authors go beyond that, offering both an illuminating look at the realities blind people face every day and the astounding capabilities of seeing-eye dogs. Seamlessly weaving the narrative between the extraordinary exodus from the burning towers and Hingson's fascinating life is a savvy literary device that only enriches the tale.A tragic, inspirational and enlightening memoir.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
