Planet of the blind

the long version

Stephen Kuusisto has been legally blind since birth, and in this stunning memoir he has succeeded in translating his opaque, kaleidoscopic world of shape and color into poetic and luminous prose. Brought up to disavow his blindness, Kuusisto spent much of his life trying to pass as a sighted man. Fueled by his passion for the written word, Kuusisto successfully conquered academia - until a devastating accident forced him to acquire the white cane at last. Almost immediately the cane became his "divining rod," but it was only a matter of time before he felt the need for a more powerful ally. Enter Corky, a two-year-old yellow Labrador retriever who became his guiding eyes and changed his life forever.