Thunder Dog

I remember it so vividly, just as if it were yesterday... I was sitting on our couch looking at our precious eight and a half month old son playing on the area rug in our livingroom wondering what we were going to do that day.  Then I did something I NEVER ever did before... I turned on the television to the NBC morning show with Matt Lauer and Katie Couric.  The camera shot was looking out their studio window at the twin towers in the background when a plane crashed into the North Tower.  The commentary of the anchors was shock and disbelief...actually I thought it was a commercial for another lame end-of-the-world type of movie.  What was next rocked me to my core when a short time later the second plane struck the South Tower.  It has been ten years since our country experienced the most horrific terrorist attack in its history.  Thousands of people died, many heroes risked and gave their lives for the saving of many more.

"Thunder Dog; The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero" by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory is a touching and insightful first-hand account into the tragedy of 9/11.  But more than that, this book gives an in-depth portrait of what life is like for a blind person and the relationship he developed with each of his guide dogs... not just any blind person, but one who courageously and boldly faced each challenge and conquered it... from riding his bike through his neighborhood (much to the dismay of his neighbors), to driving a car, to maneuvering his way through Manhattan to the Twin Towers for work every day.  Yes, you read this right- when Michael was a boy his parents let him ride his bike- without their constant supervision- crossed streets and all.  His is a truly amazing story of how he developed his other senses, even learning to use echolocation. 

Overall, I would recommend this book to everyone, though sometimes the details are a bit tedious, it's a great book.

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