Thunder dog tpc: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust

Here is a wonderful story, of grit,hope and determination to overcome adversity. First in growing up whilst being blind & facing the world and all its difficulties, working in different categories, with the aid of a guide dog, earning its trust and learning to trust the dog. Then to cap it all, surviving 9/11. By learning all the while and trusting your dog to lead you to safety. Well worth a read.

Beautifully written

It looks like a really good book, but because I haven't read it but gave it as a gift, I could not put 5 stars.

The best kind of books are those that tell a story, but also give you so much more. And this is one of those books. It will stay with me for a very long time. It is well written and insightful, and thanks to the author, it has given me a new greater understanding of those who are visually impaired. It has also given a new appreciation of Guide Dogs. The author’s experience of 9/11 is written with sensitivity and honesty, and his descriptions of the relationship with his Guide Dogs are very special. Despite all he experienced on 9/11, the book leaves you hopeful and full of faith. A book I would recommend wholeheartedly.

A wonderful true story of how Michael and his guide dog Roselle escaped from tower1, on 9/11, helping others to safety as they did, and were then caught up in the collapse of tower 2 before finally making it home, interspersed with stories of his life blind from birth but never accepting it as a disability

This unique tale about a remarkable Guide Dog who led her handler down 78 floors of stairs to safety during the World Trade Centre attacks is both interesting and well written, and has made us sad that we don't offer half paws, as it really does deserve slightly more than a 3. However, a couple of things stopped this book getting the full 5 paws up. For one, the dog featured in it too little to, in our opinion, really classify this as a `doggie story'. True, Michael made it out of the World Trade Centre with his Guide Dog at his side, but she seems to be mentioned as a mere afterthought at times and this book was, we thought, more about overcoming the difficulties posed by blindness than about Roselle as a character. Having said that, we did enjoy reading about her antics before and after the event, and are sure that is deserving of all the accolades she has earned in the past ten years. Sadly, Roselle died in June 2011, so will not be accompanying Mr Hingson on any of the publicity for the book about her bravery. I doubt that will make much of a difference to the `campaign trail', as it seems this book is more about educating people about disabilities than about Roselle herself. I found Mr Hingson's constant lecturing about how the blind wish to be treated and how he lived a normal life despite being blind began to wear on me after a while. (Especially since he seems to demand equal treatment and then highlight this by detailing an occasion where he had to kick up a fuss to get things his way, therefore making people go out of their way to accommodate him.) Equally, I doubt the value of the essays and glossary etc included as appendixes to the text. No doubt someone reading the book in another context would find them significant, but as our group are interested in the canine aspect of the story these didn't add to my enjoyment or study of the book at all. I would have liked to have read more information about Roselle's life and training, or, indeed, more details on any of Mr Hingson's past Guide Dogs. I also felt that Mr Hingson talked down to the readers a lot. Passages which, for example, explain that on September 11th 2001 two planes piloted by members of a terrorist group called Al Qaeda crashed into the North andSouth Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York felt patronising and needless, given that everyone in the world knows about the events of that day. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he included this information to make the story perfectly clear, and perhaps to make it last the annals of history or to be more accessible to people, but every once in a while he would go to the trouble of re-iterating what is largely common knowledge and it began to stand out and annoy me. Finally, the other thing that Mr Hingson did which grated with this reader was to go on about how his religion influenced his life, how blessed he felt, how God was his guide and so on. Perhaps this is a personal thing (being an affirmed atheist), but he seemed to put more faith in the Lord to see him safely home than his Guide Dog, which seemed to make Roselle an interesting footnote in the whole thing rather than the star character. Personally, I would have enjoyed this book more if it was less about God and more about Dog. But, all those negatives aside, I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in blindness, Guide Dogs or American history, as it is a truly unique tale and gives a very good account of what it was like to be involved in a moment in history. Like his dog, Mr Hingson doesn't get caught up in the ideology of the moment or the anti terrorism/disaster rhetoric that so many Americans are prone to when recounting that day's events. He tells his stories - his life story and his September 11th survival story, interweaved throughout the book - with very little self pity and in a clear and concise manner. Co-author Susy Flory has obviously had a lot of input on the actual writing and the structure of the book and it works. I'm sure this will become a popular read once it is released in the more inexpensive paperback format.

I found this book very inspiring. It is another example of a wonderful dog’s loyalty and love for her master. Mike and Roselle’s story held my attention throughout and their journey out of the World Trade Center in 2001 is incredible. What a dog and what a team!

On 11th September 2001 Michael Hingson arrived at his office on the 78th floor of the Twin Towers in New York’s World Trade Centre and managed to descend 1463 steps after the bombing. In the book ‘Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog and the Triumph of Trust’, as well as sharing his experiences Michael Hingson talks about his guide dogs especially Roselle who devotedly stayed by his side. Although I was mainly interested in how Michael coped when he realised the urgency of leaving his office in the Twin Towers, I was equally interested in learning about how he used sounds – echolocation – to familiarise himself with his location, and how as a boy he was able to ride a bike. I enjoyed reading this novel that’s given me a greater knowledge of people with disabilities and how it shouldn’t stop them from achieving what they can in life.

... oder gerade eben deswegen. Michael Hingsons Geschichte sollte ein jeder gehört haben. Bitte auch keinesfalls vom Preis abschrecken lassen, das Hörbuch ist so gut wie 2 zusammen. Es umfasst ganze 6 CDs inkl. Bonustrack.

I would recommend this book highly as it gives so much more than the story of 9/11. While that is also a very important part of it, I truly learned all the capabilities and lack of differences between a sighted and unsighted person. A few times I was tempted to go ahead when it was a bit too technical in its description, but still a knowledgeable and heart warming story.

While I had heard of Michael Hingson and his guide dog escaping the World Trade Center on 9/11, reading the details of his story in his own words filled me with sadness as I remembered that day. But over it all, this is a book of hope. From the fearless way Michael and Roselle navigate the world to their amazing story of survival, overwhelming positivity, healing, and faith in God take precedence. Mike Hingson exudes a confidence and strength that most “light-dependent” people (as he puts it) lack. There is no space to feel sorry for him, only things we can learn from his journey. Published in 2012, this is a book that needs to stay alive, a story that should never be forgotten. I am very thankful for the opportunity to read and review it. The author weaves the details of his life without sight into the description of his time descending the North Tower stairwell in a way that is very clear and makes the book impossible to put down. I learned so much about blindness, ability vs. disability, and prejudices that we don’t even think we have. The author and many others are emerging as leaders and changing the world in their own quiet yet powerful ways every day. This is one book not to miss! *I received a complimentary copy of this e-book courtesy of Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nice book

I loved this book. A fascinating memoir that shines light on what it feels like to be blind. Very humbling! A lovely story that made me feel as if I were there.