Monday, May 13, 2013

The Shape of the Eye--FREE books!

Okay, folks, I have entered the world of the high-class blogs.  I am going to be giving away two free copies of The Shape of the Eye, a book that I reviewed in 2011 with this high praise:  this is a memoir that doesn't enrage me.

That's actually a big deal.  Most memoirs written by parents of kids with disabilities make me ill for reasons I've explained in extensive academic detail in an article in Disability Studies Quarterly.  I won't go into all of that here.  What I will go into is the fact that George Estreich has written a fine book--a memoir that's thoughtful, loaded with chunky bits of insight that make you pause.  And he's written a book that isn't in any way about the fact that life with his daughter Laura is a tragedy.

He's a creative writer, so he believes in the power of narrative.  Here's a quote that may well appear in my own book:

"If our technologies are to benefit people with Down syndrome, then their lives need to become more real to us.  Science can illuminate one part of that reality, and technology can affect it.  But only story can convey it."

The Shape of the Eye was originally published by a university press, but it's a good enough book--and a readable enough book--that Penguin has picked it up, and it actually got reviewed by People Magazine!  Go, George!  Before he became so famous, George and I became internet friends, and I think that's how I got invited to offer up two free copies of his book.

Soooooo.....the first two people to write something in the comment section that makes me smile will have a book mailed to them.

17 comments:

  1. I doubt if this will make you smile, but I've been wanting to read that book and just haven't yet. Maybe this will make me get on the stick and order it!

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    1. Well, you generally make me smile, mom, but I feel I should give the free books to people I'm NOT related to.

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  2. George enrages me: wish I could right as good as he do!

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    1. Okay, Mark, that made me smile. Now you have to send me your mailing address!

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  3. I think I own every Down syndrome memoir out there, and I haven't read a single one of them! I I just can't bring myself to do it. But this book I actually *want* to read. I don't think I've read a single bad thing about it, and I'm hoping it will bring me out of my Ds book funk.

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    1. Alright, Melissa, you've got a copy of this book coming your way. Send me your mailing address! Let me say that your Ds book funk probably won't be challenged by many of the books that are out there. Another favorite of mine is the oldie-but-goodie, Michael Berube's Life As We Know It.

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  4. Okay, the two free books are now gone. But please feel free to leave a comment that will make me smile anyway!

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  5. I am in the oldies bin! So you made me smile instead. And George's book really is great -- so good to see it blowin' up! We can say we knew him when....

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  6. Oh, Michael, I didn't expect you to show up here! That makes me laugh. Yeah, I'm afraid that 1996 is a long time ago. You're doing quite well for an old guy.

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  7. You popped up in my Facebook feed! Social media were being social. And yeah, 1996 is like a whole nother century ago ... as far away in the past as 2030 is in the future, and that scares me a little....

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    1. Yeah, that's actually a little scary.

      I'm sorry that I didn't give you the shout-out in the post that I could have given: the article that's in Disability Studies Quarterly reads a bit like a fan letter about Life As We Know It. And that was before we were friends via social media.

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  8. How about I saw a review of the book in a magazine just a week ago and was going to ask you if you ever heard of it? Or that you are my favorite blogger (oh, wait, that is trying to get a book with flattery and that is just smarmy)?

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    1. Oh, Jill, I LOVE flattery! Giving it (see my comment to Michael, above) and receiving it. But I already gave the two books away...I can see if I can wrangle up another one!

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  9. Congrats to George and the well deserved recognition for this amazing book! Something that made me smile was your recent post about dance parties because dance parties are a daily occurrence in our house! A favorite dance tune of ours is “Everybody Got Their Something” by Nikka Costa. Maybe you and Maybelle want to add this one to your list?! I am pretty sure this song will make you smile :-).

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    1. Thanks for the recommendation, Katie--I'll check it out!

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  10. Alison, Michael, and everyone, thank you so much. This makes ME smile, a lot. (I already have copies of the book, though.)

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    1. Enjoy the fame, George! I'm very excited for you!

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