I See, Said the Blind Man

Art Seamans writes the book I See, Said the Blind Man from a perspective of having been both sighted at one time and now visually handicapped. The book consists of a series of essays in which the author both describes what having age-related macular degeneration is like and offers advice to both the visually handicapped and those who associate with visually-handicapped people. The reader should have the sensation of sitting with the author over a cup of coffee while he reminisces and philosophizes about the experience of blindness. The author describes many of his own experiences and refers to a number of other books written by and about blind people. The reader will find in the book serious passages and slightly humorous ones, for the author does not hold himself to any mechanical or unitary vision of what it means to be blind. Chapters include description of his becoming visually-handicapped, his experiences at the San Diego Center for the Blind, thoughts on what it means to see and not see, rules and etiquette for both the sighted and visually handicapped, and a review of other books written by blind people.